Just like it says....i need some info. know any tech articles that tells how to do it? or can you help me out.

 

I cut the springs on my '86 t/a using a cutting wheel. Cut one coil at rear, lowered about 1 1/2 in. Cut one coil from front springs lowered the front to the bump stops,too much! Had to buy big spring shims to keep the the front from getting slammed to pieces. If the ride height at the front was 1 1/2-2 in. higher the ride rate and stance would be just about right for me, wanted stiffer and lower.

 

There is a good article with pics about cutting springs in a book called Camaro Performance handbook by David Shelby. I think I got it from Classic Industries. I am planning on lowering mine also, haven't decided on cut or replace.

 

I've cut a pair springs before, but they weren't for an f-car. I used a torch to make the cut. While it is still hot push the end you just cut into the garage floor to flatten that last coil. You want it to look like the end originally did. Oh yeah and wear a pair of gloves.

When it comes time to lower mine I'll prolly buy a pare of Rs springs or something similar because removing coils increases the rate. I need to do some calcs before I do the job, but buying stock springs and making the cut yourself will save $150-200 vs Eabach/Hotchis. Herb Adam's "Chassis Engineering" is also a good reference for cutting springs. You don't want a rate much higher than the stock IROC springs. IMO they are already too stiff.

Austin

 

Dont use a torch, the heat ruins the springs

 

I have done it. I used a Herb Adams tech article from his old news letter VSE. You can heat them up with a toarch just don't cool them in water and they will be fine.

z28redline

 

How?

 

It changes the spring rate. I want to say it weakens the spring. I have an article somewhere i will try to find it. It has a few more details.

 

Not the article about cutting with torch but this will give you some info


A coil spring is constructed from round bar stock wire that is wound or coiled either by a hot or cold procedure. Cold wound springs are formed by an ambient temperature winding method: A spring winding machine extrudes the wire in a spiral action and then is cut to length. The spring is then heat tempered in a furnace, shot-peened, end-ground, preset for fatigue resistance, phosphate treated, and finally powdercoated for corrosive protection. The thickness of the round bar stock and the amount of coils will determine its strength and rigidity of the coil spring.

The coil winding is another important portion of the overall performance of the spring. The distance between coils will determine the spring rate. A progressive coil spring will have a shorter distance and tighter wind at the beginning of the spring. This is known as the transition portion that controls the static load, then, as the load increases into the active load and progressively becomes greater, the spring compresses and it becomes stiffer.

Referring to the spring load, we are talking about the amount of weight that will compress the spring to a specific height, which is translated into pounds. Spring rate is the amount of weight applied to the spring to compress it 1 inch, which is expressed in inch-pounds. When figuring these principals, we must remember the spring rate will not change during the spring's compression, but the spring load will change. Many times, we see cut coils from a spring as a method of lowering a truck's ride height, but cutting the coils will also affect the ride quality and coil action, increasing the spring frequency, in turn, causing the action to be choppy and bone-jarring.

The progressive action of a coil spring becomes more prevalent as it is compressed. By cutting one coil, the spring will eliminate its less progressive action or a smooth transition, creating quicker spring. This characteristic is demonstrated when we see a lowered vehicle traveling down the road. As it rolls across the highway, its suspension strips, making it oscillate to a choppy, bouncy ride, giving the driver and passengers blurred vision.

 

Ok here is one from Chevy High Performance Mag.
It has more info but this is just about the cutting torch
Tech Articles

Get Down
Different Ways To Lower Your Ride


Dropping The Front

Lowering the front end of your car can breathe new life into a stale project. Combined with the right wheel/ tire combo, the new look is sure to garner lots of oohs and aahs. The old way to lower a coil-sprung front end was to jack the car up, fire up a welding torch, and heat the springs until the temperament was relieved. This made the springs sag and thus lowered the front end. The bad thing about this method, besides that it renders the coil spring virtually worthless and forces the shock absorber to do all of the road dampening, is that the car often ends up with an uneven ride height, because one spring may sag more than another.

A more acceptable, inexpensive method is to cut the coil spring. This requires complete removal of the spring from between the upper and lower control arms.

If you have ever rebuilt a front suspension, then you already know the dangers of removing a coil spring if done improperly. To cut the spring, you can use a diamond-tipped hacksaw blade, but that will take some time. A better way is to use an abrasive, air-powered cut-off wheel or a bench-mounted chop saw. A good rule of thumb when you cut a spring is to work in ¼-coil increments at a time. With half a coil removed, the car should be dropped roughly 1 inch overall. A problem with cutting the spring ¼ coil at a time, though, is that achieving the correct drop will require you to install both springs back into the car and allow it to settle before you can figure out if it is the correct amount of suspension drop.

