not saying that i am gonna do it, but if for some strange reason i was going to cut the rear factory springs how many coils would need to be cut in order to get the rear down to a one finger gap?

 

1 coil.. and it would ride like **** and blow your struts

 

blow your struts only if you place the cut springs incorectly in the strut housing then driving on it. riding like ****? let's put it this way - handling, roll, brake dive etc..are significantly improved....just the overall ride quality (you feel every crack in the road) is the negative outcome..

 

well... let me see.. i think 2 colis , but i do not know. just wanted to say i would try 2 and see what happens

 

more than 1 coil.....im guessing like 2 maybe 3...

 

Ride like a cutless supreme baby....

 

I have done this. I took 3 from the back and its just right. I can get my hand over the tire. I took 2 off the front. This means 3 full rotations from the start of the coil, so infact it looks like 2 coils.

Ride quality is cr@p. I feel every bump in the road. When I drive at highway speed, sometimes the car resonates over bumps. I mean it bounces, then hits another bump and goes higher. Sometimes I leave the seat which is really dangerous. Im getting proper springs for it when I can afford them. Cornering is better, looks better, I like the look of lowered cars that bounce a bit with stiff suspension, but safety is bad. I can tell you not to do it but if you do, be very careful.

 

..that's fun!!! like a roller coaster man! just don't have hot coffee in your hand.

 

I wanted to do it, love the look. Do not want the ride to suffer. But if there is anyway to get around it I'm willing to try. Like BrainV car looks good. Did he cut his springs?

 

Its a cheap easy mod, but you will need to get springs for it sooner or later because your car will fail warrent/inspection when they hoist the car and the springs fall out.

 

Don't your spring come out even with regualr eibachs or H&Rs when lifted up?

 

I have the H&R its even front and back, and rides good! but its not low enough for me.

 

no they shouldnt on stock shocks. on aftermarket shocks, i guess they are designed no to travel as far. I dont know much about the shock side of it.

 

i have sprints but they are not low enough in the back. i got a hold of factory springs and i want to cut them. i dont like the idea of the ride being unsafe. i think i will cut them ride around for a while and see how i like it. if its too f#%ked up ill swap'em back. thanx for all the input.

 

The ride is not "unsafe" per se if you cut Sport Springs (like Eibach etc..) but cutting factory springs could yeild some issues. I cut my eibachs to get that right look, and other than you almsot feeling every crack in the road, the performance has increased substantially....plus my ride looks tight.

 

The ride is not "unsafe" per se if you cut Sport Springs (like Eibach etc..) but cutting factory springs could yeild some issues. I cut my eibachs to get that right look, and other than you almsot feeling every crack in the road, the performance has increased substantially....plus my ride looks tight.

 

how many did you cut with the eibachs ?

 

you know, i THINK two coils, but I'm not sure. my buddy's shop did it and all i know is that they cut the fronts slightly more than the backs. I told them to cut it enough to drop it enough without tucking or rubbing. a good shop should know though. sorry i couldn't tell you exactly....

I'm not sure if you said you have some, but it's real good to get some good shocks if you cut...or else it's bouncy boucny shakey shakey wobbly wobbly....if you know what i mean...

 

no i dont have aftermarket shocks. i think i am just going to wait get the shocks and then play with the springs.

 

Cutting any spring is not safe or recommended. It will force the spring to handle a load(car) that it was not designed. Let's say the coil has 8 coils and you just cut two of them. You have have now cut 25% off the spring's strength. Now just 75% of the spring must now handle the same load as before. Ever wonder why cars w/ cut springs bounce so hard? It's probably because either the coil is going full bind or the shock is now bottoming out(both is very bad)

so do what you will, but I just thought you should be informed first.

 

thanx big dog

 

yes he cut them

 

Great answer, but what is also happening is you are also increasing the spring rate (in this example) by 25%. A coil spring is nothing more than a torsion bar rolled up. If you cut a torsion bars length by 25%, it will be much harder to twist, same for coil springs. A 25% increase is alot of additional load on all suspension components. The weakest link will fail.....goodbye.

 

Good point also!

 

You should not cut your springs. Every spring is made to be the exect length. There is also two parts of every spring. One part is softer and the other harder. Both should work together. By cutting one of the parts off you are changing the distribution of weight on the spring. This will make the car bounce on put holes and bumps. I have the Eibach springs and love them. They lowered my car about 1.5" and the ride is outstanding. Just buy new springs and get it over with!

