Cutting springs.....?

[moomin]

Cut them and see what happens you can always replace them

Just take time to make sure you cut an identical amount of each one, cut to much off and the srpings will come out of the cups when you jack up the car, the likelihood of you getting the car up i the air so the springs fall out is unlikely unless you are a mental, you could always tie them in place

[4v6]

I take your points Alan, but with rgard to damper lengths, ive always changed those for a matched set, ie in a kit rather than take a chance on just springs.
Leastways theyll be matched to the spring for rate as well.

I know of someone who did the "lowering by heating" on an Xr3i...it apparently handled like a pig in a wheelbarrow.

All good points either way.

[Octanejunkie]

Originally Posted by BasilNZ

I can't believe anyone would even contemplate cutting springs, let alone have people on an internet forum, with obviously no knowledge of how suspension works, giving advice and saying try it. FFS. Ask the professionals that do this for a living instead of internet forums.

Suspension tuning is a fascinating, critical and complex science (art) and to have drip feeds adding this nonesense is rediculous. Did I accidently type in Corsa instead of Audi?

Ok Baz, don't get upset.
I'm not in the business of bodging and i don't think anyone else on here is. The question was merely asked to see what the census of opinion was on the forum of this controversial subject. There has been much written both for and against this practice, some of it in quite respectable publications.
I think we're all old and ugly enough to realise that "forums" are exactly that, a place for people to air their views and experiences on a subject common to all those who subscribe.
They are not (and never intended to be) a substitute for a Haynes manual or a trained technician and if we took literally all that is posted as gospel, then we'd deserve to be ridiculed, and marched through the town naked.
You have to use your common sense when using a forum as you would in any other avenue in life. I'm grateful to all who post answers and opinions to the questions that i ask, and read them all with interest. Doesn't mean i have have to rush out and take heed of every reply.
Forums (used wisely) are one of the greatest things about the internet and have helped me out of more sticky situations than i care to remember, and have saved me literally thousands of pounds over the years.....
I value everyones contributions, experiences, advice, and opinions...... Even yours....

[Coxy]

Like Bazil says, I can't see how it's possible to cut the front springs as to do that, you would lose the barrel shape of the spring and then the spring won't fit into the cup properly.
It's probably possible on the rear as they are the same diameter for the length of the spring but can't see how you could do it on the front.

[Octanejunkie]

Pretty conclusive there then . I don't think i'll be cutting springs about. Never really seriously considered it, but its always interesting to hear what people think