Cutting Springs
 

OK, i've heard that to aquire a lowering effect on you car, a cheap alternative would be to just cut your springs. Is this true, but most of all, will it work and not mess anything up? I don't want to spend 200 or more for smaller springs and im planning on installing Blistin Sports which recommend shorter springs.
Thanks in advnce

Have cut many springs for lowering & no adverse problems. When you cut a spring you do increase the spring rate as well.
YOU must be very careful with springs as they can be deadly!!

Cutting Springs was a regular topic in _Hot Rod_
 

and other such journals when I was young (in the '50s and '60s). You have to be aware that by shortening the length of the spring available to flex, you automatically do increase the spring rate, and also: think about the geometry of the situation: suppose the spring is positioned half way between the inner suspension arm pivot and the ball joints -- any amount you cut off the compressed length of the spring will therefore have twice as much effect out at the wheel; this requires some careful calculation, especially since you will have to plan and mark the spring to cut when it's at its uncompressed length. _Hot Rod's_ experts used to advise a rule of the thumb about cutting twice as much of the _uncompressed_ length as you wanted to lower the car, but this often resulted in their readers having to make a trip to the junkyard to find another set of springs to try again, cutting less the second time. Also, some cars are sensitive about the positioning of the end of the coil in the mount, so if you cut off a partial turn, you can have problems with it shifting around during road motions.

And do follow every safety rule regarding the use of spring compressors, etc. -- the skull you save may be your own.

Chris17, just in case...
 

I have a full set of stock springs in my garage. I have H&R's in my car. I will sell cheap... plus shipping of course.;)

Don't cut them with a torch, as the heating can cause mettalurgical (sp?) problems.

Get shorter springs -- cutting springs causes all sorts of rate and suspension travel problems -- same problem as cutting the spring in the vac secondaries on Holley carbs -- never works like it is supposed to.

Peter

Hey, what about heating the springs until the car lowers to the desired height you want? I've seen many people do this...

"Hey, what about heating the springs until the car lowers to the desired height you want? I've seen many people do this..."

Heating springs can lead to a spring failure. If you have to use a torch to cut a spring, submerse half of the spring in water in a steel bucket. Cut them quickly and cut in increments of one full loop for alignment purposes.

Been there, done that. -Can't recommend it.
Beside the increased chance of getting a broken spring, the ride gets terribly harsh. And i mean TERRIBLY! After a while everything starts to rattle inside the cabin. And if you're in the habit of making powerslides or 'frisky' turns, you will find that your rear will become almost incontrollable.

I say spend some $ on a good lowering kit.

Freestyler