cutting springs to lower

[Bonnewagon]

Mikester- great video. But my experience was different. Maybe he used the correct stock spring for the Chevelle and then that one-at-the-spring-equals-two-at-the-body formula works. But if you were putting a big block in a G-body, or some other non-existent combination, you are back to try-it-and-see-then-cut-1/4 coil. OP- I do know that when ordering springs from ESPO the rep asks you every relevant question because even AC will make a difference. Also long ago a spring shop fixed me up with new front springs for a '68 LeSabre. The guy wire brushed the end of a coil and came up with a code number. Using that number he selected springs that would give me 2" more lift. Sometimes it pays to talk to a pro.

 

[marcar1993]

I'm not buying the short term solution part but it's your car. Springs are manufactured to perform a certain way. The different coil spacings perform different functions. Why pull the springs, cut them, put them back in only to take them out and put other springs back in? My car is set up for the 1/8. When I put my car together, I contacted spring manufacturers and talked to other people that had a similar set up to what I was looking for. No "temporary" solutions. I put it together with the right parts the first time after I was comfortable that I did enough research. If its a cash flow issue, wait til you have the cash saved up. Cutting coils and using springs will "work" but you'll be light years behind suspension components that were designed and manufactured to do what you're looking to do. When someone that did it the right way pulls next to you, you'll see the difference and so will everyone else. Not trying to sound like an A$$hole, just trying to keep you from throwing $$$ away trying to take shortcuts.

Thanks, but there is no buying it or not. At the end of the day it is my car, however I am not one to cheap out on parts for the car, but I am tapped out for right now and want to see what will fit the car (how many " of drop to fit the new tires to know what drop spring to buy in the future).

I just bought a strange S60, new wheels and tires, and a bunch of other parts. I'm about $6k in parts for the car this month, so yeah cash is a little tight. I am NOT going to buy a spring "once" to put in right now when I plan to buy a full UMI suspension kit in the near future, knowing that they WILL NOT work going forward since I will be using a tall balljoint, and maybe a drop spindle. The idea is to see what my overall compressed height will be and where that puts the fenderwell height. From there I can calculate what compressed height spring I will need with the balljoints I use to get it just about right the first time when I redo the entire suspension.

I am also going to be upgrading brakes, most likely to CTS-V calipers and vette rotors, my friend did that on his firebird, but again I am out of money for the moment... so I'll do that, and suspension, when I have accumulated the parts. For now, it just needs to be a touch lower and that will help with the next step.

Thanks to everyone for the help, hopefully next weekend I'll have some pics for you all!

 

[Ribbedroof]

Using the springs in the car now to determine desired drop is pointless as you have no way of knowing how much they have sagged.

If you really want to know, find the OE manual, which will have instructions on determining ride height, based on chassis/suspension measurements, and jack/block the car to that number. THEN, you can start cutting and measuring with some idea of how much drop you are actually getting.

How many times have we read where somebody put "lowering springs" in their car, only to find it's no lower, maybe even higher? A lot.

It's no fun doing springs on the front of these chassis, I can't imagine doing it five six seven times in rapid succession.