thinking about cutting my stock springs to lower my car

[cutlass79]

ok so i kno a guy that cut his springs down to lower his truck he hasint had any probs out of it and he said its fells about the same as befor just a little better handling.so im wornder how hard it is to cut down a set of stock springs and what all i need to kno the best way of doin it. im only looking for about in inch in a half . the car was a v6 car and the kid that had the car put all new v6 springs and shocks in be for selling it.i have put a sbc 350 and a heavy *ss th400 and it has lowered it about a inch in a half already but im looking for it to sit a little lower.so any tips on how to cut my stock springs down or do some of yall have a better way to drop a gbody down just in inch er so?

 

[85cut420]

Don't cut your springs. They are made in a specific length with a specific resistance. If you cut them, you mess with those specific parameters as well as the geometry of your entire suspension. Back in high school, I cut the springs on my Lexus GS300 an inch to tuck 19s better, and it went from riding like a Lexus to riding like sh*t. Cut springs is pretty much a ghetto way to drop your car if you don't care about your ride or your safety.
Best thing to do for just 1 inch is to get lowering springs, they are specifically made to keep the suspension geometry intact, and while they are shorter, they are a tiny bit thicker, so their resistance remains the same. It won't cost more than 150-200 dollars, will lower the car and make it handle a little better, and do so in a safe and reliable manner.

 

[85GPLef41]

If you need to go cheap some Moog springs offer what your looking for on a budget i can't remember which part number springs offer lowered drop. I used some f body dropped springs but they were too low for my liking so i am going with Hotchkis 1in drop...there are a bunch of vendors out there just do a little homework and pick the best on your budget.

 

[cutlass79]

yeah iv always seein cutting the springs as being a cheap getto thing to do.where im form down in rockford il iv seen so many gbodys that have beendroped a little bit and thay jut did a shity job non of the cars iv seen sit right.iv moved up to wi in met a guy that gut his springs down and it sits even looks grate u can really tell when someone takes there time cutting springs down in when thay dont and i thought it would mess with the ride to much to want to do it but th guy said that his truck rides the same if not a little better then it did stock

If you need to go cheap some Moog springs offer what your looking for on a budget i can't remember which part number springs offer lowered drop. I used some f body dropped springs but they were too low for my liking so i am going with Hotchkis 1in drop...there are a bunch of vendors out there just do a little homework and pick the best on your budget.

u looking to sell the fbody lowering springs?

 

[Bonnewagon]

I've cut springs without issue, BUT, they were grossly oversprung for the car. The correct way is to use a high speed cut-off wheel so you don't overheat them and ruin the temper. What I do is use a spring compressor to hold them up in the coil tower, then cut off 1/4 coil at a time, NO MORE! You can cut more off, but you can't put it back on. Then re-assemble it and see how she sits. If I need more, I do another 1/4 coil. It's a lot of work, but it must be done incrementally, as there is no formula that says "cut this much to get this much drop". Doesn't exist. Cutting it effectively shortens it, and that raises the spring rate, so expect a firmer ride, as previously stated.

 

[Blake442]

The best way to do it IMO is drop spindles... No dicking around with trying to get the right springs necessary. 8)

 

[pontiacgp]

The best way to do it IMO is drop spindles... No dicking around with trying to get the right springs necessary. 8)

if your just going for looks I agree, I set my car up for performance so I got the spring rates and height that I wanted by cutting the springs...s10 springs up front and phoenix springs in the rear.

 

[cutlass79]

well im am looking for a little better ryd and performance out of it for the weekend fun but its manly my daly driver in the summer time im just looking to drop her a little bit more so the car sit down around my wheels a little more. i got a set of 17x8 torq thrust american racing wheels with bfg gforce 255\50 zr17 and i just dont like to see to much of the top of the tires.id like to have the wheel well come to about an inch to the top of the rim and about a inch in a half lower will put me where i want to be.also keep in mind im doin the budget build of all budget builds with thi car for all that iv done i havent put over $500 in the car and $300 of that went to getting the sbc350.im kinda tryin to do as much as i can by hand and with what i got.i do have a set of fornt and back stock v8 springs out of my 83 fbody trans am if thos would work.i also have a full load control air ride set up just no brackets to mount them if i could make a kinda bolt on bracket to mount thos id go that way if anyone has made there own and has pics of the upper and lower fornt and back brackets thay have made that would be grate

 

[cutlass79]

The best way to do it IMO is drop spindles... No dicking around with trying to get the right springs necessary. 8)

if your just going for looks I agree, I set my car up for performance so I got the spring rates and height that I wanted by cutting the springs...s10 springs up front and phoenix springs in the rear.

would s10 fornt and back spring work in a gbody

 

[pontiacgp]

You need to figure out what kind of ride you're looking for. If your looking for appearance factor then I'd go with Blake's suggestion. With the S 10 springs cut the spring rate is 650 give or take a few pounds and my rears are Phoenix springs cut and are 175 give or take a few pounds so in the eyes of some it's a stiff ride but for me I like it..