Front Spring Height

[sperold]

93 SHO.

How much is cut from the coil spring on the front to lower the car, say 1" or at most 2". And where do you measure from to make the cut. And is the cut across the diameter of the spring coil, or is there an attempt to grind the bottom coil flat.

The car is currently lowered to the point that it is too low and the front end does not absorb a bump well and catches on parking bumpers. The rear is currently lowered as well, but not as radical as the front.

I have new coils on the way, and I don't want an "A - Gasser" stance, so I need some advice.

 

[Irish Pride]

What coils are you going with?

Use the end of the coil as a guide. To cut one coil off you cut right where the coil ends on the next coil down. To cut half a coil you cut across from what the coil ends. How much to remove depends on what coils you have?

Intrax springs. One coil removed from the front. None from the rear.


Moog Cargo coils. 2 coils removed from the front. One from the rear.

 

[Irish Pride]

No need to grind it flat. Just cut straight across the coil.

 

[sperold]

What coils are you going with?

The standard, garden variety springs that are listed for all the Taurus models on Rockauto.

I am assuming all the cutting takes place on the bottom of the coil stack.

 

[zoomlater]

https://shoforum.com/index.php?threads/cutting-moog-ccs-859.111041/#post-1199680

When I have compared cut Eibach springs against new Eibach springs, they are from the top

 

[Irish Pride]

I wouldn't cut stock springs. Don't think that has ever been advised. You want at the very least Moog Cargo coils. Eibachs or Intrax are even better options.

You cut the end that has the dead coils on it. Not sure if it's top or bottom.

 

[sperold]

My other car has quick struts in the front and it rides high (really high in my opinion) and I always wondered why they were packaged that way.

I was hoping to avoid that by customizing the stock spring.

I am surprised to learn the cutting occurs on the top of the coil stack, where the close-together coils are. I had that completely wrong.

 

[Irish Pride]

I'm surprised to learn the cutting occurs on the top of the coil stack, where the close-together coils are. I had that completely wrong.

Yeah, the close together (dead) coils are pretty much just there for height. I don't think stock springs are strong enough to be shortened. You'll probably end up with bottoming out issues. I know that it has never been recommended to cut stock springs. Moogs can be bought online pretty cheap though. About $100 for a set.

 

[SHOVNST]

I cut one coil off the top of Moog cargo springs and was very happy with the results.


.

 

[Irish Pride]

I cut one coil off the top of Moog cargo springs and was very happy with the results.


.

Agree. I'm really happy with the ride and height of my cut Moogs.

 

[sperold]

I am getting the idea now.

The bottom end of the spring is the smallest diameter of all the coils in the spring, and sits on a smallish pad built onto the strut. The overall spring diameter increases on about 3 coils until it reaches it's official outside diameter that matches the top pad built onto the strut.

If I cut the small end of the spring (which turns out to be the bottom on the car), the spring would not fit on the pad on the strut. It would tend to expand out and flop over the bottom pad.

One last concern. I notice the spring coil ends at the very top and the very bottom are exactly in line (one over the other when mounted).
Is that so the spring locks into a stop or recess on the pad at the top and bottom, trapping the spring so that it doesn't rotate. Or does just the bottom have a spot on the pad where the end of the coil is trapped (which, by the way, is right beside the tire).

 

[Irish Pride]

The coil sits in a notch on the strut perch. There is nothing on the upper mount that you need to worry about. It doesn't matter where you cut the spring, the mount will still fit. Just make sure you cut both springs in the exact same spot or you'll have one side lower than the other.

 

[sperold]

Thanks everyone for the help and advice.

The coils I am looking at are TRW or API. Are these stock coils, or are these aftermarket that are eligible for cutting?

 

[SHOVNST]

TRW = Moog. As long as they are ‘cargo coil’ springs.


.

 

[Irish Pride]

Moog part numbers

Gen 1 front - CC862
Gen 1 rear - CC839

Gen 2 front - CC858
Gen 2 rear - CC859

Preferred combo = Gen2 fronts with 1+ coil cut and Gen1 rears either uncut or with 1 coil removed.

 

[luigisho]

Moog part numbers are front CC858 and rear are CC859.

Hey I was gonna post that Chad! just beat me to it. The TRW brand has the same part numbers. Check out rock auto website