Cutting Front Coil Springs?

[Thommo]

Gday Brothers

I want to make an slight adjustment to the ride height on the front my FB
When I rebuilt it, I used new heavy duty lowered coils.
I only want to drop it about another 1"
Now, If I measure the distance between each round of the coil,
while the car stands on flat ground, and for arguments sake, its measures 1,1/2"
Does that mean if I remove half of one turn of the coil, it will drop 3/4"?
I'm no rocket surgeon, and its obvious 3/4" is half of 1,1/2"..... but,
will the spring react as you think it would?
Is this a good enough guide to the amount it will drop?

Jeff

[ek61]

just do it you know you want to

[Trev]

Thommo, I have a set of pedders heavy duty front springs in my car for about 4 years, when I lowered it (more) last year I ended up cutting 1 whole coil off. It (much to my surprise) only lowered it the same amount that I cut off, I really thought it would have dropped it a bit more.

The after shot.

The before shot.
As you can see, only dropped about an inch, Trev

[FB MAD]

No expert here on spring cutting/lowering but speaking from recent experience.

Half a coil cut seems to lower standard springs around 1/2 inch or so.

Heavy duty springs may not lower as much with half a coil cut due to larger spring metal diameter.

I'd have a go at just cutting 1/2 a coil at a time and refit the spring and check the ride height,as once its cut too much, you can't put it back!!

Cut it with a cutting disc with an angle grinder ( not oxy/acetylene ).

I know this method is slow and a pain in the bum but if you do it without refitting the shock, tie rod and sway bar it makes it a bit quicker.Lower the car to the ground and check the ride height.I guarantee you will be a master at spring fitting by the time you get your ride height correct. .

I recently fitted some heavy duty lowered springs to my daily driver FB but it wasn't low enough so I then cut a complete coil from them and it lowered it about 1 3/4 inch further which was a bit too much.It was nearly sitting on the bump stops at that.

I should have only cut 1/2 to 3/4 of a coil even though the car now looks nice and low.

Had to modify the bump stops ( read .... cut and reshape bump stops )and ended up with 1 3/16 inch bump rubber clearance .

Hope that info helps,

Terry.

[vintageholden]

i cut mine 1.. 1/2 coils worked out just right

[(AUST)Mod]

Lower it as low as mine is ATM. Would look schweeet

[Thommo]

Thanks for your replies fellas
But it doesn't look like I can lower it any further
I just took to the front front end with a tape measure and found
I already cant see enough of the coils to measure the gap between each turn,
and the bump stop gap is less than 20mm as it is



Looks like it staying where it is

Note to self:- Clean under car

Thanks anyway

Cheers
Jeff

[FB MAD]

Jeff.

Fulcrum suspensions make a shortened bump stop in polyurethane for the HR front end as I have one in my hand as I type this.I bought a set of four the other day for $52.They are a very pretty purple colour .

It won't fit my kingpin front end however .

Its height from where it sits in the locating thingamajig to the end is 25 mm which is approx 1/2 as short again as the standard HR lower bump rubber.

By your photo it looks as if you only have approx 1/2 inch clearance as is with the standard rubber bump stop so with these fandangly shortened bump stops from Fulcrum you would then get 1 1/2 inch clearance so you could lower it around an extra 1/2 inch at least.

Terry.

[Thommo]

so you could lower it around an extra 1/2 inch at least.

MMMMMMMM...Not worth the effort