A rod reducing device for use in positioning a connecting rod into position in the head of a bone screw, the device comprising: a housing having a first end and a second end and a lumen defined by said housing and communicating between said first end and said second end; a slidable sleeve having a first end and a second end, said sleeve being circumferentially disposed around at least a lower portion of said housing and terminating at said second end in a connecting rod driving member; an actuator lever pivotally connected to said housing and operationally connected to said sleeve by a pivotal connection to a first end of a force transfer arm, which is connected at a second end to said sleeve; and a biasing element which compresses under the force imposed on the actuation lever to urge the sleeve downward and which expands upon removal of said force whereby the device is capable of transferring the force from said actuation lever and the force transfer arm to effect the slidable movement of the sleeve downward along the outside of the housing to a position where said connecting rod driving member is capable of contacting and forcing a rod downward into position in the head of a bone screw, and characterized by: a biasing element compartment defined as a space between a portion of said sleeve and an adjacent portion of said housing, said compartment being limited at a distal position by a biasing element stop and limited at a proximal position by a retaining member stop, said compartment containing the biasing element which is sized to fit when fully expanded within said compartment, said compartment further containing a biasing element retaining member disposed between said biasing element and said retaining member stop, with the retaining member stop, in contact with the retaining member, transferring compression force from said actuation lever and the force transfer arm against the biasing element, causing the biasing element to compress against the biasing element stop, under the force imposed on the slidable sleeve by the actuation lever and which upon removal of said imposed force, urges the sleeve upward. a housing having a first end and a second end and a lumen defined by said housing and communicating between said first end and said second end; a slidable sleeve having a first end and a second end, said sleeve being circumferentially disposed around at least a lower portion of said housing and terminating at said second end in a connecting rod driving member; an actuator lever pivotally connected to said housing and operationally connected to said sleeve by a pivotal connection to a first end of a force transfer arm, which is connected at a second end to said sleeve; and a biasing element which compresses under the force imposed on the actuation lever to urge the sleeve downward and which expands upon removal of said force whereby the device is capable of transferring the force from said actuation lever and the force transfer arm to effect the slidable movement of the sleeve downward along the outside of the housing to a position where said connecting rod driving member is capable of contacting and forcing a rod downward into position in the head of a bone screw, and characterized by: a biasing element compartment defined as a space between a portion of said sleeve and an adjacent portion of said housing, said compartment being limited at a distal position by a biasing element stop and limited at a proximal position by a retaining member stop, said compartment containing the biasing element which is sized to fit when fully expanded within said compartment, said compartment further containing a biasing element retaining member disposed between said biasing element and said retaining member stop, with the retaining member stop, in contact with the retaining member, transferring compression force from said actuation lever and the force transfer arm against the biasing element, causing the biasing element to compress against the biasing element stop, under the force imposed on the slidable sleeve by the actuation lever and which upon removal of said imposed force, urges the sleeve upward. a biasing element compartment defined as a space between a portion of said sleeve and an adjacent portion of said housing, said compartment being limited at a distal position by a biasing element stop and limited at a proximal position by a retaining member stop, said compartment containing the biasing element which is sized to fit when fully expanded within said compartment, said compartment further containing a biasing element retaining member disposed between said biasing element and said retaining member stop, with the retaining member stop, in contact with the retaining member, transferring compression force from said actuation lever and the force transfer arm against the biasing element, causing the biasing element to compress against the biasing element stop, under the force imposed on the slidable sleeve by the actuation lever and which upon removal of said imposed force, urges the sleeve upward.