cutting coil springs

[CarMichael Angelo]

I know that the right way to lower the car is w/a replacement spring set from one of the manufacturers who specialize in that thing,...but how much am I gonna lose (other than ride height) by cutting 1/2 - 1 coil out of the ones currently on my 89 notch.

I know that bumpsteer and alignment will have to be dealt with after I do it,... but what do you guys think about it?

Hey sorry,did a thread search AFTER i posted and found a zillion replies to previous inquiries

 

[2000xp8]

You can't cut fox springs, they aren't linear.
So by cutting them you mess up the balance.

 

[Repostyle]

You can cut any spring, it just changes the spring rate. Depending on which end you cut off a progressive rate spring, you might make it firmer or softer. Just don't cut it with a torch, that will destroy a spring. However, cutting springs is not a good idea. It's very hard to get the car to sit level after cutting. You need to cut them all in the same exact place from the same end (top or bottom) to atleast be close.

I vote for replacement springs though, you can pick-up a good set of springs for around $100 and a very good set for no more than about $200, pretty reasonable if you ask me.

 

[f8tlfiveo]

If there is a dead coil you can cut that without too much trouble..

 

[rd]

Cutting the springs works fine for lowering. I cut a set of four cyl fronts to put on my 82, that has a 5.0. Cut about 3/4 coil. It lowered it about 1/2 in more than I wanted, but it was able to be aligned, drives fine. As others have noted, it is not the engineered solution, but...

Recommend cutting 1/2 coil and reassembling them, bouncing the car or a short drive, then remeasuring and cutting again if it's not low enough. Cut, check, cut, check.

Fronts are a pain but the rears are easier. Buy a junk set of springs if you want to experiment. I cut with an air powered cut off tool. Only takes five minutes.

My 82 with the cut 4 cyl coils rides and handles fine, to me, even with no front sway bar and manual steering.

 

[mob]

On my beater escort someone had torched the springs to lower the car. I ended up going to a junkyard and pulling off some quickstruts to replace them with. Obviously not the same as cutting them but when someone talks about tampering with springs that were designed a certain way it makes me nauseas.

 

[twogts4us]

I cut a set of Mach 1 springs for my (gone but not forgotten) Black 2002 GT - 1/2 coil in the rear and 3/4 up front. The ride quality didn't change at all. I already had MM CC plates, so alignment was no issue. While I know everyone says, 'DON'T DO IT' I personally had great success with my minor chop and wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

 

[2000xp8]

I cut a set of Mach 1 springs for my (gone but not forgotten) Black 2002 GT - 1/2 coil in the rear and 3/4 up front. The ride quality didn't change at all. I already had MM CC plates, so alignment was no issue. While I know everyone says, 'DON'T DO IT' I personally had great success with my minor chop and wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

Mach 1 springs are linear, so it's not a real good comparison with fox springs.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Linear rate springs are fine to cut. It's been done and with success.

Progressive rate springs are the ones that bounce when cut. Depending on how much you cut, and how good your shocks are, you might get bounce.


Up front, you would cut the coil at the bottom where it fits into the a arm perch.