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Raptor13x · 10-02-2009, 04:13 PM

Oh my god some of you FAIL at reading. He said he is entering the 24 hours of lemons... that means he has approximately $0.00 budget for aftermarket parts, per the rules. Aftermarket springs cost $200+ on average, which would DESTROY his budget for the important things.

Despite commonly held belief, you CAN cut your springs with good results. It just gets a bad name because 99% of people that do it do it wrong, and don't understand exactly what is happening when they cut them. When you cut your springs, you INCREASE the spring rate. If the shocks are left stock, this will mean they will be inadequate for the modified springs (hence the bouncing you see). However, most aftermarket springs also have a higher spring rate, so you really need better shocks either way, which I'm glad to see you're adding. The HUGE advantage in cutting your springs over using aftermarket is that, although you are increasing spring rate, you're leaving it in the stock ratio front-rear, which most aftermarket spring companies change for the worse.

The next area most people screw up is by not measuring and cutting the EXACT same amount off each spring. Cut no more than 1/2 coil before reassembling the car and testing it. The steps to do so are as follows: (reference = Chassis Engineering, by Herb Adams, paraphrased)

1) Carefully remove the coil springs. Note how the end coils of the springs are slightly bent so that it seats properly in the strut assembly.

2) Mark off exactly 1/2 coil on the spring.

3) Cut the spring using an acetylene torch or saw.

4) Heat the 1/2 coil below your cut so you can bend it to match the spring's original shape.

5) Quickly turn the spring upside down and bend the top coil by pushing down on the spring. Do NOT quench the spring with water, allow it to air-cool slowly.

6) Paint the spring to avoid rust and reinstall.

10-02-2009, 04:13 PM	#5 (permalink)
Raptor13x Legendary Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Farmington Hills, MI Posts: 3,997 Thanks: 7 Thanked 44 Times in 37 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (5/100% )	Oh my god some of you FAIL at reading. He said he is entering the 24 hours of lemons... that means he has approximately $0.00 budget for aftermarket parts, per the rules. Aftermarket springs cost $200+ on average, which would DESTROY his budget for the important things. Despite commonly held belief, you CAN cut your springs with good results. It just gets a bad name because 99% of people that do it do it wrong, and don't understand exactly what is happening when they cut them. When you cut your springs, you INCREASE the spring rate. If the shocks are left stock, this will mean they will be inadequate for the modified springs (hence the bouncing you see). However, most aftermarket springs also have a higher spring rate, so you really need better shocks either way, which I'm glad to see you're adding. The HUGE advantage in cutting your springs over using aftermarket is that, although you are increasing spring rate, you're leaving it in the stock ratio front-rear, which most aftermarket spring companies change for the worse. The next area most people screw up is by not measuring and cutting the EXACT same amount off each spring. Cut no more than 1/2 coil before reassembling the car and testing it. The steps to do so are as follows: (reference = Chassis Engineering, by Herb Adams, paraphrased) 1) Carefully remove the coil springs. Note how the end coils of the springs are slightly bent so that it seats properly in the strut assembly. 2) Mark off exactly 1/2 coil on the spring. 3) Cut the spring using an acetylene torch or saw. 4) Heat the 1/2 coil below your cut so you can bend it to match the spring's original shape. 5) Quickly turn the spring upside down and bend the top coil by pushing down on the spring. Do NOT quench the spring with water, allow it to air-cool slowly. 6) Paint the spring to avoid rust and reinstall.