I know this topic gets mentioned a lot, I just had a question/issue….
I have a 1986 IROC that I drive maybe 500 miles a year. I decided to upgrade the suspension. In the front I put all new bushings, tie rods, sleeves idler arm etc. along with KYB gas struts. I wanted to lower it an inch and after doing some research I decided to cut a half inch off the spring to drop it an inch. Came out great. I moved on to the rear and replaced everything along with adding a QA1 adjustable panhard bar and lower control arm relocation brackets. KYB gas shocks. I wanted the same stance as front and cut half an inch to get a one inch drop, but when I bolted everything back together it didn’t lower the car? It was the same height as I started with? I thought that maybe using the lowest bolt hole on the lower control arm relocation bracket was doing it so I went up to the top hole, but nothing??? I even removed the brackets completely with no change???I know the logical response would be to cut more of the spring but when I had the backend jacked up while bolting things back together the springs were pretty decompressed to the point I thought I cut too much. I’m worried if I cut more they will be really loose every time I jack up the car? I just can’t understand why it worked in the front and not the back? Could it be the old rear shocks were in worst shape than the front struts and that’s why it’s still up? Should I try cutting more? I know some are against cutting springs but like I said I drive it 500 miles a year and I’m not doing cross touring etc. just wanted a nice look for a cruiser. Thanks

 

PS the rear springs were both 14 inches in length to start with now they’re at 13.5

 

You're not supposed to cut the rear springs.
Lowering springs are the way to lower the rear...

 

So only the fronts can be cut if you decide to cut?

 

Front has a 2:1 motion ratio, so 1/2" shorter spring is 1" lower installed.

Rear has a 1:1 motion ratio, so 1/2" shorter spring is 1/2" lower installed. Just need to cut shorter.

 

Thank u so much for the reply. I assumed I had to cut more I was just concerned when I had the backend jacked up and the rear axle loose the springs were so decompressed I figured if I made them shorter they would fall out when I needed to jack the car up in the future. I don’t mind messing with them to get them right because worst comes to worse I can buy some lowering springs but the front came out so good and rode nice I’d like to try the same thing in the back

 

The springs probably will not fall off the axle, but you might have to make sure they're aligned properly to the top puck each time you let the car down. I have to do that with my weight jacks.

I don't know your rear spring specs and how the windings are formed, but it might be that the top windings are softer, so cutting away those windings might give very little change in ride height. But things might change a lot when you get into active windings. Maybe just sneak up on your ride height 1/4 turn at a time.

 

I will try that. I’m pretty sure they are the stock springs. They don’t appear to be in bad shape