Cutting springs

[frankenfester]

As stupid a question as it may be, and as many times as this probably gets asked on here, I wanted to start a thread that had definite answers on this subject.
The main concerns that need to be addressed are as follows (these are questions I've come up with, or been asked by other festiva owners to which I do not have an answer in stone from someone with experience)

1. When cutting springs, how many coils = 1" of drop or what's the ratio of coils cut to drop?

2. When reinstalling the springs after cutting, is a spring compressor required, or will they go on with no compression (after say 1.5 coils are cut)?

3. When springs are cut, obviously the comfortability is lost, but do I need to realign it? (I know the only major adjustments on a festy is the toe in/out, but does spring cutting require any alignment to be redone)

4. If I cut the front springs, is cutting the back springs a bad idea? (Several people are iffy on this, static sag and such)


Obviously some of these questions can be answered by trying, but I thought it'd be nice to address the main concerns for people, who like myself cannot either afford a diy coil over mod ATM, or do not have the festiva or aspire resources around because there are not as many festivas around as some of you.
I and the others with these questions appreciate your help kindly. Thanks a lot dudes!

-James

[navdoc101]

Yeah. Inquiring minds want to know.

[jason_]

Cut them while compressed in the strut and you don't need compressor!

It's wild. Cut it fuzz longer then needed of you'll 2nd guess your ending result. You can always trim later. I used a a die grinder and cutoff wheel. Expect to break a wheel or two when she goes. I did it with vehicle lifted. It's not bad if you expect what's going to happen. Cut bottom first 1/2 way, then start teasing top. After it goes bang, might have to cut the spring elsewhere to get the wrap out.

Just cut it so it lands appropriately. I did it, one full wrap on aspire with Rios, haven't had a problem with gouge or anything.

Not sure how much you need cut. If you need an in-between, you'll have to compress and reset accordingly. I got lucky on a one wrap snip, saved a lot of headache in my favor.

I cut so she retains factory height. A b it stiffer. But floating on roller bearing and cage is so nice.

You'll get \ / or / \ depending where control arm sits on assumed weight. So if it's sits outside of factory swing, you'll need to compensate with adjusting.

I did only fronts, factory backs, didn't care, handles good, and doesn't eat tires.

You'll need a squeezer to put coils back in strut. She went bang mighty hard, and I know it's still enough to need a compressor even with q wrap and half cut.



Oh, it'd be bad bad news if you cut so much, if the vehicle were to leave the ground, have the spring flop around loosely because there's no preload....and when vehicle comes down, spring not be where it's supposed to....


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[getnpsi]

Goes bang, that scares me although it has no where to go if it's on the car around the strut. No one just holds them in a vise and grinds coils off? I need to do my rio's too.

[jason_]

Left it on car. Too lazy to unbolt. Car held it just as good if not better then a vice.

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[getnpsi]

I bought complete rio springs struts tops from my jy right off the car still assembled. just wondering. In my case i dont think ill put them on assembled and cut them, ill take them off...you wouldn't?

[jason_]

Both my factory coils were broken. Lazy/cheap to rent compressor, or build one out of ready-bolt. So, I chose the easiest/cheapest/simplest option. I forgot to cut after a month on them.

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[FestYboy]

any ride hight change will induce a camber and toe change, so if you lower your car, camber will go in and toe will go OUT. as for the cutting of the springs, grab a spring compressor from your local jobber (McAuto Parts), they're free to rent.

lift the vehicle corner you want to adjust, set the car on a jack stand, remove the wheel, place the lift jack under the lower ball joint and lift untill the strut is in compression as far as it will go before actually lifting the car. place the spring compressor on the strut and put it under some tension (very hand tight), then release the lift jack. now the spring is under tension except for the area you need to cut (no chance of pieces flying once cut). then reverse the procedure to reload the strut and move to the next wheel. a loaded spring can kill you if the pieces fly from being under tension, that's why you take the tension off the area you want to cut BEFORE cutting it.

[frankenfester]

^ I wish to say that's the best advice so far. I'd have never thought of that.

-James

[jason_]

Cutting 1/4" is asking for trouble. Reason I did full wraps... Can't get away...

Cmon people! Safety glasses!

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[frankenfester]

Cutting 1/4" is asking for trouble. Reason I did full wraps... Can't get away.

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What do you mean?


-James

[jason_]

What do you mean?


-James

Cutting a little will give opportunity to fly.

Cutting a full coil wrap will get hung up when it tries to go any one direction.


Like pulling a Hoollaloop with a inch cut out of the circumference.

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[frankenfester]

Cutting a little will give opportunity to fly.

Cutting a full could wrap will get hung up when it tries to go any one direction.


Like pulling a Hoollaloop with a inch cut out of the circumference.

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You mean cutting a coil out? If I'm understanding correctly cutting the springs is a bad idea?

-James

[jason_]

How else to lower ride height without excessively preloading spring tension? Besides buying new Springs?

Am I misunderstanding the title of this thread?

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[frankenfester]

How else to lower ride height without excessively preloading spring tension? Besides buying new Springs?

Am I misunderstanding the title of this thread?

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I just didn't understand what you were saying.

-James