Another "cutting springs" thread

[1989Sho30]

I have a 89 MTX, and right now.. The back sits lower than the front, The rear tires sit in the fender well, and my front don't. and to make things worse, my front suspension is dead, Whenever I hit a bump, it just floats over it like there is nothing there but spring.

since thats the case, can I cut the springs to lower it? I want it as low as freaking possible, and i don't to much care about ride qaulity, considering I've road in a ford ranger with no back suspension for about 14 hours at a time.


tl;dr: Bad struts, can I cut the springs to lower my SHO?

 

[ty91sho]

you can.... iam not sure if the stock springs have "dead coils" to cut off tho...but you might as well put in new struts when you have them out to cut the springs anyway...and put eibachs in so that it will go for more then 30 miles before you hit your head on the roof cuz your struts are blown. or if you dont care about ride. weld that crap solid lol. cut the springs as low as you want then weld in some steel on the side lol to keep it form bouncing and then it would handle like crazy also lol jkjk dont do that

if the stock coils do have a dead coil you could cut that off. but if they dont that one coil would drop it like 4 inches cuz the spring rate is so soft on the stockers.. i mean its up to you. but for me to go through all that work to get the struts out and take the springs off the struts to cut a coil then reasemble i would invest in some new parts..thats just me tho

 

[1989Sho30]

i'm extremely broke, and want this thing in the grass. i kind of like a bouncy ride anyways... but eh, it seems like everyone will just say " buy new struts, and coils = upgrade"

I want it low, don't care about the ride, as long as the whole front of the car won't explode from like.. it being lowered, and the bad subframe crap.

 

[SHOtime2511]

its going to look like rice and ride like ass,bouncing like a 89 Civic with cut springs and blairing "La Gasolina". doubt you'll be able to get the alignment straight,expect to replace front tires with each oil change.

 

[1989Sho30]

Even with my front struts dead? It bounces like a boat over each bump.

 

[1993MTXSHO]

Don't cut stock springs, period.

 

[SHOtime2511]

Even with my front struts dead? It bounces like a boat over each bump.

yeah,don't waist your time.
if money is tight pick up some more hours and save for some new struts and springs.you can do monroe cargo coils and struts for a couple hundred bucks.
you'll thank me later

 

[1989Sho30]

Don't cut stock springs, period.

Explain why? besides alignment

 

[icemaneric]

I have a 89 MTX, and right now.. The back sits lower than the front, The rear tires sit in the fender well, and my front don't. and to make things worse, my front suspension is dead, Whenever I hit a bump, it just floats over it like there is nothing there but spring.

since thats the case, can I cut the springs to lower it? I want it as low as freaking possible, and i don't to much care about ride qaulity, considering I've road in a ford ranger with no back suspension for about 14 hours at a time.


tl;dr: Bad struts, can I cut the springs to lower my SHO?

I did exactly what you are thinking of doing, and with actual experience I can say don't do it.
I was broke, I mean really broke. My car was sagging from the back big time, and the front was way up there, it looked bad. Well, a friend of mine talked me into dropping the front end by cutting a coil off, he had me all pumped up, saying its not going to cost anything but a couple of hours of work, and the car will look sick when its done. It won't cost a dime, what the heck.
When it was all done I drove the car for about 1 mile and took it back home, it rode like shit. Just imagine one of those Honda civics with no springs on it, it was unsafe to drive.
In the end I borrowed a friends car for a couple of days, then I had to barrow some cash (I was broke) so I could head to a local junk yard, and buy a set of used stock spring. After it was all back to stock condition I though to myself, I just spent 2 hours removing spring and 60 dollars for a set of used stock springs, what a waste of time and money that was.

So think about what you want to do, and I Hope you do the right thing!

 

[1993MTXSHO]

pretty much what was just said, but first of all, there are no dead coils in stock springs, if you cut one of them out, the spring will not work properly and can be very dangerous and cause the car to handle absolutely horrible. Also if you do not cut the spring the right way it will sag horribly and like stated above it will be frigging slammed to the point where you might not be able to turn the wheels. I do not know all of the technical things but I do know cutting stock springs is a big nono

 

[SHO Continental]

Get new struts first of all, you'll have it all apart anyways. But if you're going to waste all that time get springs too. Don't be so damn lazy. Springs sag over time. Your rear springs are sagging, but the rear wheel well isn't the same height as the front, the oblong shape makes it look lower anyways. Gen2s have normal fenders so they look more normal.

My '93 with Intrax


My '90 with Intrax.

 

[Phoenix]

Plus , the front will be so loose it will not stay in place , it will be crooked and wont sit the top plate properly , the angle will be too pronounced.

I tried it , and its a waste of time. You can do it on Moog coils though because they have twice the spirals then the stock ones , and when you cut it , the angle of the last coil that sits on top , has a good angle.

 

[zak]

Well, a friend of mine talked me into dropping the front end by cutting a coil off, he had me all pumped up, saying its not going to cost anything but a couple of hours of work, and the car will look sick when its done.!

Curious whether you cut an active coil (near the bottom where it spirals inward) or at the top (a "dead coil") thanks - zak

 

[Storm-Chaser]

Explain why you decided to start "another" cutting springs thread? Besides clogging the forum, there isn't a question about used OEM cutting springs that hasn't been answered.

It seems you already have your mind made-up, already know what the end results will be, so what's the point?


Look at from another perspective - there's gold to be mined in those prior threads. Realize that people who participated in the prior threads may no longer be active, may be on vacation, or may be out-of-town with work. Their expertise may not be available. If you think the question has not been asked/answered, ask in the prior thread that best matches your question - so you don't get the 10-questions you've already got answers for, thrown at you again.

Explain why? besides alignment

:shakehead

 

[icemaneric]

The top side facing the strut mount.

 

[Adumb]

what about cutting moogs? or another afttermarket?

 

[SHO Continental]

what about cutting moogs? or another afttermarket?

Progressive rate springs have "dead" coils that are closer together. Cutting those gives you a closer to perpendicular angle: top plane of the spring to the length of the spring

Eibach front spring next to Stock


Stock front spring next to Intrax

 

[Phoenix]

Moogs are ok to cut , if you read my previous post , I said it. In my signature , the front are cut 2.5 coils. And yes they are moogs.

 

[93rev2sev]

If you cut your eom springs, you will crash...eventually.
If you don't use new struts with the cut springs, you will crash immediately.
If I see you on the road, bouncing around like a *******, I will crash you.

 

[Adumb]

Moogs are ok to cut , if you read my previous post , I said it. In my signature , the front are cut 2.5 coils. And yes they are moogs.

my bad, i was trying to sneak in some shoforum at work, lol.

thanks for the info, that sounds like my route,