hey guys, now on the weekend me and Peuty and a few others intend on cutting the springs on my XF falcon. before u all start, i WOULD get some superlows or something but my budget doesnt accommodate for it at the moment so we are going the free way lol, and yeah it has 6 coils per spring, and i think we are planning to cut 2 from each. Now has anyone else ever cut their springs and can anyone give advice etc on the situation?
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Stay Frosty
"Hey, it compiles! Lets sell it" - What Microsoft probably says about all its products.
If what i'm saying isn't making any sense, im not drunk, im just like this all the time..............ok so maybe im drunk, but thats beside the point...
I hear its a pretty bad thing to do. Illegal and dangerous and I think it screws with your handling. Tell us how you go, it may prove interesting. For me I would wait until I had the money. And if I didnt have the money I wouldnt do it at all.
But thats just me. If you recon its the way to go then go for it. I must admit the thought has crossed my mind.... .....after all its free.
yeah i know alotta ppl that have done it, and it does make it handle a bit worse, but thats mainly IF you go overboard and they are uneven and stuff, but yeah just cuttin 2 of the 6 coils will still leave 4 sturdy coils lol hehe, and yes i will let use know, but yeah im still chasing advice and any information on it whatsoever
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Stay Frosty
"Hey, it compiles! Lets sell it" - What Microsoft probably says about all its products.
If what i'm saying isn't making any sense, im not drunk, im just like this all the time..............ok so maybe im drunk, but thats beside the point...
The practise of cutting springs is illegal and will void insurance.
Having said that, if it is done properly, there is no harm in it, and it can be quite successful. The reason it is illegal is because there are so many people doing it wrong.
If you are are going to do it, and no one here can stop you, you may as well know how to do it properly.
Firstly don't cut off 2 coils, start with 1/2 a coil at a time.
Secondly, use a angle grinder for cutting.
Thirdly, a cut coil does not always mean unpredictable handling, nor does it mean worse handling.
A coil spring is simply a spring steel length of rod wound up into a coil, once this coil is shortened, it is actually stiffer, as there is less leverage to compress it. This is of course a good thing as you have lowered the car and have less bump travel so you need a stiffer coil. In some cases it still won't be stiff enough however and this is where the ride can suffer as you will hit the bump stops all to often.
As I said, don't cut off more than 1/2 coil at a time, and it might be successful.
Again, I don't condone this act as it is illegal, and I don't recommend you attempt it. However in the event that you go ahead with it anyway, at least you are armed with the knowledge on how to do it properly.
Rick.
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What's that?..... Did I hear you say TQE power?
Like Rick said, cut half a coil and really maximum cut 1 coil, what will happen if you cut more (to have it lower) is dangerous as i know the xf springs will not be stiff enough and when you say do 70km/h and you hit the brakes your car will shift the weight over the front wheels but with the cut springs they will compress way too quick and if you look under you guard in the front you can see the bump stop it's about 3-4 cm, now ... regardless of how good you are with a brake pedal or how good the tyres are your brakes will lockup as soon as your car hits the bumpstop, also at every speed bump your car will bottom out on the bumpstops and eventually you will crack the chasis.
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EF Futura, XR6 spec head, lowered, T5 conversion, 2.5" catback, AU XR8 snorkle w/ K&N
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mainatining some suspension travel always a good idea
maybe trim the bump stop too? it'll already be illegal anyway
balljoints can be pricks of things
Above all give the springs stored energy plenty of respect when removing and re-installing. Work safely - car stand, hoist whatever but don't just use a floor jack.
Bottoming out under braking is *BAD*
When I bought my XY, it still had the 6cyl spings in it, with a Clevo stuffed in the nose... Under hard braking (Not even that hard!) it would try its best to swap ends. swapped in a set of Kings front and rear, it behaved itself. Worked out what it was doing.. It would bottom the front end, and then start trying to lift the back wheels off the ground... was pretty nasty!
Your main problem with standard XF springs is the spring rate.
They are way too soft to begin with. If you cut them down you'll have a SHORT soft spring instead of a long soft spring that is designed to compress a fair bit to allow for the initial comfort setting.
Your car will almost certainly bottom out over almost every bumpy road you travel on.
I wouldn't do it even if it is free. Save up for a little while longer and do it right the first time....................new lowered springs aren't that expensive that you can't afford to wait......especially considering the safety repercussions.
Good Luck
__________________ XE ESP The last of the CLEVO's
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