cutting the springs on my 96 gt?

sleeper95 · Nov 24, 2009

i know you guys are gonna disagree with this but i really have nothing to lose.I was already gonna buy new springs but i just cant find the height i want (2.5"+ drop). So before going out and buying a set of -2" springs and not being happy with the height i was thinking about cutting my springs to see how it rides, i did order the maximum motorsport caster camber plates so i don't have to worry about alignment..any past experiences with this?? things im going to be facing?? maybe even any good experiences with this? thanks again

EPIK · Nov 24, 2009

sleeper95 said:
i know you guys are gonna disagree with this but i really have nothing to lose.I was already gonna buy new springs but i just cant find the height i want (2.5"+ drop). So before going out and buying a set of -2" springs and not being happy with the height i was thinking about cutting my springs to see how it rides, i did order the maximum motorsport caster camber plates so i don't have to worry about alignment..any past experiences with this?? things im going to be facing?? maybe even any good experiences with this? thanks again

Nothing wrong with cutting stock springs, as long as you have a good set of aftermarket shocks & struts to compliment the drop. But 2.5" is pretty low, & if you are gonna run stock struts/shocks, the ride is gonna be very harsh & bouncy.

40oz · Nov 24, 2009

I agree, the 2 1/2" drop is the killer.

A spring's rate is a function of the number of coils, the diameter of the coils, and the diameter of the wire. Reduce the number of coils and change nothing else and you get a much stiffer spring.

A shock is designed to dampen a spring rate within a certain range. Coupled with too stiff a spring, and the shock is forced to move too quickly, cannot dampen the movement, and quickly overheats just from friction of the oil moving back and forth. What you end up with is blown shocks, uncontrolled bouncing over railroad tracks, and laughter around you every time you go over tracks or navigate a speed bump or dip in the road.

People aren't elitist or conservative when they tell you not to cut springs. The reason people tell you to replace your shocks when you install lowering springs is because the factory shocks just cannot cope with the increased spring rate and you will suffer as a result. Any idea of better handling will quickly be dispelled. And despite popular culture, a Mustang handles quite well for a factory car... Until someone lowers it without installing matching shocks. Then it becomes an understeering bitch with killer oversteer at inappropriate times. Hence "Mustangs handle like crap! I had one with race springs and it couldn't corner to save it's life!"

ChillPhatCat · Nov 24, 2009

Nothing wrong with cutting springs, but the stock ones are designed to have a certain number of coils and without changing the spring rate, it's probably going to cause some very undesirable effects. I saw a "hopped up" civic driving down the highway slammed to the pavement and he was bouncing around like he was going offroading... he almost certainly cut his springs. Not gonna tell you what to do... just saying I burst out laughing when I drove by it and looked at the driver bouncing all over the place in there.

GettinThere · Nov 24, 2009

40oz said:
The reason people tell you to replace your shocks when you install lowering springs is because the factory shocks just cannot cope with the increased spring rate and you will suffer as a result.

Do you think the stock shocks would be ok, at least for awhile, with FRPP B springs?

(sorry for the hijack)

bhuff30 · Nov 24, 2009

There is a very good reason that no one offers a 2.5" drop. It comes down to suspension geometry and the practical reasons of ground clearance and ride. Cutting springs is ok when done properly, and I have cut spring on my 88 with great success, but the stock springs are not the correct spring to start with for a 2.5" drop.

Anytime you lower a mustang more than about 1-1.5", the suspension geometry is WORSE for handling. The camber curve of the lower A-arms goes from bad to aboluste crap, and the geometry of the steering system becomes unpredictable when you hit bumps (bump steer). And, there is a limited amount of suspension travel. When you lower the car, you remove that much of the possible suspension travel... and there's not much to start with. If I have much weight in the trunk at all, I can feel my stock height, 4x4 97GT bottom out with ease.

If you are going to lower your mustang 1.5" or lower in ANY manner, you should definately get fox body struts, trim the bump stops to allow a little more travel, get caster camber plates so you can actually align the wheels and tie rod ends that will help correct the geometry. Just cutting the springs or getting lowering springs without considering these, you will be just like those honda guys we all laugh at.

ChillPhatCat · Nov 24, 2009

I still think you should consider living with it as is until you can save up for some airbags... Hydraulics are not my thing, but it sounds like you really want it to sit low, and that's the only practical way to do it since you can then at least control your ride height.

twogts4us · Nov 24, 2009

GettinThere said:
Do you think the stock shocks would be ok, at least for awhile, with FRPP B springs?

(sorry for the hijack)

Yes, that would be fine, no problem, however the life of those OEM shocks and struts will likely be a bit shorter due to the lowering springs...But I'd do it with OEMs...in fact, we did it with my wife's 01 GT...great looking drop and stock feeling ride. Good choice.

GettinThere · Nov 24, 2009

twogts4us said:
Yes, that would be fine, no problem, however the life of those OEM shocks and struts will likely be a bit shorter due to the lowering springs...But I'd do it with OEMs...in fact, we did it with my wife's 01 GT...great looking drop and stock feeling ride. Good choice.

Thanx for the response. I only have 60k miles and am not in a hurry to buy new shocks and struts. I like the B springs, but would have a hard time fronting the money for the whole enchilada. So it's springs first, and s/s later when they wear out.

32ValveRom · Nov 24, 2009

2.5 is pretty steep. There's nothing wrong with cutting the springs which is what I did with my 99 Cobra. You just gotta make sure you cut the right amount from each spring because you don't want an uneven ride height.

cutting the springs on my 96 gt?

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