Cutting Stock Springs
-
- Regular Member
- Posts: 69
- Joined: June 28th, 2005, 11:21 am
- Location: Pittsburgh PA
- Contact:
Cutting Stock Springs
Has anyone cut the stock springs, is it possibly to cut 1/4 coil off and use the camber adjustments to fix the alignment? I know the ride will be rougher, but I just need to know..
1992 Mazda MX-3 GS 5 Spd <i>*In Progress*</i> 2.5L V6 SWAP IN PROGRESS NOW
1993 Mazda MX-3 GS/SE 5 Spd <i>*Project 2.5T*</i>
1993 Mazda MX-3 GS/SE 5 Spd <i>*Project 2.5T*</i>
- mitmaks
- Senior Member
- Posts: 8704
- Joined: September 10th, 2001, 2:01 am
- antispam: ~SPAM*SUX~
- Location: Spokane, WA
- Contact:
just say NO to it
Magnum s/s lines, strut bars, carbon fiber bezel, indiglow gauge, Sony Xplod, inverted c/f hood, SRD lower tie bar '93 GS SE '95 Cobra SVT #2722 '68 Charger R/T 440
http://www.cardomain.com/id/mitmaks
http://www.cardomain.com/id/mitmaks
-
- Regular Member
- Posts: 69
- Joined: June 28th, 2005, 11:21 am
- Location: Pittsburgh PA
- Contact:
- bmwm3guy
- Regular Member
- Posts: 1066
- Joined: March 7th, 2004, 2:01 am
- Location: Gatineau, QC
- Contact:
The whole point of being lower is also having a higher spring compression and a lower centre of gravity... by cutting them you only get one of the two, and terrible handling
arrent you the one with $10k plans for the motor? For the love of god buy springs for 400$ Or buy my suspension setup of shocks n springs for 500$CDN. Check the for sale section.
arrent you the one with $10k plans for the motor? For the love of god buy springs for 400$ Or buy my suspension setup of shocks n springs for 500$CDN. Check the for sale section.
- Nd4SpdSe
- Senior Member
- Posts: 11212
- Joined: May 25th, 2002, 2:01 am
- Location: Québec City, Quebec, Canada
- Contact:
Not to mentioning that you'll be underdampning your struts, and those will eventually blow as well, so in the end you'll need to get new struts AND springs
1992 Mazda Mx-3 GSR - 2.5L KLZE : Award Winning Show Car & Race Car ['02-'09] (Retired)
2004 Mazda RX-8 GT - Renesis Wankel : LS3 Coils, BHR Mid-Pipe + Falken RT-615K 245/40r18
2011 Mazda Mazda2 GS - 1.5L Manual : Yozora Edition (1 of 500)
2003 Nissan Xterra SE - 4x4 Supercharged : 2" Body Lift, 4" Suspension Lift & 33" MTR Kevlar
2001 Nissan Frontier SE - The Frontrailer : Expedition/Off-Road Trailer Project
2004 Mazda RX-8 GT - Renesis Wankel : LS3 Coils, BHR Mid-Pipe + Falken RT-615K 245/40r18
2011 Mazda Mazda2 GS - 1.5L Manual : Yozora Edition (1 of 500)
2003 Nissan Xterra SE - 4x4 Supercharged : 2" Body Lift, 4" Suspension Lift & 33" MTR Kevlar
2001 Nissan Frontier SE - The Frontrailer : Expedition/Off-Road Trailer Project
-
- Regular Member
- Posts: 69
- Joined: June 28th, 2005, 11:21 am
- Location: Pittsburgh PA
- Contact:
First of all, I was not asking for myself, I was asking for my friend Tom, he has a 92 gs just like mine, I didnt know of anyone cutting them, and i told him everything that i've read here, but he just wanted to know...So I asked, I am buying the zx2 strut configuration for my car eventually...