 

jeez you guys are scaring me. think ill just break down and just buy another set of eibachs for the back.

 

....and 25% of all people that drive will have or have had a car accident in their life. Further more, major automobile magazines (Road & Track) are apprehensive of testing tuner cars, even though they are from Brabus, BMW Motorsports, Stillen, Rouche etc. due to their unpredictable behavior on the street. Gosh, even picking your nose has been proven to lower your immune system. C’mon guys, live a little! And try to do it with some style too!

 

Yess Sir

 

Yes but there is a diff between the "risk". If you get a turbo or sc, it's a risk to the engine but the benefit is a fast *** car. Just cutting springs is just to get lower but the risks are failed spring, funky suspension settings, accident that result etc.... And this risk is just to save a $150? Not worth it IMHO.

 

don't forget that a sc doens't just add hp, it adds testosterone and a new imaginary set of b*lls....and that alone on the road can get you into more trouble than you think.

 

Maybe, maybe not. I'm 33 so I think I could handle a SC'd car. But you see the risk of a sc? All that power is worth the risk. Alot of the risk is based on your self restraint. Now for cut springs, the risk is largely out of your hands. The springs could give out any day or never. On a big bump or just crusin'. No amount of behavior change on your part can reduce that risk. All for what? Something you can avoid for $150? I've ridden in my share of cut spring cars and have seen how many behave(abeit not a maxima though I admit). Just not worth all the effort. That's all.

 

Risk averse or not, your point is very valid. but how many youngsters practice the same self restraint as you? There are exceptions to every arguement, but to the high percentage of those who aren't lucky, I think (very modestly) that a collapsed spring is less riskier to manuver and negotiate while driving than a SC at poses at every stoplight when the guy next to you starts revving.

 

Yeah I see your point. But to get the SC, it's gonna cost a kid $3500+. So unless he is rich and doesn't care, I think he might be fairly carefull. But I DO think he will drive faster and try to race alot.

The cost of cut springs is practically nothing. So every young kid who desires the slammed look(and most who do, cut WAY to many coils) can have it for cheap. So there is alot of these guys running around and young sc kids running around. And you have to question(not you in particular though) how smart these kids are vs the kid who does his reasearch and saves every penny to buy a sc for his car(ie...maxima sc).

I'm not preaching perse. If someone wants to run cut springs that's fine. Just as long that person knows the good/bad of it.

 

Why do you have to have such a good point? Honestly though, *swalloing my pride* you're more right that I am...I'm just trying to justify in my head that I did the right thing, but you keep pounding it in that I didn't! although, i must add that I've had my sport springs cut for over 30K miles, and not a problem yet. But just when I say that.....

Look out soon for the thread from me, "I need new springs, what should I get?"

 

Well you cut 2 springs right? That's not THAT bad. I've seen hondas w/ only about 2-3 coils total!!!! I mean that's baaad! But IMHO if you had to pin me down on what my limit was, two coils would be the absolute maximum. It's a good thing Eibachs don't lower that much from the get go.

 

I know what you're saying about those Honda's.....crazy stuff. ramifications when you go that low don't even apply to what we were talking about. i cut enough to drop it 1 inch more than the Eibachs limited it too, which is equivalent to 2 coils?? I'm not sure, my shop took care of it to get the look I wanted. anyway, gotta run..nice chatting with you!

 

how do you cut springs? i just bought my bg springs but I still have my stock springs and I was thinking about cutting them to use for show. I was thinkin something like a 1 finger gap too...

 

What if you are'nt looking for EXTREME ride heights... what if you just want to slightly lower your center of gravity, and stiffen the ride a little, and improve the looks? What if you cut only one coil... would you be bottoming out your shocks? I cut the coils on my 1983 regal... it made all the difference in the world, I took 2 coils off, front and rear. It handled better, rode better (diddnt feel like you were floating on a cloud... I hate that feeling) and looked awsome... Back to the queston, what if you are'nt shooting for the extremes?


Tony

 

not sure about 3rd gens but start off w/one coil and see how you like it. if you dont go back and cut one more.

 

f#ck it.. just ride with out springs.. then it will look like your car is on bags