about cutting aprings? I really hate my ride height and wouldn't mind cutting one coil off to lower it just a bit. Of course I could buy lowering products, but those aren't in my budget at the moment (front c/o, bilsteins, rear springs). I already know the pros so let's hear the cons.
It changes your overall spring rate because there is less spring there to make the rate.
You can get away with one coil, any more than that gets bad.
Cutting coils raises the spring rate but drops the load rating. Also, if the spring is a progressive rate, it's kind of hard to tell what you are doing. On a linear rate you can get an idea of what the spring rate increase is going to be.
I don't like to cut them either, but less than a coil should be ok.
Sometimes only one coil or less than a coil will raise the car. Because our coils are progressive rate you are cutting the weakest coils. By cutting the weak section it takes more force to compress the spring therfore raising the static height. It also make a very bouncey ride. Not safe for a bumpy curve. I know a kid who cut his springs in his F150 and his Saturn LS2. The truck was pretty bad because the springs are oversprung for the weight to begin with. The Saturn was fine. I think it was because it was a new car and the shocks were still good. Leading to another con, it will make your shocks die quicker. They aren't performance shocks after all so they can't deal with large amounts of heat. Harsh, bouncey springs generate a great deal of heat because they force the shocks to work much harder than designed. Lowering springs wear out stock shocks faster too but not as fast because lowering springs are designed with less harshness. I'd cut my springs if I was still driving my car only because I'm redoing the whole suspension...but as a long term thing...I wouldn't do it.
I had 5.0 front coils in my Mustang (2.3) that I cut a coil and a half off of...they were pretty stiff, but not that bad. :dunno:
I guess I'll cut a coil (or less) and see what happens. Yes, this is temporary. But I do have semi-new sensatrac shocks/struts. I'm not sure these are original springs, though... the rears aren't at least.
Thanks for the advice. :)
The only real "con" I see is if you cut off too much... It will sit too low and the tires will rub the struts. I did this with a set of TC front springs when I cut off one complete coil. To get the ride height that you want I suggest you cut no more than 1/2 coil to start. Re-assemble and see how the car sits. If nessesary take it all apart and cut some more. I wouldn't cut more than 1/4 to 1/2 at a time though. My current set up I had to cut twice. It ended up being one full coil removed from Sport springs which happened to start out a lot taller than my Turbocoupe springs. It's a PITA to cut in small increments but the chances of ruining your springs are greatly reduced. Also keep in mind that the springs may settle a little over time after you cut them. So if they're close I'd give it a week or two before lopping off some more. Hope this helps...
My fronts are stock springs off a 95ish Mustang. They had the same wire thickness and coil "spacing" as a T-Bird lowering set my local shop had (with one of the fronts missing from the box), just had a few more coils, which made them taller. I cut about 1 1/8 coils off of them, which still left them a bit taller than the remaining "lowering" spring was, with similar stiffness. I used the rears right out of the box.
Cutting fronts is easy, as the lower end is "open", and locates in a trough in the lower arm.
The rears will be harder, since both ends are "closed". Bottom end is a small flat loop to fit the pad/locator on the arm, the last top coil is also wound flat to lay against the upper pad.
well that was going to be my next question. thanks masterblaster.
:disappoin
lol. you don't even have to say it. :giggle: