Im planning on cutting my springs to obtain 2- 2 1/4 drop.
I realize im better off buying a set but i dont have the money so unless your buying them for me dont bother telling me im changing the spring rate! i allready know that much!

i considered just clamping the rear springs, that way i can fine tune them to match the front. how much should i cut to obtain my desired drop, anyone know?

 

Start off at 1 coil, install, drive, look, pull and cut again if you dont like. Measure how much you cut, dont just "eyeball it", that will obtain unlevelness on the other spring. Cut them with a die grinder, or sawzall. Dont torch them. Make sure where you cut is covered with paint, or undercoating, something.

Also, however much you cut from the front is not exactly what you will need to cut from rear. Diff weight, diameters, etc etc.

 

I know you are aware of the spring rate change but do you know of the safety compromises. That spring will not react as it should and the shock will not be able to dampen it properly. You are also going to experience the wost ride possible and your car will bounce as you go down the road. Ever see a import with cut springs? Your wheels can actually oscilate and come off the road every time they go over a bump. A half coil won't hurt you so much but cutting enough to drop your car 2 to 2 1/4" is not a good idea.

 

My RS had springs in it cut by a prior owner, it was lowered about 2 inches (I have no stock measurements to compare it to) and it was HORRIBLE. It bottomed out the suspension, about drove your spine into your skull on pavement cracks on the interstate.

Two full coils had been cut from each spring and the rear isolators left out.

I replaced the cut springs with Eibach sportlines, the ride hieght remains the same if at all slightly lower (I used no isolators) and the ride is firm but far better than before.

My front airdam to ground is 7 1/8" and my rear bumper center to ground is 12". This is with 225/60/16 tires on 16X8 flat spoke rims, V6 car (a V8 wieghs a couple hundred more in the nose and would sit somewhat lower given the same springs)

My advice would be to just cut ONE coil and see how it sits if you are that pressed for cash.

Also, the cut springs and lack of travel probably contributed to the struts and shocks being so wasted I could take two fingers and pull the rods in and out after I removed them.

Eric

 

As was just stated that'll drop travel out of your suspension, as well we cause your springs to work harden, and quite possibly break much more quickly.

Also Im told if you go through a full suspension travel its pretty easy to pop a cut spring out of place....

Im not well enough versed in aftermarket parts to know if they make drop spindles for f bodies but if they exist, that would be the best route to go imo. Though thats really friggen pricey.

 

just wait till you can afford drop springs, there are some dropzones on ebay for like $120 shipped, and sportlines are only $240 shipped.

I would rather have my car sit high than have it handle, ride, and perform like trash.

but if you set on cutting the springs, take you time, and atleast make them even.

 

Okay, whatever you do, DON'T CUT 2 COILS OUT! It'll drop it to the stops! 1 coil out of the front will drop it to 24" to the bottom of the fender well. It also leaves the A-arms perfectly horizontal, right where you want them. I can get you more details like the GM spring numbers I have and others.

 

do not cut springs. it ruins the integrity of the coil. if you want a drop, save your money and get the drop springs. i have NEVER seen a car with cut springs work...

 

I'll show you mine sometime. My springs "work" fine. What do you mean by that? What I have seen is this, when you have variable spring rate springs and you cut the top squishy part out, the ride gets ALOT harder. But this totally depends on what you are going for too. I particularly don't like it when my nose dives on a hard stop, so I'm putting cut V8 springs in my V6. If the roads were perfect, I'd ride my car on the A-arms But we don't live in a perfect world huh?

 

I did exactly that on my old 82. It rode a little harsh, but no worse than my GTA does.

I say cut them bastards. Just do it a little at a time. I did it in my 82, and I cut out 1/2 coil and no change. Next I cut a full coil and nothing, then I cut 1/4 coil, and bam...on the bump stops. What I didn't do was cut, drive, look THEN decide. I just lowered car to ground, pushed up & down on front and decided. Anyway, after I got some new springs (actually used), I cut a coil out, installed, drove for a day and did it over until I got it where I wanted it. I drove that car on cut springs for well over 4 years, everyday, with no problems. No broken springs, no suspension bind, no tire hopping off the ground, no little import ride, nothing. I took the bumpers off my control arms, which is what the import guys don't do & why their cars quiver down the road, and I rarely bottomed out the suspension. Pulling into my girlfriend's (at the time) driveway was the only time. But her driveway was like a ditch with only one bank, my Z71 Silverado would bottom out on it. The only thing that was kind of a bitch, was getting the alignment right. I had to elongate the strut mount holes a little, that was it.
Is it the right way to lower a car? Hell no. Does it work? Damn skippy. Actually, lowering springs are not the right way to go, they screw up the suspension geometry. The only "correct" way to do it is with spindles. Does that mean that I wouldn't use lowering springs? No. Does that mean that people who do are wrong? No. I agree that the best thing to do, is find some lowering spindles (it's tough but they are out there) or lowering springs, but hell before I could afford to do anything like spindles, and the such I still had to have a cool looking ride. You do what you need to, to be happy. Eventually, you can replace the cut stockers with an actuall spring designed to lower a car, untill then, cut 'em.

 

dont so it. go to any spring/suspension place and tell them your gonna cut the springs and see what they say. makes them a lot weaker and can cause problems with the suspension

 

It would seem i asked a question that touched alot of opinions, thats why i asked though so its all good. something i didnt mention when i originally asked the question was that my car is a ws6 car and the springs are allready stiff as a mother. people keep referring to ride quality, which happens to be something ws6 owners dont understand. the ride is griity somewhat punishing at times and down right awesome. my cousin owns a z28 which lacks the ws6 and until being is his car i hadnt realized what a difference the package makes. i have to decided NOT to cut the springs, not for lack of this so called ride quality, but because of the fact that my springs rock. i may someday pick the car up off the ground. but for now the 84 aero kit i picked up is begging to kiss pavement. im going to order the intrax springs or maybe the eibach sportlines, either way i hope everyone is happy, thanks!