Cut Springs??? - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

j_biafra88 · 12-24-2003, 02:42

My suspension is pretty bad at the moment, so consequently I plan to spend some decent $$$ on it next year. However, for the time being, is it possible, and not dangerous or illegal for that matter, to cut my rear springs so that my car is more level. Currently my rear sits far too high. I'm pretty certain that I have standard springs in front and rear, except my fronts have sagged a fair bit, to the point where they look more like lows. I eventually want superlows all round, but for the time being I want it to at least be the same height front and rear. Does anybody know how much someone would charge to do this, and secondly where in Perth I could get this done? I know of a girl who drives a XF that has cut springs, she suggested that I do this to mine.

Gambit · 12-24-2003, 03:02

It is illegal & dangerous to cut the springs. No one should legally do it for you but you will always find someone who wants some money. I wouldnt recommend it.

cArSiK · 12-24-2003, 03:22

get the springs 'reset' , dont know who would do it in your area but k-mac in sydey re-sizes your stock springs to whatever height you want...AFAIK its safer that just cut ones...

James

EA falcon man · 12-24-2003, 03:28

its illegal and unsafe and it makes your springs softer because there isnt as much spring to hold the weight. either leave it as is or get new springs

Soxx · 12-24-2003, 05:51

Yes it is illegal, no it isn't unsafe if done properly.
It also does not make the spring softer, it actually makes the spring stiffer.

Do a search here on 'clipping springs' to get a better understanding of how it effects the integrity of a coil spring.

Note, that I don't necessarily condone doing this, but only because of the legalities/liabilities issue.

Something to consider about a cut spring is what have you actually done.
A coil spring is simply a piece of spring rod, wound up into a coil.
Imagine cutting 10% off the length of the steel rod, what happens to the integrity of the rod? Absolutley nothing, it just shortens it, which in turn lowers the leverage.
Same rule applies to the coil, it has been shortened by say 1/2 an active coil, which in turn gives it less leverage, which in turn crates a now stiffer spring.

Cutting springs is illegal because many of the 'butchers' used to heat a coil spring whilst it was still on the car and of course it eventually failed because the coil would be brittle along the heated area.

Simply cutting a piece off the end of the coil will have no such effect on the coil at all.

In fact, if you measure the rod diameter and do a count of active coils of some aftermarket coil springs, you may very well find that they have the same wire thickness and active coils as a standard spring whih has had a coil cut off.

Rick.

mongrelEB · 12-24-2003, 15:21

Personally, I wouldn't. Doing it properly is all very well, but it's not likely the reputable people will touch it, which leaves the dodgy ones

Decent superlow springs+shocks aren't that expensive s/h, I paid $300 for all four on my car - then went back to lows cos the bloody car kept hitting things and eventually bent the rear stabiliser bar - but anyway :)

hoon69 · 12-24-2003, 19:04

yeah it can be done,might not be legal or safe(unless you know what your doing)but it can be done,but i wouldnt chance it,the fines,defect,aint worth it.

XR6_ cortina · 12-24-2003, 23:43

yeah what they said...

j_biafra88 · 12-25-2003, 00:26

Thanks for the advice guys. I think I might just deal with the way the car looks and save up for some new springs. It's not worth the danger and hassles that may come with cutting the current springs. :)

NZ · 12-25-2003, 00:27

I'm not going to tell you to do it or not to do it because I was in the same sort of position as you once. All the cars I'd seen looked sik with cut springs but the stories I'd heard about it werent to great. I did it anyway. The car was a Japenese equivelant Maxima. I tell you the minute after I'd cut them I noticed the ride difference. I could feel EVERY peice of gravel on the driveway, my mud flaps (stock ones which were about 30mm below the body actually scraped a bit. On the road it was terrible. I swear this bit of road I travelled often I knew where EVERY crack or bump was on it. After the novolty wore off it actually become quite a drag having to drive. When the dash started getting rattles I thought 'bugger this' and went and actually bought the super low springs. The thing was having the cut spprings had actually blown both my rear shocks out to the point that the whole rear axle assembly would vibrate on and off the road which made even trying to drive in a straight line difficult. So it cost me a set of shocks. Its up to you mate to decide but if you get caught with em There wont be any sympathy.