chopped springs

[dandan]

now then the spax adjustable kit is on, but am just not happy bout the back it looks to high, im considering choppin a coil off the springs at the rear, any ideas how much drop this will give me and will it show up on an mot? honest 60mm isnt enough.

[mikes2]

bad idea and verging on dangerous

If you chop a coil off, you lose the progressive spring rate as designed

[Booty]

I seriously would not chop owt of anything. As Mike says the progressive spring rate will be affected, hopefully not mid corner!

[sam]

i chopped 2 coils off my 60mm springs on my old b3 80 sport with no problems what so ever, also a friend did similar with his a reg 80 and its the best handling car i've ever been in and ive been in a fair few performance cars too. FIRE UP THE GRINDER

[Puglife]

Originally Posted by sam

i chopped 2 coils off my 60mm springs on my old b3 80 sport with no problems what so ever, also a friend did similar with his a reg 80 and its the best handling car i've ever been in and ive been in a fair few performance cars too. FIRE UP THE GRINDER

Without making this a personal attack on yourself this is the reason i detest modified cars at times... people who cut corners without the knowledge of what they are doing....

Chopped springs is up there with the worlds most dangerous homemade budges to cars, you are essentially killing the mechanical principles of that spring.... Why not go get some shorter springs and lower it properly...

[sam]

fair enough if there pig tailed front springs but when there straight up and down rears, it will actually make them stiffer.
http://www.eatonsprings.com/atqCutti...lculations.htm

[Micky]

if you go to low it will feel like you have welded the suspention with steel bars
the ride will become unberable and if you use lower profile tyres it gets even worse.
if i was you find someone who has a lower car than yours and go for a ride in it .
and then only use propper springs mate its the only safe way .

[Puglife]

Originally Posted by sam

fair enough if there pig tailed front springs but when there straight up and down rears, it will actually make them stiffer.
http://www.eatonsprings.com/atqCutti...lculations.htm

Not quite sure i understand what you mean... all springs are wound as a coil and some have flat ends for seating?....

I've read that link and I wont judge americans on the whole but thats not a "technical engineering answer" by any stretch of the imagination...

Lower doesnt mean better handling, there are far more variable and factors to take into consideration and work around. I've been in cars that have been lowered massively and people have claimed is the best handling car they've driven, sadly when they go out in a similar model car with well engineered suspension they eat their own words.

My advice is spend the money on the right springs and sell your current ones on ebay or somewhere....

[sam]

i agree with what your saying, all i ment was with certain springs ive cut its lowered the car and also made it stiffer. i wouldnt advise on cutting springs that pig tail at the end as you would have to heat them up and bend them to get them to seat right which obviously will weaken them.

Lower doesnt mean better handling

i thouroughly agree, the amount of times i hear that from friends who have coilovers or springs that short there car rests on the bumpstops, fair enough it might go round a completely flat corner like a gokart but on any other normal road etc there sh*te.

all i was trying to say is that i personally think it safe to cut springs aslong as they will sit right and aslong as you still have plenty of travel left, if the spax springs didnt set you back much and your willing to experiment why not give it a go (on private land of course, just incase. lol)

[Isimmo]

The problem, even with removing one coil, is the 'on the limit' handling, as Jay says, if you pootle about a 15mph then angle cutting 60mm off a spring shouldn't be an issue...

But if you angle cut a single coil off and drive the car at the limit, the chassis control can (will) be destabilised and the handling become unpredictable... Taking very high speed corners with undulations is the hardest task for suspension and any unpredicted pitch or bounce is something to be seriously avoided.