and no one should be using a torch to cut a spring.....you need to keep the molecular structure of the steel consistent throughout the spring...
Cutting coils to lower front end (Have pics posted now)
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and no one should be using a torch to cut a spring.....you need to keep the molecular structure of the steel consistent throughout the spring...
I drove the hell out of that car in the last four months to get the front end to settle down. Even drove it all the way to Austin and back to San Antonio and had 1/4 of a tank of gas left. Not bad for a 400hp 350 lol. But that front end was settled as far as it would go. I even spoke to a custom suspension company who told me that the front end settles within the first two miles.
It was funny when I went to get the car aligned. It was under warranty cause I had taken it to Sears. Well I got it there and one of my "Street Warrior" buddies was working there and I didn't know. So of course I tried to BS that the the car was pulling left and right. Well the techs look at the car and can tell that I had done something custom to it. My buddy looks at me and says " Dude you don't gotta bullsh** me I know whatcha did." lol. Luckily my bud is friends with the assistant manager and they did the alignment anyway free of charge.
It was funny when I went to get the car aligned. It was under warranty cause I had taken it to Sears. Well I got it there and one of my "Street Warrior" buddies was working there and I didn't know. So of course I tried to BS that the the car was pulling left and right. Well the techs look at the car and can tell that I had done something custom to it. My buddy looks at me and says " Dude you don't gotta bullsh** me I know whatcha did." lol. Luckily my bud is friends with the assistant manager and they did the alignment anyway free of charge.
pontiacgp said:
When you heat steel, the metal becomes red-hot. Afterward it looks 'burnt' because when heating you are increasing the distance between molecules...oxygen is allowed into the surface of the steel. This is what hardened steel means. Yes, its more brittle. When using an acetylene torch, the only brittle oxidized end is where you make the cut, it doesn't change the rest of the metal enough to factor in.
Also, if you were to heat the spring a half coil lower, then turn upside down and press (then cool *slowly*), you're hardening the point where the spring rate changes dramatically at the bend. This has no adverse effect on the spring itself.
By the way, how do you believe the springs are tappered to begin with?
and I suppose you have analyzed the metal to substantiate your post?....
I can't understand why anyone would want to use a torched to cut a spring in the first place, notwithstanding of the effect of the heat on the steel spring material, since it takes a few minutes to cut it with a hacksaw or a cutting wheel which leaves a nice clean cut and it has no effect on the molecular composition of the remaining steel ....
Well with the monte carlo ss quick steer box, my tires aren't rubbing at all. I had to trim the bump stops and trim a 1/4 of an inch off the lip on the upper control (Did this just to be sure it cleared just in case). Other than that though, the car handles like a dream and you can notice there is a lot less air drag beneath the car. So to all you thinking about doing this, make sure you do your research and listen to the older guys who have done it. Here's some pics of the before and after effects:
Before:
As you can tell the front end of the car didn't drop as much as the moog charts were claiming. The car was supposed to drop .5in. but it just put it right back at factory height (The front and back are level, looks like the front is higher). Here's the after:
Before:
As you can tell the front end of the car didn't drop as much as the moog charts were claiming. The car was supposed to drop .5in. but it just put it right back at factory height (The front and back are level, looks like the front is higher). Here's the after:
Dude those have been like that for four years now. I'll touch them up with a little brush or probably better would be an air brush.
lol, you should probably rebalance your tires every couple months if you wanna preserve those tires lol. I do, but of course i work at a tire shop so i do it myself for free.
I should but I need to get three new tires anyway. I have one new one because before I put in the 373 posi, I was doing J strips to try and break my 2:29 dog leg rear end, but it never broke and handled the 400 hp quite well.
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