Cutting front springs?

[taiden]

also http://www.pontiacracing.net/js_coil_spring_rate.htm

[PNWDan]

You can cut your springs without major issues. As stated above, the rate increases as you remove coils. If you remove 1 coil up front, it is the same as an E30 M3 spring. You can remove 2 coils up front without blowing your factory struts. Anything more will overpower the dampening of the factory cartridge. I do not reccomend cutting springs just because there are better ways to do it however I have and am currently running cut springs on my E30 because I was experimenting with it to better understand it. I currently have 4 coils cut off the fronts and 2 off the rears and am running bilstein sports with minimal bouncing. I have been running this combo at 50 miles a day for months because I hadnt decided what direction to go with the car. It can be done but most will flame you for it.

[robande30]

You can cut your springs without major issues. As stated above, the rate increases as you remove coils. If you remove 1 coil up front, it is the same as an E30 M3 spring. You can remove 2 coils up front without blowing your factory struts. Anything more will overpower the dampening of the factory cartridge. I do not reccomend cutting springs just because there are better ways to do it however I have and am currently running cut springs on my E30 because I was experimenting with it to better understand it. I currently have 4 coils cut off the fronts and 2 off the rears and am running bilstein sports with minimal bouncing. I have been running this combo at 50 miles a day for months because I hadnt decided what direction to go with the car. It can be done but most will flame you for it.

Question for you sir?


I had many e30s that I cut the springs on same story like above lol. But I want to sniP my currrent hnrs but the rear is going to be sketch no? I had no issues cutting the old stock springs on other e30 but these seem wider?!

[mr.vang]

Don't be fucking stupid.

if you can't afford to be doing it properly, don't do it at all.

+1

throw the stock rear spring back on, problem solved. if you must go low, buy some cheap ebay coilovers for $40 shipped.

[mr ilia]

the rate increases as you remove coils.

I think this requires clarification, as it turnes out it is a little more complex.

The spring rate will increase only if after cutting a full coil the spring lenhth remain unchanged as prior cutting...e.g. if you cut one coil off and somehow the height of the spring remained unchanged, as it was prior cutting, then you effectively shortened the spring's length (like the total length of wire spring made out of in relation to the height of the spring) and you also increased the compression (lbs/in) because the sring total heigh has not changed.

In real life, if you cut one coil of the sring, then the total height of the spring is now became shorter, then the compression numbers (lbs/in) will not increase.

[ahalfacre5]

So if I were to cut all 4 of my springs, would I cut from the bottom or the top?

[mr ilia]

So if I were to cut all 4 of my springs, would I cut from the bottom or the top?

You can only cut fronts, and it is up to you whether you do it is from the top or the bottom.

[ahalfacre5]

Why can't back springs be cut?

[mr ilia]

Why can't back springs be cut?

Have you seen how the rear spring looks like?

[glnr13]

Why can't back springs be cut?

if you cut the spring you have no choice but to cut the pigtail off. there's one at the top and one at the bottom to help keep the spring in place.

i cut my stock rear springs... they started to slip out and were off kilter in a major way. is it dangerous? yes. could you do it? yes. is it recommended? no.

[E30_Pare]

Hacked a coil off the front for dat race car. No complaints here.

[e30patalohas]

I just cut off one loop at the bottom of the front springs. It dropped the car around an inch which made my 1984 high-front-end 4 wheeler into an even or almost barely front raked stance. The ride is a little firmer in front and much better than before with less body roll and great feel. If I could get the back and front one more inch lower all around it would be PERFECT for me! Time will tell how this affects the dampers, Bilstien HDs atm. Cost = $0, easy and cheap but not ideal.

I guess I could play with the rubber spring seats, drop hats and bump stops to fine tune it more for little to no money. We will see.

I've heard it said that e30 M3 springs are pretty much stock springs with a coil cut out...true or not? Idk, but seems plausible.

[AndrewBird]

I think this requires clarification, as it turnes out it is a little more complex.

The spring rate will increase only if after cutting a full coil the spring lenhth remain unchanged as prior cutting...e.g. if you cut one coil off and somehow the height of the spring remained unchanged, as it was prior cutting, then you effectively shortened the spring's length (like the total length of wire spring made out of in relation to the height of the spring) and you also increased the compression (lbs/in) because the sring total heigh has not changed.

In real life, if you cut one coil of the sring, then the total height of the spring is now became shorter, then the compression numbers (lbs/in) will not increase.

Length of the spring has nothing to do with it's rate. It's all about how much force it takes to compress X distance.

The reason a cut spring has a higher rate is because there are less coils then stock, so each individual coil has to compress more for the total compression distance to be the same as stock. This is why the rate goes up.

A spring could be 10 miles long, but still have the same rate as a 3" long spring if it has the same number of coils and wire diameter.

[einstein57]

What nitro said. You can easily calculate the projected spring rate with some dirty math or plug in the information to a spring calculator.

[Bimmerman4Ever]

+1

throw the stock rear spring back on, problem solved. if you must go low, buy some cheap ebay coilovers for $40 shipped.

I like the animated gif.


But on the topic at hand....
I would recommend saving up to purchase H&Rs or B&Gs. They really aren't that expensive if you shop around. Also people sell used ones when upgrading to coil overs. I've H&Rs on a few cars but if you want a little more of a drop get B&Gs.

H&R sports (91)



B&G S2 (85 E23)



You can see how the B&G drops it more in the front. Like H&R race springs would



The coils are about twice as thick vs stock




500SL I had with H&R sports (92)