Cutting Springs.....

[OnMy2ndE30]

I have seen where people cut their aftermarket springs, but has anyone ever cut stock springs? I have an 87 cabrio that has a hella fender gap in the front and lowering springs just arent in the budget right now with a wedding and Christmas coming up. The plan is to get lowering springs to fix the ride height correctly.

Question is, will cutting the front springs make the car bounce like the cheap ghetto engineered rice rockets? I definitely dont want that. The spring cutting is just temporary until I can afford the right lowering springs.

Thanks in advace guys.

[ak-]

Bounce varies on how much you cut.
Bounce is from bottoming out/sitting on shock's internal bumpstops.

[Jaxx_]

depending on how much you cut, eventually yes it will bounce. less coils, higher spring rate.

Honestly, I wouldn't waste my time. It's too much work for something that is shitty and I would only run for about 6 months. My advice? Talk to santa about getting those for you.

[Cabriolet]

get coilovers or H&R convertible sport springs

cutting stock springs is stupid, leave that for hondas to do.

[Jose_perez0711]

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/pts/2554385459.html maybe???

[mcdesant]

Not to be a dick but if you cant afford any used lowering springs you should either A. not lower your car or B. sell your car and buy a nice bike.

[PNWDan]

Bounce varies on how much you cut.
Bounce is from bottoming out/sitting on shock's internal bumpstops.

Bounce is caused by cutting the springs. Cutting a coil off the spring increases the spring rate and thus the spring rate becomes to strong for the factory shock to control. This is why your shocks and springs should be matched.

M3 springs are the same as the standard E30 springs minus one full coil. I have experimented and cut up to 2 coils off the factory springs before the rate overtook the factory shocks. I currently am running with 3 coils cut and billie sports. No bounce

[Roysneon]

I cut like 2 coils from my stock springs on my early 318i after the springs I bought ended up being wrong and I couldn't stand the hella gap anymore. Although they were soft it there was enough travel to keep them off the bumpstops.

[OnMy2ndE30]

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/pts/2554385459.html maybe???

I texted him already, I actually bought an afm off him but he hasnt responded to my text about the springs......

[themoonman]

i'm tired of being 4x4 while saving up for my coils so i'm probably going to end up cutting my stock springs on stock shocks! hopefully it rides like shit.

[acolella76]

they're stock springs, not like you're going to be able to sell them anyways. Just cut them. Nothing wrong with it if all you want is less gap.

[OnMy2ndE30]

they're stock springs, not like you're going to be able to sell them anyways. Just cut them. Nothing wrong with it if all you want is less gap.

That is what I was thinking. I am not going to auto x this car and it is mainly used to go on short day trips on the weekends with the wife.

[OnMy2ndE30]

Juse Perez, you know there is an e30 vert being parted up by you on craigslist right? I checked with him on some body parts, but he thinks that damn thing is made of gold, even wrecked in the rear end like it is......

[OnMy2ndE30]

I found a set of e36 m3 springs for $75 for the interim until I can get H&R springs. I am going to offer $50 and see where it gets me......

[AndrewBird]

The bouncing is not from the springs. Directly anyway. If you lower a car without shortening the struts, the struts will start to bottom out a LOT more as they are compressed more at static height. This eventually blows them, giving you no absorbing force, much like if you had no shocks at all.

You can cut them and run them for a bit, but it will eventually blow the struts and you will get bounce. How long that takes depends on how much you cut off and how your driving is.