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Cutting Front Coil Springs?

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:24 pm
by 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

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:54 pm
by ek61
just do it 8) you know you want to :lol:

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:58 pm
by 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.
Image
The after shot.
Image
The before shot.
As you can see, only dropped about an inch, Trev 8)

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:00 pm
by 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. :wink: :wink: :wink: .

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.

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 10:04 pm
by vintageholden
i cut mine 1.. 1/2 coils worked out just right

Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:35 pm
by (AUST)Mod
Lower it as low as mine is ATM. Would look schweeet :)

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:23 pm
by Thommo
Thanks for your replies fellas :wink:
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 :x

Image

Looks like it staying where it is :cry:

Note to self:- Clean under car :oops:

Thanks anyway

Cheers
Jeff

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 1:23 pm
by 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 :wink: :wink: :wink: .

It won't fit my kingpin front end however :cry: :cry: :cry: .

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.

Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 2:15 pm
by Thommo
FB MAD wrote:so you could lower it around an extra 1/2 inch at least.
MMMMMMMM...Not worth the effort :(