Hey, the rear of my car sites like an inch higher then the front. I know the suspension(springs/shocks/struts) are around a year old but I don't know what was put in. I guess what I'd really like to know is if I can buy spring clamps to lower the back of the car without hurting anything?

Thanks,
Mark

 

the easiest would to be jack the rear end up and support the fram rails with stand and let the rear end hang all the way down, and make sure two things:

1. that the springs are installed right, setting in the right places to ensure they are seated properly.

2. see what kinda isolators are being used on top of the springs, you could try to remove anything on top of the spings just to see what kind stance u get after that.

if u cant find anything, it could that you have lowering springs up front and in the rear stock springs or even taller ones, i have eibach prokit up front and eibach drag springs in the rear, so i have a crazy looking stance.

if thats the case i would look into find different springs or try and cut a coild or two off the rears to make the fornt and rear level out.

 

insulators are the stock rubber things and everything was installed right. I was there I just don't know what my dad picked up from the auto store. Would heavy duty springs pick the back up more then stock replacements?

 

yes

 

t

 

would you like to explain what exactly is wrong with cutting springs. it is and will be standard practice for quite some time. if you cut them with a torch, yes you will effect the temper, but with a cut-off wheel, and then letting them air cool (read: dont' dump cold water on them or something stupid like that), you will not harm them.

cuting 2 coils from our springs is VERY exreme, you would not want your car nearly that low.

what do you think higher rate lowering springs are? they are not nearly as tall when uncompressed as a stock spring is. if you are getting your car into a sitution where you completely unload the rear suspension liek that, i would guess that a spring falling out is not the first thing that is going to get broken.

 

t

 

or you can't find the spring rates you are looking for, and want to up the rate of the spring you have, so you cut 1/2 coil, and raise the spring rate by 5%.

people cust springs all the time, there is nto a saftey issue when it is done properly.

you have your ideas on this , i want to see some real facts. not even the factory springs are the same height, FIY, i can verify i have a set of ws6 springs, and softride springs, about 4" diffrence in the uncompressed height. higher rate springs at the same ride height are always going to be 'shorter'. unfortinatly, not even you can bend the rules of physics.

 

All four springs on my car are cut. It increases absorbsion fequency rate (bounce rate) that is controlled with a good roadrace shock. If I were to put cheaper shocks on this car I am certain it would go dong, dong, dong down the road. Just always remember- higher rate springs need higher rebound damper shocks.

Edit: for - four /opps

 

t

 

just because it is something you would not do, does not mean it isn't a valid or an ok way to do things, i would not run a tubular k member as you do. because it isn't what i want to run on my car. does that mean it doesn't have it merits?

MANY MANY MANY of the most succesfull road racers and auto-x'ers on this site run cut springs.

agood2.8 and chickenman are two that come to mind right off the bat. between the two of them , i would venture they have 50+ years of racing experiance. and have probably been cutting springs since before you were born.

 

cutting springs is a perfectly valid method of adjusting ride height and making minor rate changes. it of course requires some common sense. if the rear springs in my car were so short that they fell out i would not be inclined to cut them. I just installed moog rear coils and they are in no danger of falling out. i will be trimming all 4 in the spring. May i suggest that there might be something strange about your setup? possible shocks are too long?? or springs are somehow different than others?

 

I can pull my rear springs out by hand when the car is jacked- they are then loose enough to wobble, but not fall out on their own. The car would never have "hang time" enough to ever come 1/2 as close to completely droping out and having the rear coils slack- not a problem unless your shocks are completely toast.

To further this. When my suspension travel drops out of the rear 3" or more- my rear driveshaft yoke will come in contact with my I-pipe exhuast. At this point, the suspension would still have to drop another 3-4" to completely slack the rear springs.-NOTE: It has never droped the first 3 inches and has never made contact with the exhaust will driving (believe me, I would hear it)- jacked up in the garage and running (opps) made that mistake a time or two. Don't worry about it- just make sure that the springs are in their upper indexes when you set the car back on the ground after being jacked.

 

im runnin the eibach sportlines, to get it sit level i took the rear isolators out, is that an alright thing to do? i also noticed that the measurement of each fender lip to ground is differnt, if i were to cut the springs very little to get it to sit level all around, is that an acceptable fix?

 

y

 

t

 

dude, your way off base. Why would spring manufacturers sell different springs to lower your car?? Are you familiar with the capitailist society we live in? You sound like you need to do some more investigating. since you don't seem to understand, you cut the unfinished end of the spring. There is no wrong or right ride height or spring rate, its what works for you. Some people road race some autocross, some like outrunning $100,000 german sedans on the long island expressway. What works for you is what you should use. yes there were morons who used to heat installed springs with a torch to get the ride height lower, and there are companies that will sell you (proper) lowering kits that will turn your car into a deathtrap (see any "Tuner" civics lately). i just tossed my eibach prokit (proper lowering springs) in favor of moog coils of the rates i wanted ( eibach doesn't even post rates) for less than 1/2 the price. they have an unfinished end (each one) that i will cut with a cutoff wheel. Why isn't this more popular, because installing 700lb front springs is a bitch and most people don't want to do it more than once. i was one of those people and o threw my money away.

oh yeah, as far as old guys and race cars.... ever hear of a gentleman named Andretti?

 

t

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAhaHAhaHAhaHahA!!! This is the funniest thread I've seen so far... he argued like hell, then deleted all his posts!!


One thing I've always wondered... why bother measuring the front and rear fender lips to the ground to see if it's level? The levelness of the car doesn't matter all that much, just get it the way it looks the best to you.

 

Because I did not care to continue it...

 

I think you're confusing the term "continue it" with "embarrass self any further." You deleted all your posts!

I'm just busting on you. In all seriousness, this entire thread is now useless because you removed all your posts. It's ok to get into technical arguments on this site, and some people are right, some are wrong, and everyone has their own opinion. The whole point is to learn from each other, our own achievements, and our own mistakes. Don't feel alienated cause a couple people disagreed with you. We're here to help each other! I would never cut my damn springs either, I think it's stupid.

 

Hey man...its better than your front riding an inch higher than the rear! I'd say keep the mean stance. I wouldn't F with spring clamps. Stupid question but do you have the same size tires in front vs rear?

Maybe the problem is that your front sits an inch lower than your rear.

 

No not exactly..I dont think that they should be cut on a street car on springs that were not designed to be cut..arguing about cutting race springs and all that was not the ...BUT when it turned into WOW here is BILL and BOB and they all do it and They have been doing this before you were born etc...My instinct was to come back swinging...Actually before I deleted the last posts I started to...then thought better of it..

Weather or not some people do it and it works does not mean Im getting embarassed or shown up...I saw a guy lift 100 Pound weights with his ******** on TV...So it can successfully be done...I saw proof...But Im sure as hell not looking for some rope and some cinder blocks and trying it myself..Nor would I advise anyone else to..

In terms of getting a bad rep..Well Ive had that on TGO since 1997..