SPRINGS

LOERYDA · tinkerer Joined: 03 Jul 2002 Posts: 53

I got another lowering question 4 u guys, how many rings or how much would I need to cut out to lower the ride hight by about 2". Also how hard is it to get the springs in and out.
cheers 4 the help

jas

PinkBitz · petrol head Joined: 13 Apr 2002 Posts: 1594

its fkn hard to put them back in with standard height springs. thats what i am doin at the moment. SO FRUSTRATING. you need to compress them, i wanna know how much to lop off 2.

Adam · Site Admin Joined: 04 Oct 2001 Posts: 682

I really won't touch this subject, if your car has cut springs it won't handle as well as a car with correctly uprated springs, it will be dangerous (if they aren't captive), it will be uninsured and unregistered. You will be liable for any accident damage, including third party personal injuries regardless of whether you were at fault.

As for reinstalling standard height springs, it is piss easy.

PinkBitz · petrol head Joined: 13 Apr 2002 Posts: 1594

oh pffffffft.... my mate just got my old tf that i gave him registered with cut springs. and he had heaps chopped. i dunno how he did it. but he did. and the guy that does roadworthys in our town, is really tough about shit like that. if it is piss easy, can you please tell me in simple terms on how to put the lower control arm back on adam, plz, caus the workshop doesnt really help me.

cheers,

Adam · Site Admin Joined: 04 Oct 2001 Posts: 682

If he knowingly presented an agent with misleading information then what he committed was fraud, which if his accident was serious, could be added to the list with improper use of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, malicious wounding and quite possibly, involuntary manslaughter.

PinkBitz · petrol head Joined: 13 Apr 2002 Posts: 1594

thanks adam, you put me right of the cut springs track. still stuck on the control arms. so they dont need springs in them hey, to be rollin. caus if that works, then i can roll the car on a trailer and go down to carline or somewhere. and get a complete suspension overhaul. lowered springs. the lot.....

Adam · Site Admin Joined: 04 Oct 2001 Posts: 682

PFFT, don't go paying people to do suspension work, thats the easy way out. The only things you need to pay to do are pressing in bushes, pressing in lower balljoints and doing wheel alignments.

Okay, to get the springs back in, there is another method I've been thinking about but haven't tried... if you were to get two pairs of spring compressors, and trim one pair down to just longer than the length of the spring at ride height...

You could then use the full length compressors to compress the spring down, then put the shorter compressors on and remove the long ones, that way you would be able to get the compressors in around the suspension, put the spring in place, fit the ball-joints, then slowly loosen off the spring compressors until the spring seats... Just a theory at this point as I have never tried it.

You will have a very hard time getting a car onto a trailer with no springs, depending on how steep the ramps are, possible, but you will probably end up needing to use a few legths of timber to reduce the approach angle.

Benjamin · backyard mechanic Joined: 05 Oct 2001 Posts: 525

All I will say is: don't. It is not worth it.

Mooch · backyard mechanic Joined: 17 Oct 2001 Posts: 573

Adam your theory works. Thats the way we did my front end. I doubt any of you guys have ever had to put a whole suspension together without scratching anything! - and without a motor in the car!

You use everything from rubber hoses to protect the springs from the compressors and stacks of masking tape and foam mat. Ahh the joys!

Fork out the 60 bucks for a set of decent spring compressors before it springs out and cracks your skull.

Cheers
Mooch

Steven · rice boy Joined: 13 Aug 2002 Posts: 31

Cutting springs will achieve your goal and reduce your road height, but the side effects will be a softer spring rate (from less coils). Ideally if you want to lower this far, you will require an increase in spring rate otherwise your bump stops will get a hammering. Also consider your tyres, if your final hieght has gaurd lip lower than tyre, anything wider than a 185 may massage your gards when cornering.

If you have invested in shorter, firmer springs, you will find the free length shorter than a RTS variable rate (thiner coils at top) spring. This will make installation a little easier. If you are reinstalling standard springs, you will find it easier to remove the top suspension arm and use the compressors inverted.
If you have a TX your laughing, springs will go in with no compressor.