cutting front springs

[Stang|ess]

Im not gonna argue with you, but torch, saw, cut-off wheel all = heat.

I might be a smart-ass or clown like you called me. But your still wrong, bottom line.

Anytime I've cut them off, it was with a dremel and a cut off wheel. Whatever minimal heat it did make, didn't feed any further than about an inch past the cut....and even then it wasn't anything hot enough I couldn't hold with my fingers.

 

[Dope 97GT]

Because he answered it himself Search feature

i thought that he was asking if the info he found was right or not my bad sorry and the search feature is quite nice

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Im not gonna argue with you, but torch, saw, cut-off wheel all = heat.

I might be a smart-ass or clown like you called me. But your still wrong, bottom line.

What's with the Insults? And no, I didn't call you a clown directly. It was meant as a general statement to the "all negative" replies he was getting (presumably scaring the crap out of him). Some here would have a person believe that cutting a set of stock springs to slightly lower a vehicle automatically ruins them....when in reality, minimal alteration of the stock springs isn’t as devastating to handling or ride quality as some are lead to believe. Hell....how many of us here have driven around for months....even years with a broken coil spring(s) and not even noticed it? And if you’ll notice, they always break somewhere within the first couple of coils. So much for throwing off the ride and handling to any great extreme, huh?

It's obvious you've never cut a set of springs before....or by the sounds of it, used a cut off wheel? Otherwise you'd know that using a cut off wheel doesn't automatically superheat the spring. Yes, if you clamp down on it hard and don't let up until you're though, then it's going to get red hot, but if you use a little restraint, with short controlled cuts it creates next to no heat...certainly not enough to take the temper out of the steel. I’ve cut springs on 4 of my previous vehicles and other than a slight drop in ride height, nobody could tell the difference in ride quality or handling.

If you don't know the answer to the question, then that's fine....nobody's going to fault you for it. But its you that looks like the jerk when you take a guess and then come off like some kind of E-dick when you've been corrected after being proven wrong......and yes.....in this instance, you are wrong!!!

 

[LSUTIGER50]

springs

Now now, lets all be civil and lets all make up. Although I personally would not do it, if you wanna do it, do it. Thousands of people cut springs and are very happy (if you do a history of post on the subjects).

Ultimately, we are individualist and we continue to express ourselves with our cars

:Track:

 

[stangGT97]

Gearbanger, I was speaking from personal experience. I bought the car lowered, the installed lowering springs had been cut (not sure how much). To me, the ride was very bouncy and unstable, and I have really good shocks and struts, but even they could not damp the bounces.

To answer the question, you cut from the end that sits on the control arm, the other end needs to remain flat

 

[mity2]

When my front spring on 00 Focus broke, i noticed right away, as it sagged instantly.

I think we are taking this way to far.
I don't think cutting spring is the way to go. Nothing anyone can tell me is going to change that. I know i've seen it done many times(including some done by really high named car builder). Perhaps Gearbanger is right. May be it won't change anything. Perhaps it will. I don't know. All i know is that I would replace spring instead og cutting. makes me feel better that way.

but instead of argueing this subject(and this is one of many "cutting spring" thread. no matter what the question is, its always end up the same. people arguing, and person asked question don't get answer.)
Does anyone know where to cut spring? i don't cut spring, so i can't help him...

 

[todd4566]

Gearbanger, I was speaking from personal experience. I bought the car lowered, the installed lowering springs had been cut (not sure how much). To me, the ride was very bouncy and unstable, and I have really good shocks and struts, but even they could not damp the bounces.

Your springs may have been cut excessively or heat was used, but I also speak from personal experience - my GT rode great with one coil removed from the front springs. *I had Ford B springs in the back, and for the life of me could not get the B front's in during the install. Ended up cutting the stock fronts to save time, and never bothered changing it after that.

 

[40oz]

Gearbanger, I was speaking from personal experience. I bought the car lowered, the installed lowering springs had been cut (not sure how much). To me, the ride was very bouncy and unstable, and I have really good shocks and struts, but even they could not damp the bounces.

the quality of the shocks/struts isn't what dampens the spring. You need stiffer shocks/struts to match your springs if your car is bouncing all over. When you see a car that is way low and bouncing all over the place, the problem is their dampers are too soft for the spring. It doesn't matter if the spring was cut by the owner or purchased that way, it is too stiff for the dampers.

Spring rate is related to the length of the spring, the number of coils, and the material. If you cut off a coil, you have shortened the spring and decreased the number of coils, and the spring rate will go up. Meaning that there is less wire, and therefore more resistance to twisting/compressing. When you buy a set of lowering springs (more than an inch or so), the spring rate is higher than stock (just like a cut stock spring). Basically, if you are lowering more than an inch or so, you need to replace your shocks/struts with stiffer units to match the springs, regardless of whether you cut coils or buy new shorter springs.