1992 Mazda MX-3 GS 5 Spd <i>*In Progress*</i> 2.5L V6 SWAP IN PROGRESS NOW
1993 Mazda MX-3 GS/SE 5 Spd <i>*Project 2.5T*</i>
1993 Mazda MX-3 GS/SE 5 Spd <i>*Project 2.5T*</i>
- jschrauwen
- Forum Moderator
- Posts: 6052
- Joined: September 27th, 2003, 2:01 am
- Location: Frankford, Ontario, Canada
- Contact:
Along with the reasons previously mentioned, springs on any vehicle of any type should never be cut. Nowadays, most springs are of a progessive type meaning that they are specifically designed for a particular purpose, weight and application. The windings are such that there are tighter and wider windings to give a progessive spring rate of collapse and rebound. These are geared to cover small occaisional bumps to constant pothole scenarios to occassional severe compressions. The tighter winding s are to deal with the severe stress or loads while the other windings contend with the smaller everyday bumps. Buy cutting you not only encounter the problems addressed previously but also introduce a drastic lost of handling capability by removing either the tighter or loser windings capabilities. Spring cutting has gone by way of the doe doe.
Spring cutting are for those who are too cheap to spend the necessary funds to achieve the desired results and ultimately end up a statistic on the 11 o'clock news.
Spring cutting are for those who are too cheap to spend the necessary funds to achieve the desired results and ultimately end up a statistic on the 11 o'clock news.
'92 GS-ZE - sold, '95 GS - sold, '02 Protege LX - Daughter, '00 Audi A4 2.8 QTip, Ducati TT2
90 JDM RHD 300ZX TT - 572.1 RWHP | 590.0 RWTQ | 21 PSI | Pump gas
90 JDM RHD 300ZX TT - 572.1 RWHP | 590.0 RWTQ | 21 PSI | Pump gas
-
- Senior Member
- Posts: 3391
- Joined: November 30th, 2001, 2:01 am
- Location: Stuttgart, Deutschland
- Contact:
If you cut your springs cut ONE coil off or TWO coils off, don't just cut a 1/4 or 1/2 coil off.
You'll find out why when you remove the spring.
The way teh perches are set, the spring "seats" into them at a certain angle. You can't rotate the spring 1/4 turn after cutting it and properly sit it in the perch. If you try, it has a GOOD possibliity of clunking and possibly popping out of the perch (if you cut it low enough).
but I disagree with what people say here. The only time cutting springs is dangerous is if you cut like 3 coils off, making the spring shorter than the strut-stroke. In this case. teh spring is so short that if you fly over a bump and the suspension drops out under you...the spring has a possibility of unseating from the perches & shifting.
Then again, some lowering springs I have used are shorter than the rear strut stroke (meaning you don't have to compress the spring to install them).
But I've ridden in a few cut-spring cars and they were surprisingly decent rides...even on stock struts. I know of a couple of people who have blown struts as a result, but one of my friends only cut a coil off & it was a nice .75" drop, and he's been riding on it for over 2 years and his struts are functioning fine.
You'll find out why when you remove the spring.
The way teh perches are set, the spring "seats" into them at a certain angle. You can't rotate the spring 1/4 turn after cutting it and properly sit it in the perch. If you try, it has a GOOD possibliity of clunking and possibly popping out of the perch (if you cut it low enough).
but I disagree with what people say here. The only time cutting springs is dangerous is if you cut like 3 coils off, making the spring shorter than the strut-stroke. In this case. teh spring is so short that if you fly over a bump and the suspension drops out under you...the spring has a possibility of unseating from the perches & shifting.
Then again, some lowering springs I have used are shorter than the rear strut stroke (meaning you don't have to compress the spring to install them).
But I've ridden in a few cut-spring cars and they were surprisingly decent rides...even on stock struts. I know of a couple of people who have blown struts as a result, but one of my friends only cut a coil off & it was a nice .75" drop, and he's been riding on it for over 2 years and his struts are functioning fine.
Noble Green Metallic 93' GS Hybrid, 91' 1.8 323
DONATE TO MX-3.COM
DONATE TO MX-3.COM
-
- Regular Member
- Posts: 69
- Joined: June 28th, 2005, 11:21 am
- Location: Pittsburgh PA
- Contact:
if you want to lower your car the cheap a-- way,ill get the part number for you tonight.
They fit around the coil springs and you tighten down the bolts thus lowering the car, and when your friend is tired of the ghetto setup you can always remove them and return to the stock ride height.
They fit around the coil springs and you tighten down the bolts thus lowering the car, and when your friend is tired of the ghetto setup you can always remove them and return to the stock ride height.
92' Rs-t b6t/De - RIP
93' Rs-t BPT - Sold
03' WRB wrx Wagon - Current
93' Rs-t BPT - Sold
03' WRB wrx Wagon - Current