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How was my car lowered?

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Old Dec 2, 2007 | 10:20 PM
  #11  
OnyxCobra's Avatar
OnyxCobra
6th Gear Member
 
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,467
From: Rochester, NY
Default RE: How was my car lowered?

ORIGINAL: Colorado_Mustang


ORIGINAL: Jfsram

First thing you should do is crawl under there and look at the springs. The upper end of the coil will be the first hint if they have been cut or not. If the rest of the spring is mint and the end is bare metal, good chance it's been cut.

Check the spring colour or anything written on them like a part number or a brand, like Eibach.

Cut springs ride like crap because you increase the spring rate as your cut the spring.
False. Cutting the spring only affects the travel. If you do it improperly and heat the entire spring, then you can affect the spring rate.

Springs designed to be shorter have their spring rates engineered to help the ride. The rough ride you feel with cut springs has to do with the finish of the cut and the limited suspension travel combined with the spring rate. You should always adjust the suspension bump stop when you lower the car to allow the suspension more room to move. This should be adjusted without springs to make sure the arms aren't binding at the limits.
Not always, depends on the spring type also. Cutting a stock spring TOO much will start to effect ride quality.
Old Dec 3, 2007 | 08:38 PM
  #12  
Jfsram's Avatar
Jfsram
4th Gear Member
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,999
From:
Default RE: How was my car lowered?

ORIGINAL: Colorado_Mustang


ORIGINAL: Jfsram

First thing you should do is crawl under there and look at the springs. The upper end of the coil will be the first hint if they have been cut or not. If the rest of the spring is mint and the end is bare metal, good chance it's been cut.

Check the spring colour or anything written on them like a part number or a brand, like Eibach.

Cut springs ride like crap because you increase the spring rate as your cut the spring.
False. Cutting the spring only affects the travel. If you do it improperly and heat the entire spring, then you can affect the spring rate.

Springs designed to be shorter have their spring rates engineered to help the ride. The rough ride you feel with cut springs has to do with the finish of the cut and the limited suspension travel combined with the spring rate. You should always adjust the suspension bump stop when you lower the car to allow the suspension more room to move. This should be adjusted without springs to make sure the arms aren't binding at the limits.
Do you know this from personal experience Colorado.

Have you cut a spring and measured the spring rate and found them to the the same lbs PER inch?

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech...springrate.htm

Change the NOAC to a smaller number. Report back with your findings.
Old Dec 3, 2007 | 10:19 PM
  #13  
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Colorado_Mustang
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 4,089
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Default RE: How was my car lowered?

Spring rate is the amount of force needed to move a spring a certain distance. How much force is needed to collapse a spring is based on the rate, but does not change the rate. A constant rate spring that is compressed 50% still needs that x amount of force to move it another certain distance. The total force is different, which is what that website is referring to.

When you get a physics degree, lemme know.
Old Dec 4, 2007 | 07:14 PM
  #14  
Jfsram's Avatar
Jfsram
4th Gear Member
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,999
From:
Default RE: How was my car lowered?

The website if referring to coil spring rate. Lbs per inch.

Bottom line is you reduce the number of active coils. You increase the spring rate.

I don't need a physics degree to tell me that. It's a simple formula.
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