chopped springs

[Coxy]

Originally Posted by 4v6

Who can tell? All ill say is theres some "mallarkey" been going on regarding passing that for mot..

Never mind, itll all get sorted.

if you want a set of stock springs and shocks, you can have mine for nowt.

Only thing is they are on the car and you have to take them off mine and put my others ones on!

[MikeNZ]

"Aging" springs by baking them at home in an oven? That must be a joke right? Why were metallurgists invented, they are clearly not required because anyone can do it at home in their oven.

As for cutting springs, if you have an accident - whether suspension-related or not - the insurance company will not pay out. Even if you weren't putting your life at risk (and other lives too), that would be a good reason not to do it.

As Coxy says, give it a couple of thousand miles, the suspension will settle. If you then still don't like it, just pay the money and get some coilovers. However, the number of times I out-drove boy racer overly-lowered cars in a stock quattro shows that even if excessive mods feel good to drive because it corners nice and flat, they don't necessarily translate into the real world where they run out of suspension travel halfway around a corner.

[Alfashark]

I agree with the others here, dont do it!
Let the suspension settle over a few months driving, also load up your boot with the maximum amount of crap you're ever likely to carry and maybe get a mate or two to jump in the back seat and then check how it looks and feels - only Citroen DS's look good with less than half their rear wheels peeking from under the guards...

[4v6]

Thanks for the offer Al, but i think ill put a set of replacements on with a small drop in height- do it right first time and then itll be fine.

Another aspect to this lowering lark, if you cut the springs and then it bottoms out say mid corner, youll have the situation of effectively no suspension on that corner which means the rate goes to infinite levels of stiffness which can cause a skid as theres no compliance left in the system to account for bumps and undulations.

Id not like to be on the receiving end of the court case that could ensue should someone get hurt because of it- yellow landrover man on the news recently with three drowned kids?
Not worth it, do em right.

[Tarka]

I agree with 4v6. Whether its actually dangerous or not won't matter if the car is checked over after an accident. Any kind of modification of this type would be like a red rag to a bull.

Every MOT will note choped springs as an advisory or comment.

[Lankytim]

If you REALLY want to bodge cut springs though an MOT, weld them in so they cant fall out. It will pass the MOT then..

[MikeNZ]

Originally Posted by Lankytim

If you REALLY want to bodge cut springs though an MOT, weld them in so they cant fall out. It will pass the MOT then..

Got to be a wind up post.

[amanda]

Originally Posted by MikeNZ

Got to be a wind up post.

No comment from here as cut springs are also like chopping shocks to fit Down right dangerous

[graybum]

I watched an episode of Overhaulin' the other day, where Chip Foose himself lopped a coil of the front springs of a car they were building. I'm not saying "if he does it, it must be ok", but there was no mention of any safety issues, and there's no way they would have shown it if they considered it dodgy as surely the legal recriminations or affect to his reputation just wouldn't be worth it?

[4v6]

Originally Posted by graybum

I watched an episode of Overhaulin' the other day, where Chip Foose himself lopped a coil of the front springs of a car they were building. I'm not saying "if he does it, it must be ok", but there was no mention of any safety issues, and there's no way they would have shown it if they considered it dodgy as surely the legal recriminations or affect to his reputation just wouldn't be worth it?

Just have a look at the link i posted to the video of the "short" springs on my quattro.

If thats not got ramifications for safety, then i dunno what has.
The facts remain, chopping springs alters their rate and their seated pressure which alters the dampers ability to control them properly due to mismatch.
In effect, cutting springs is tantamount to suggesting that the engineers who designed them, tested them, improved them and produced them are fools who dont know their job.

Others can do what they like with consequences on their own heads, im going to do it right with a kit designed to do the job.