I noticed this on the drdiver side while changing the strut, but didn't think anything of it until I changed the pass side strut: the driver side coil had 1 whole coil broken off in 2 peices. I removed the pieces & put the spring back in place. I just finished the pass side, & it didn't have this. I took the coil out & cut off, dremel tool, the same amount that had broken off the other one. Will I have any issues with this setup? I did notice the front of the car was higher after I did the driver side strut (go figure). Or will this just be a simple home made lowering job?

by the by: the springs still have the factory stickers on them

 

The only problem resulting from cut springs is a decrease in handling. When they make a spring, they make it so every coil matters... geez, can't remember physics... spring tension? Anyway, when you cut (or break, wow!) a coil, you throw off the spring coeffiecient, and the spring will react differently to bumps.

Hey, I thought of a cool example! Ever have the bottom of a sneaker peel off? It'd be like cutting a coil of a spring. You can still walk on the sneaker, but since you lost that one layer, your sneaker will feel squishy when you walk. (Course, the example is quite extreme to compare to a spring, but it's the idea behind it)

That's how lowering springs keep your handling good; they're made shorter, but the spring acts the same (or stiffer) as a larger one.

 

at least it will be evenly squishy now

 

new question: I looked up the springs for an 85 bird, no ac, manual shift, & one w/ac, auto. there is about a 4.5" diff in the heights of these too, the manual being a shorter spring. What, if any, affects would this have on a V6 car , auto w/o ac? just wondering,, because w/discount, these are about $60.

 

could probalby use a spring with less tension on a model w/o AC because without the AC you'll be saving lotso f weight, lots of weight (which is why people often remove the Ac and notice the cars faster, not from more HP but from saving weight) because of that the extra weight probably is what reuires the longer springs.

 

If these are just OEM type springs (not lowering) I have the springs left from my 2.8 -> 305 swap. They were pulled from an '87 Camaro 2.8 w/ AC & Manual Tranny. RPO's 6XR (LEFT) & 7XR (RIGHT). For considerably less than $60 (tho shipping might be a bit)

 

That's becuase your struts were bad and the new ones were doing thier job.

 

yup, the old ones were shot! I'm doing the rear brakes now, & the shocks are worse than the struts!!! Like a trampoline, & you can hear the oil squishing all the while
they're worse than the 26year old spirals I removed from the back of the bonneville last year.