I'm Going To Cut The Springs. Cutting Coil Springs.
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From: Pflugerville, TX
Vehicle: 2000 Elantra
QUOTE (Stocker @ Nov 6 2008, 11:21 PM)
<snip>
This thread is to document the process, with pics before and after, as well as subjective results and hints/tips/problems I come up with. Feel free to add constructive criticism.
If all you have to add to this thread is how I shouldn't do it and it will kill me, feel free to go soak your head.
This thread is to document the process, with pics before and after, as well as subjective results and hints/tips/problems I come up with. Feel free to add constructive criticism.
If all you have to add to this thread is how I shouldn't do it and it will kill me, feel free to go soak your head.
nana.gif
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From: Leesville, Louisiana
Vehicle: 2001 Hyundai Tiburon
The rear springs have a grove around the perch where the spring is supposed to sit. if you cut off a rung it would probly wobble around from side to side trying to find the seat. It would for sure bust up the lower strut assembly rubber which is what prevents noise. The springs in the rear are a speciffic size as well as a speciffic mounting angle. The rear springs cannot be cut without changing that. The GK springs can be cut 1 rung to make them fit because they are wider, but they sit too low and you'll bottom out your struts on speed bumps. Also, the GK springs cut will not have the correct mounting angle and will bust up the lower strut assembly rubber.
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From: Fargo, ND
Vehicle: 2001 tiburon
Okay. Here is my opinion... I went out and bought ebay coilovers. After not even half a year of being slammed, and i mean slammed, My struts were completely shot. I went out and bought kyb gr2's and now my car rides a shit ton better. (my driver front strut stayed compressed after i removed it and pushed it in with my hand) If you are going cheap and just want a little lower buy those ebay coilovers.... I know they arent that great for being slammed, but if you only drop a inch you wont kill your struts as fast as i did... Seriously though, I am not getting different suspension, now that i have the gr2's, it rides nice and isnt bouncy... The only thing that is annoying is the fronts when I turn clunk a little after time.
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From: Pflugerville, TX
Vehicle: 2000 Elantra
There aren't any hard bumps on my daily commute, and that's all I use the car for. Everything else is done with my wife's Buick Terraza CXL. The airbags in it make bumps disappear. fing02.gif
Next week my wife is taking off to visit family in El Paso. Watch this space!
Next week my wife is taking off to visit family in El Paso. Watch this space!
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Joined: Sep 2001
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From: Pflugerville, TX
Vehicle: 2000 Elantra
TO ALL THE HATERS OUT THERE WHO SAID I SHOULDN'T CUT MY SPRINGS:
fing02.gif you were right... but not for the reason you think nana.gif
Behold:
sorry about the big pic, I forgot to downsize.
The spring is slightly pigtailed. NOT safe to cut. Oh well. By my calculations the front only came up 1/2" to 3/4" anyhow so I'll just ignore it until I feel like paying for some springs. I'm happy to leave it unless someone shows me the spring is not pigtailed when it's removed...anyone want to shoot a stock spring you have laying around, and post a pic real quick?
The rear looks about the same.
fing02.gif you were right... but not for the reason you think nana.gif
Behold:
sorry about the big pic, I forgot to downsize.
The spring is slightly pigtailed. NOT safe to cut. Oh well. By my calculations the front only came up 1/2" to 3/4" anyhow so I'll just ignore it until I feel like paying for some springs. I'm happy to leave it unless someone shows me the spring is not pigtailed when it's removed...anyone want to shoot a stock spring you have laying around, and post a pic real quick?
The rear looks about the same.
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From: MA
I found this about cutting springs...
"I've cut plenty of springs with good results. If you want a slightly lower ride height and a slight increase in rate it's a good option in my opinion. You can go too far, personally I would never go beyond two coils and even that is pushing it depending on the spring. The most important thing is keep them as cool as possible, getting them hot will effect the temper of the steel and could cause them to break. Do not cut them with a torch! It gets the steel way too hot. Even a chop saw or sawzall is a much better option.
See if you can find the book Herb Adams Chassis Engineering. He recommends cutting springs as a way of getting a lower center of gravity and increasing rate.
Think about straitening out a coil spring. What are you left with? A torsion bar. And that's how a coil spring works it actually twists. That little bar of steel can't tell that its coiled up. So if you cut, say, ten inches off of a three foot bar of steel the amount of force it would take to twist that bar the same amount increases. It's the same whether it's a straight bar or coiled."
And this...
"Once upon a time, SAAB told me to cut the springs to lower the car and stiffen the suspension. Worked like a charm. "
"I've cut plenty of springs with good results. If you want a slightly lower ride height and a slight increase in rate it's a good option in my opinion. You can go too far, personally I would never go beyond two coils and even that is pushing it depending on the spring. The most important thing is keep them as cool as possible, getting them hot will effect the temper of the steel and could cause them to break. Do not cut them with a torch! It gets the steel way too hot. Even a chop saw or sawzall is a much better option.
See if you can find the book Herb Adams Chassis Engineering. He recommends cutting springs as a way of getting a lower center of gravity and increasing rate.
Think about straitening out a coil spring. What are you left with? A torsion bar. And that's how a coil spring works it actually twists. That little bar of steel can't tell that its coiled up. So if you cut, say, ten inches off of a three foot bar of steel the amount of force it would take to twist that bar the same amount increases. It's the same whether it's a straight bar or coiled."
And this...
"Once upon a time, SAAB told me to cut the springs to lower the car and stiffen the suspension. Worked like a charm. "
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From: Pflugerville, TX
Vehicle: 2000 Elantra
*I* know you can cut coil springs, just tell that to some of the scaredy-cats around here! nana.gif
The thing is, if you cut a pig-tailed spring, it won't sit right on the perch. Then, when you get a good bottoming-out of the suspension, you'll run the risk of the spring finding a new place to rest, and then your car wants to zig while you are still trying to zag out of a pothole or whatever. Boo.
I repeat myself:
if you have a set of stock springs laying about not mounted on struts, please take a photo of the bottom end and post it up. There is a (very) small chance that the end is compressed by the strut, but I somehow doubt it.
The thing is, if you cut a pig-tailed spring, it won't sit right on the perch. Then, when you get a good bottoming-out of the suspension, you'll run the risk of the spring finding a new place to rest, and then your car wants to zig while you are still trying to zag out of a pothole or whatever. Boo.
I repeat myself:
if you have a set of stock springs laying about not mounted on struts, please take a photo of the bottom end and post it up. There is a (very) small chance that the end is compressed by the strut, but I somehow doubt it.
