Cut Intrax?

[SHOwener1986]

I have a set of intrax springs and tokico struts, I installed them on my 93 ATX and since that has recently died, im going to take them out and put them in my 95 MTX, I liked how stiff they made the ride, but I would like to see the front a bit lower. Whats the best way to cut the springs, where, how?
Thanks

 

[yamahaSHO]

Cut a dead coil(s) at the top and you'll only change the ride height and the amount of suspension travle left. Terry has cut his and I absolutely love the ride height on his car.

 

[Jonny Cash]

Quick way to destroy your struts if you ask me. But then again...nobody asked me.

I say that for cut springs on a SHO its gotta be KYB. The tokicos are just too tall. Id leave the springs.

 

[yamahaSHO]

It won't destroy your struts. We're talking about an inch to an inch and a half at most and the characteristics of the progressive spring are retained.

 

[TRSCobra]

Not meaning to hijack, but what happens when you cut some off and it isn't enough to fully extend the strut?

I cut a coil off of a stock spring of mine, and the spring just sat in the strut. The rod extended about 1/4 inch farther than the spring. I realize when the weight of the car is on the strut, it will seat fine. But what happend when you go over a part of the road where it unloads the suspension?

Isn't there a risk that the spring will fall to the side, possibly puncturing the tire? That's the reason I bought my Eibach's. I planned on cutting one coil off the stockers, but I was afraid they'd fall out of the spring seats.

 

[Silver95]

Also, from what i was told by Jason (yamaha sho) if you run with the 89-91 (92 maybe as well?) strut bearings, they will give you a lower ride height as well. Even the shonutperformance website states that the earlier models of the strut bearings are shorter.....

 

[yamahaSHO]

Taken from SHO Nut Performance:

If available strut compression travel (i.e. resistance to bottoming out) and lack of rubbing noise is more important than lowering the front of car by a paltry 0.35”, then I recommend the 89-11/90 and 94-95 Front Strut Bearing for all cars. Since this would be the most important to me, I would recommend the 89-11/90 and 94-95 Front Strut Bearing for all cars, period.

If lowering the front of the car is more important than eliminating the strut noise and increasing available strut compression travel, then I recommend the 11/90-93 Front Strut Bearing for all cars, but bear in mind that you may have to add spacers to eliminate rubbing noises, and then you increase the ride height without any corresponding increase in compression travel.

 

[SHO Continental]

Not meaning to hijack, but what happens when you cut some off and it isn't enough to fully extend the strut?

I cut a coil off of a stock spring of mine, and the spring just sat in the strut. The rod extended about 1/4 inch farther than the spring. I realize when the weight of the car is on the strut, it will seat fine. But what happend when you go over a part of the road where it unloads the suspension?

Isn't there a risk that the spring will fall to the side, possibly puncturing the tire? That's the reason I bought my Eibach's. I planned on cutting one coil off the stockers, but I was afraid they'd fall out of the spring seats.

Unless you get the car completely airborne you won't have a problem with the springs flopping around. The swaybar helps us out there, I had about 2 inches left with my intrax tokico in the rear, and I lift a rear everyday but because the other tire is still on the road, and it is fairly compressed it keeps that loose wheel in check. But when you put the car on a lift or anything like that the springs will flop around..

 

[FAST4DR]

I have a set of intrax springs and tokico struts, I installed them on my 93 ATX and since that has recently died, im going to take them out and put them in my 95 MTX, I liked how stiff they made the ride, but I would like to see the front a bit lower. Whats the best way to cut the springs, where, how?
Thanks

I cut the only the front springs one coil and I like how it sits now. It does not change the ride quality at all. The car drives no different than before. The front strut still has full extension. There is still some preload on the strut when out of the car, but not a lot. I did not cut the rear because it would have made them too loose and there could have been a possiblity of the spring falling out of the seat if both rear wheels came off the ground say over a rise or something. I have koni inserts, and maybe this would be different with the tokico's, I don't know. I drive the car pretty hard down back roads and I didn't want to take a chance of the rear springs falling out of their seats. It's real simple to cut the front coils one coil. Just use a grinding wheel or the like. I used a grinder with a cutting wheel attached.

Will

Here are some pictures...

In the picture below, the cut spring is on the right and you can see by the picture on the left of the uncut spring that the top coil is basically a "dead" coil. When the weight of the car is on the strut the top coil is pretty much touching the coil below it.

 

[GoofSHO]

I've got 1 coil cut on my Intrax/Tokico set up....Love the "look"....Ride is "fine" check my sig


B

 

[SinisterSHO]

My friend just cut his front intrax while doing some front end work. Looks great, and the ride is the same as it was before. Well, slightly better because he replaced most of the steering components. I will definetly be cutting a coil off the front of mine, possibly a little more.

 

[Jonny Cash]

Not meaning to hijack, but what happens when you cut some off and it isn't enough to fully extend the strut?

I cut a coil off of a stock spring of mine, and the spring just sat in the strut. The rod extended about 1/4 inch farther than the spring. I realize when the weight of the car is on the strut, it will seat fine. But what happend when you go over a part of the road where it unloads the suspension?

Isn't there a risk that the spring will fall to the side, possibly puncturing the tire? That's the reason I bought my Eibach's. I planned on cutting one coil off the stockers, but I was afraid they'd fall out of the spring seats.

Jack up the car slowly watching the bottom and top of where the spring meets the top mount, and the bottom where the spring seats. When the spring comes to the point where it becomes unseated, how high your wheelgap is, is how high the wheelgap will have to get to come unseated. Obviously. If its not high enough for your liking, I wouldnt do it.

But I had the same issue,and I was worried sick about it. I got ****** and just went for it. I honestly have not had any problems since.

 

[TRSCobra]

I figure you can probably do something to hold the coil to the lower seat. That way it wont go anywhere should the struts become completely unloaded.

 

[Jonny Cash]

Well, the comment said about gen2's having thicker front mounts makes me think I might be able to make them seat fully uncompressed.

 

[Sh03d]

I figure you can probably do something to hold the coil to the lower seat. completely unloaded.

I used zip ties to hold down the rear springs to the lower seat. But my springs were moog on tokicos so the only space was about 1/8th of an inch or less.

 

[grailgolf]

INTRAX - I CUT 2 OFF FRONT & REAR

I cut 2 control coils off the front and rear and love how the car sits and rides. It's stiff but not bone jarring. The above photo is well done and exactly how they should be cut.

1993 TAURUS GL-R