bl817

I picked up a set of gt500 shocks/struts and springs a while back. I installed on my 05 gt and the look was less than stellar as it was sitting about 1" HIGHER than stock. did some research and turns out the gt500 stuff I bought was for a convertible which are about 200-300 lbs heavier front and back than a stock gt. (heavier engine/rear bracing) so I put the stock gt springs back on with the gt500 vert struts and shocks and it rides just fine and looks stock again. ive been trying to sell these beefed up gt500 vert springs and im getting no takers. what would it take to make them useful as lowering springs? can I cut a half or whole turn out? im pretty sure that the front springs top curl and bottom curl are made to fit the strut perch and strut mount respectively. the rears look somewhat progressive so might be easier. Im just throwing this question out there to see if anyone has done this type of upgrade from parts laying around in ones garage. I know I could go old school and heat em' while they are on the car but id like to avoid that if I can. thanks in advance.

Lem-06

if you feel like dieing, go ahead and heat the springs.

also dont cut them, just get a decent set of lowering springs and move on, maybe someone will wanna buy them for return to stock

Norm Peterson

OP's problem with "maybe someone will wanna buy them . . . " is that nobody has stepped up as it is, and he could end up waiting for years. The guy he bought them from probably went through the same thing for a while as well; there just isn't a whole lot of demand for OE springs.

Cutting springs isn't the "guaranteed you will ruin them/your car" thing that so many people seem to think it is . . . but you do have to understand a little more about springs than just the fact that you can buy pre-made lowering springs and just swap them in.


As for specific cutting suggestions here, without seeing the actual springs, knowing what the (loaded) coil spacing was when they were on the car, and refreshing my memory about how S197 springs fit into their upper and lower seats, it's not possible.


Norm

Lem-06

thats the reason behind the "just replace them and move on" the possibility of someone maybe buying was afterthought that may bring him sollace in buying twice

Norm Peterson

As long as OP isn't looking to lower his car more than maybe 1/2" from its own stock ride height, cutting those springs could be a viable option . . . again, depending on details. This implies making a conservative initial cut (less than you'd think), followed by cuts in the 1/4 down to 1/8 turn range and doing some driving in between each session of cutting. Roughly, I think 1/4 turn corresponds to about 1/2", but this is way too fuzzy of a guess where any first cut would be concerned.

Much more than 1/2" lowering and there won't be enough spring rate to keep from getting into the bump stops a lot more frequently. But at least the (cut) springs won't be overpowering the shocks/struts as badly as the firmer varieties of lowering springs do.


Norm