Aspire Coil Cutting

[89fester]

So the consensus is that cutting one coil from the Aspire coil will put a Festiva right around stock ride height. The last wrap of the coil is flat where is seats on the strut and upper mount. Is everyone cutting exactly one coil starting at the end, or maybe once it starts to angle up into the first wrap?

Thanks

89 L

[Safety Guy]

I cut one coil measured from the end of the spring. I'm just put my Aspire struts together today and will be putting them on Saturday morning.

Yeah, I know I'm slow and lazy. I've been planning this for months.

Karl

[89fester]

I cut one coil measured from the end of the spring. I'm just put my Aspire struts together today and will be putting them on Saturday morning.

Yeah, I know I'm slow and lazy. I've been planning this for months.

Karl

Well I may be doing it at the same time then. I rebuilt my calipers last night, picked up my rotors today. I got new sway bushings from FMS. I will at least pull the front end apart tonight or tomorrow, and hopefully get most of it bolted back together this weekend. The rear half of my conversion is done.

I guess I will go ahead and cut the coil like you did and see what happens.

Do you happen to know the torque spec of the CV/front wheel bearing nut?

89 L

[Safety Guy]

Torque specs for front wheel nut? Yeah!

Get a 24" long breaker bar and sort of stand on it. I weigh 230 pounds, BTW.

I forget the actual torque value as I never had a torque wrench that went up that high. Now I do, but I'm lazy.

Karl

[89fester]

That's what I thought, but I wanted to make sure. I have the breaker bar, but I am missing about 80lbs.

Later

89 L

[89fester]

BTW Safety

Are you putting the cut end at the top of the strut or the bottom?

89 L

[89fester]

Once I took the struts apart I noticed the bottom of the aspire spring had more of a pig tail on it, so I made my cut on that end.

89 L

[nonamekid]

Torque specs for front wheel nut? Yeah!

Get a 24" long breaker bar and sort of stand on it. I weigh 230 pounds, BTW.

I forget the actual torque value as I never had a torque wrench that went up that high. Now I do, but I'm lazy.

Karl

Close I think if you use a 12" bar and a 180 pounds you have the right spec. I believe it is close to 180 ft-lbs. Your method is 460 ft-lbs, more than twice it what it should be.

[Safety Guy]

I was mainly joking!

READ YOUR MANUALS PEOPLE!!

There's no reason for someone NOT to have at least a Haynes book.

I knew it was over 100 foot pounds. My Sears torque wrench doesn't go over about 85 foot pounds, so I always just did my front wheel nuts up TIGHT.

Karl

[nonamekid]

I knew you were joking. :lol: And I thought it was funny.

[Safety Guy]

Oh yeah, I put the cut ends of the springs at the bottom. This time I used a short section of rubber hose on the spring tip to cushion it on the spring seat.

Karl

[89fester]

I got my struts and front end together yest. Couldn't bleed the brakes though, that's in another thread.

I didn't use any hose on the bottom coil because I noticed both festy and aspire coils had nothing at the bottom of the strut to insulate the coil.

I'd say just eyeballing it, the car sits a little lower than it did stock. Plus with the slightly bigger tires, the stance looks better. I'd say the rear it actually sitting a little high now.

Can't wait to drive it after I figure out the brake problems.

89 L