Cutting Rear springs...to level the car...(not a newb at cutting) but...
11-22-2009, 09:14 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 784
Cutting Rear springs...to level the car...(not a newb at cutting) but...
I have a question.
I had 1 coil cut out of my H&R race springs on my last mustang....it was lowered about 3 inches which is way too much for this new car...I jus want it level.....I know the options for getting the steeda rear springs BUT....I wanna know how much to cut out of the rear spring to lower the rear about 1-1.25 inches.
My last car road like a wagon but handled like a dream btw lol
D spec dampeners too!
My future setup will be
D specs
possibly some H&R sports or Eibach sportlines....
but for now I JUST WANT THE REAR LEVEL ....FOR FREE lol
SO if anyone can help I would appreciate it.
I am no newb when it comes to suspension either so I know that cutting a spring be it linear or progressive, it will slightly increase spring rate.....but we are talking about the top 1st coil area....which would be negligible as far as rate goes......so now that that is out of the way...
IS there anyone with first hand experience on how much to cut the rears to get about a 1.25 inch drop.
and while i'm at it I may as well ask about the fronts too.....1 inch for the front too.
I know for 2010 they have a progressive front spring with very wide coils so cutting the fronts will be a very precise deed.
thanks guys!
Zach~
I had 1 coil cut out of my H&R race springs on my last mustang....it was lowered about 3 inches which is way too much for this new car...I jus want it level.....I know the options for getting the steeda rear springs BUT....I wanna know how much to cut out of the rear spring to lower the rear about 1-1.25 inches.
My last car road like a wagon but handled like a dream btw lol
D spec dampeners too!
My future setup will be
D specs
possibly some H&R sports or Eibach sportlines....
but for now I JUST WANT THE REAR LEVEL ....FOR FREE lol
SO if anyone can help I would appreciate it.
I am no newb when it comes to suspension either so I know that cutting a spring be it linear or progressive, it will slightly increase spring rate.....but we are talking about the top 1st coil area....which would be negligible as far as rate goes......so now that that is out of the way...
IS there anyone with first hand experience on how much to cut the rears to get about a 1.25 inch drop.
and while i'm at it I may as well ask about the fronts too.....1 inch for the front too.
I know for 2010 they have a progressive front spring with very wide coils so cutting the fronts will be a very precise deed.
thanks guys!
Zach~
11-23-2009, 06:20 AM
#3
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Maryland
Posts: 27
"friends don't let friends cut coil springs."
11-23-2009, 02:36 PM
#5
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: state of confusion
Posts: 7,635
Wouldn't dropping the rear by 1" or more make the car look like it was squatting or has sagging rear springs when it was just standing still? Sorry, but I fail to see the appeal in possibly ending up with a 1950's hot-rod Mercury tail-dragger look.
Which body line are you using for reference?
Cutting springs is certainly do-able if you know what's involved (and it's not too hard to get a close estimate for how much to cut the rears if you think on it a bit). But you need to make sure that the shortened springs will stay in the spring seats and not fall out under any circumstances. A few lb/in difference in rate from one side to the other isn't particularly critical in most cases - and if you were racing at a level where it was critical I'd guess you'd have the budget to get coilovers, a spring checker, and a set of wheel scales.
I haven't looked at my rear springs since I took a few suspension linkage measurements, so I can't really tell you exactly where/how much.
Norm
Which body line are you using for reference?
Cutting springs is certainly do-able if you know what's involved (and it's not too hard to get a close estimate for how much to cut the rears if you think on it a bit). But you need to make sure that the shortened springs will stay in the spring seats and not fall out under any circumstances. A few lb/in difference in rate from one side to the other isn't particularly critical in most cases - and if you were racing at a level where it was critical I'd guess you'd have the budget to get coilovers, a spring checker, and a set of wheel scales.
I haven't looked at my rear springs since I took a few suspension linkage measurements, so I can't really tell you exactly where/how much.
Norm
Last edited by Norm Peterson; 11-23-2009 at 02:40 PM.
11-23-2009, 05:21 PM
#8
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 784
ok guys ....I know that cutting springs isn't exactly the most practiced way of lowering ....but i promise the integrity of the spring is negligibly affected when cutting 1 or less coils.
I know the springs aren't that expensive .....I just have school and food that come first lol
anyone have first hand experience with s197 cutting?
btw I have had cut coils on 3 separate setups in my last car.....soooo I know what i'm getting myself into.
and no the car would not look as if it were squating....the rear sits higher than the front
I know the springs aren't that expensive .....I just have school and food that come first lol
anyone have first hand experience with s197 cutting?
btw I have had cut coils on 3 separate setups in my last car.....soooo I know what i'm getting myself into.
and no the car would not look as if it were squating....the rear sits higher than the front
11-23-2009, 06:52 PM
#9
6th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: state of confusion
Posts: 7,635
The other possibility is that people are unconsciously wanting to make these cars look even more like their 1960's ancestors (which are actually a bit low in the rear, particularly the coupes).
This seems to be a very common question, and I really am curious to find out exactly what is making so many people think the rear sits enough higher relative to the front to make such a big deal out of. It has to be some sort of visual reference or similar comparison.
It's my own curiosity here, nothing more. This thread just happened to be the one where I finally got around to asking questions about it.
Norm
11-23-2009, 07:25 PM
#10
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Join Date: Oct 2009
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Posts: 784
I'd still like to know what body line you're referencing this to.
The other possibility is that people are unconsciously wanting to make these cars look even more like their 1960's ancestors (which are actually a bit low in the rear, particularly the coupes).
This seems to be a very common question, and I really am curious to find out exactly what is making so many people think the rear sits enough higher relative to the front to make such a big deal out of. It has to be some sort of visual reference or similar comparison.
It's my own curiosity here, nothing more. This thread just happened to be the one where I finally got around to asking questions about it.
Norm
The other possibility is that people are unconsciously wanting to make these cars look even more like their 1960's ancestors (which are actually a bit low in the rear, particularly the coupes).
This seems to be a very common question, and I really am curious to find out exactly what is making so many people think the rear sits enough higher relative to the front to make such a big deal out of. It has to be some sort of visual reference or similar comparison.
It's my own curiosity here, nothing more. This thread just happened to be the one where I finally got around to asking questions about it.
Norm
It's a pet peeve of mine....if any of you have seen my last car I hate wheel gap
My last car had 1 finger gap in the rear and I couldn't even manage to squeeze my little finger into the front...
Rolled fenders of course
I'll post pics!
