cutting springs

[Daviticus]

Never heat up springs to compress them. That weakens the spring and greatly increases the risk of breaking them. Not to mention they ride like absolute shit once heated.

If you do anything, cut them and bend the end to fit into the stock holder. Else, leave them alone and save up for lowering springs or coil-overs.

[Wyatt Lay]

Yeah, Id say compress first and then if u wanna go lower, cut. You can come down a good amount just by heating them up, maybe even as low as you wanna go if you are persistant. Personally, ive never gone as low as a wanna by compressing, but the ride is 100x better that cut.

[Daviticus]

I placed 3rd in a Street Mod autocross class with a friend's '85 Corolla on cut springs [behind a prepped Neon on Koni's and an MR2 on sticky tires], and several suspension "gurus" [I use that word lightly] were mystified that the car handled so well and dampened so effectively on "garbage springs". They couldn't tell someone Sawzall'd 2 coils off the stock springs ... well mostly because it was more than that. The cut end had been heated with a torch until it was able to bend flat, to resemble the stock end of the spring. After they had air-cooled for a few hours, they were sprayed with cheapo $3 high-temp engine enamel, and installed onto brand new Tokico Blues.

Long of the short, just do it right if you're going to do it. I'd almost guarantee the people who shun cut springs rocked a set of cut stockies on whatever car they had in high school that made them cool.

[Rob&co]

am on cuts! Seems all the e30 guys are lol hehe

[agustingig]

If you want to put it on the ground cutting will not do it for you . The result will be laying on bumpstops and that gives a unsafe and bumpyride. Save money and drive safe.

oooooooooooooor cut the bumpstop! All my beaters have had cut springs and not once have i had a problem.. Except my MK4 golf beater literally had no springs in the front and was still high as shit.

[Daviticus]

Too much thought in this thread.

Guaranteed, I could start pulling stock springs at junkyards, slicing coils off them, bending the cut end to sit properly on the original perch, powder-coat them a ridiculous color, and sell them as lowering springs. People would buy that shit up. How do I know? I've done it.

The main issue with cut springs, is that the majority of people who do so, don't do it properly. Especially in the instance of the gentleman above who had his coils heated and compressed - that is an absolute no-no. By heating the springs you change the composition of the spring metal, which in turn severely weakens the spring, greatly increasing the risk of breakage.

Second issue, the same people who are running shortened springs aren't compensating for the increased spring rate by replacing the struts/shocks, and instead are using their [likely blown] stock units instead. THIS is what is mostly dangerous, and can cause the ridiculous scenario posted earlier by kboers. Yes, it has happened. Yes, it is preventable by doing things properly or buying the proper equipment instead. Yes, it is a fairly unlikely, extreme-case situation, but is also one that should be kept in mind.

All this having been said, if you're going to do something, do it properly. That does not insinuate that you absolutely NEED $3000 coilovers, but that doesn't mean its' generally accepted to torch some coils in half and be hot shit. Just use common sense and a little bit of intelligence.

[McRib]

Quite simply, don't.

It's people who cut springs and install budget drops (eBay garbage) that necessitated strict laws on modifying cars because they were plain and simple dangerous. By saving a couple dollars, you risk totaling your car when (potentially) a spring comes loose or something vital fails and all control of the vehicle is lost. This not only endangers you but the drivers around you. Imagine swerving to avoid a child in the road only to find your car is on a dead skid towards said child.

Now I'm not telling you to not do it (I mean how could I ever enforce that) but I'd strongly advise against it if you value your car or the lives of the people around you. By saving up spare dollars on a regular basis, you could afford a decent set of coilovers and struts that you could be proud to tell everyone about and would offer honest handling gains.

I'd even go as far as saying invest in something as simple as namebrand coilovers (Skunk2, Megan Racing, Ground Control, Etc...) and throw them on your stock shocks. At the very least you will get the look you desire without nearly as much risk.

My brother ran a set of Skunk2 Coilover Sleeves on his Integra and drove that car very harshly for a few months without any noticeable problems. People may point to blown shocks as a problem but you would have that problem regardless with cutsprings.

thiss

[BAbuyh76gt]

cutting springs every week! lol

[kboers]

Quite simply, don't.

It's people who cut springs and install budget drops (eBay garbage) that necessitated strict laws on modifying cars because they were plain and simple dangerous. By saving a couple dollars, you risk totaling your car when (potentially) a spring comes loose or something vital fails and all control of the vehicle is lost. This not only endangers you but the drivers around you. Imagine swerving to avoid a child in the road only to find your car is on a dead skid towards said child.

Now I'm not telling you to not do it (I mean how could I ever enforce that) but I'd strongly advise against it if you value your car or the lives of the people around you. By saving up spare dollars on a regular basis, you could afford a decent set of coilovers and struts that you could be proud to tell everyone about and would offer honest handling gains.

I'd even go as far as saying invest in something as simple as namebrand coilovers (Skunk2, Megan Racing, Ground Control, Etc...) and throw them on your stock shocks. At the very least you will get the look you desire without nearly as much risk.

My brother ran a set of Skunk2 Coilover Sleeves on his Integra and drove that car very harshly for a few months without any noticeable problems. People may point to blown shocks as a problem but you would have that problem regardless with cutsprings.

[Adam.]

Yeah but if a thread has to be made about this, I'd say he isn't very aware of anything





Maybe it was a childish way to go about it but I just found it funny that someone would pay to get their springs reset 50mm lower when you could cut a coil for the exact same outcome, safety/height/ride wise... Don't take it to heart

I wasn't talking about you when I said this guy, I was talking to the guy writing about how the stock springs can't take the weight

[HoodRide]

Im runnin my civic on coilovers wich iv chopped down by 4 full coils and is basicly runs on bump stops. It handles really nice wich i was suprised about, but my mate just chopped his standard coils on his mk3 golf and it bounces all over the gaf. i just fink it all depends on the car, some run fine chopped(bmw's?) and some struggle.

[DragginWagonII]

I've run 3 cars now on cut springs. So far so good. Is cut my old TE72 wagons front springs literally in half and never had an issue. My Volvo now on cut golf gti front springs and cut stock rears if ultra stiff. So it deffinetly varies from car to car.

[Adam.]

I cut my bumpstops down to half a bumpstop. Was still sitting on them :|

[B Rod]

Never once was mine resting on bump stops at all times, nor did it ever feel unsafe, even at 85mph+. See sig.

[Dani]

If you want to put it on the ground cutting will not do it for you . The result will be laying on bumpstops and that gives a unsafe and bumpyride. Save money and drive safe.