 

i cut mine with a cutting wheel. it sits alittle lower and a bit higher spring rate. just make sure to cut the same ammount on both sides. i cut mine once and installed them to check, then i took em out a cut some more to get the right height. i'll try and attach a pic.

 

opp sorry it's really big.

 

the pathetic thing is my car looks lowered and i have stock springs....how about that man>? ill send u my stock springs

 

not that i have any experience in this matter but i would highly suggest that you dont cut or torch your springs, (ive read countless mag articles about this) and just buy a set of performance lowering springs. by doing those things youre just gonna ruin your springs and soon after have to replace them anyways, i got a set of progressive rate intrax lowering springs for $200 and they work awsome, 2" front and 1.8" rear. and they drastically improved the handling, there is almost no front end dive while cornering or braking anymore.

just my 2 cents.

 

luvrgodd
How will it ruin your springs by cutting them with a sawzall or hacksaw or cutting wheel?

 

It won't ruin them at all. I'm not sure if 3rd gen springs are progressive or not. I just cut my 4th gens springs, constant rate, for about an inch of lowering and must say that I prefer it greatly to the aftermarket springs I used to have. The handling is better but now I don't have problems with under rebounding(bouncing) and I still have less brake dive and a lower center of gravity. If I ever go aftermarket again it will be with a coilover setup that I can choose the rates for.

 

One important thing to remember when lowering the back of your car is the traction and torque. Lowering the back of the car changes the angle of the lower control arms and will affect rear traction. A fix to this is buying LCA relocation brackets which will correct the angle problem. Another thing affected by lowering the back of the car is the angle of the torque arm. I don't think this is as big a problem as the LCAs but if it bothers you then you can always install an aftermarket adjustable torque arm.

 

I have cut the spirings in my IROC-Z. I cut 1 1/2 coils out of the front & 2 or 3 in the rear I forget. I am tucking 45 series rubber on a stock 16" IROC-Z rim in the front & no gap in the rear on 55 sereis rubber. I dont know what someone else was aying about buying shims, I have had my carliek this since last winter. it handles really good, and doest ride that bad at all either, the cat tends to bottom out sometimes, and you must try to avoid speed bumps, you dont get stuck, but some big ones you feel under your feet. Its also a pain to jack or get on a hoist.

But when you do it, take off the caliper, spindle hub etc, now when you take off the spindle, take off the lower control arm bolt last, have a jack underneath jacked up holding the lower control arm in place, and slowly, let it down. You will need 2 jacks, if you get all the way down, and the spring isnt loose you must jack up the car higher. be careful taking the springs out.

Also, when you cut, cut from the top of the spring in the front & especially the rear.

If you want any other info, E-Mail me.

 

I cut off 1/2 coil off my front lowering springs today! ( I wouldnt go any lower then that) But remeber every spring is different!!!!!!!

 

I dropped a whole hell of a lot of weight off the front end of my car and I need to drop the car. It's sky jacked all over but I have coilovers in the rear so it's no problem there, just need to cut the fronts. Does someone have a good detailed way of doing it? I need an inch I think.

 

i just took mine out and cut the mdown with a cut-off wheel. make sure its the same amount on both sides. you don't want a lop-sided car do you!

 

OK thanks.

 

are thirdgens springs progressive or ?? i have an 85 firebird it had a v6 now v8 carbed i wanna slam it like low low.. the springs are old and cr appy i want a firm ride and low? ima go a 1/4 off the spring then put it back together and then cut more until shes where i want it but am i gonna have the firm ride i want??? i got monroe sensatrac struts cuz i didnt ahve the money to go anything else if i bottom alot then o well but yeah help?

 

dosent chopping the springs screw up you camber/ wheel angle? i was going to buy some performance springs off ebay(dont like the idea of chopping the stock 1s) but i figured it would screw my cars geometry all up with the rest of the componenets being stock? does it?

 

You just have to get your front end aligned. And that doesnt cost that much. Imo anytime you change springs or front end parts you should have your car aligned.

 

the RIGHT way to lower your car is with aftermarket spindles. shorter springs screw up your geometry and increase bump steer, i wouldn't lower more than like an inch via shorter springs. i'm looking for some WS6/iroc springs now that i'll cut a half coil from which should lower my front end about an inch and will increase spring rate about 25lbs/in.

cutting springs with a torch is ok as long as you let them air cool, if you dunk them in water it makes the steel brittle and it could break