Cutting Springs help!!!

[Backdraft]

Iv done some researh on this but i cant find anything for 96-98 mustang gt springs and my car is a vert if that matters, are they lunear or progresive? if you guys have cut them how many coils did you guys cut? and also can coupe springs fit on my vert just looking for some answers ooo and if you guys have cut them post some pics so i can see the ride height thanks guys

-Rich

 

[duff daddy]

Yes you can cut springs. I cut my rears about 2 coils or so in the rears here is a pic of the stock spring and what it looks like next to the cut one. GT springs arent progressive from the factory so you dont have to worry about that.

 

[Backdraft]

great also how do you know how to messure the coil or know how much to cut off and make sure there all the same do you just cut down from were the end is but on the next coil down if that makes any sense

 

[duff daddy]

Just measure from the same spot on the pig tail (bottom small end) and measure to the top. MEASURE TWICE CUT ONCE!!!

 

[1bad95]

reviving an old thread, but hey i used the search and found something useful..

Hey Duff, i got some rear mach 1 springs and swapped out my prokit springs for them since they are stiffer springs to help stop my tires from rubbing on big dips in the road. I have a question on reinstalling the cut springs. i know when putting springs in normal the pigtails on both point towards the drivers side. But stock springs are compltely round at the top and sit up on the spring perch. Now with them cut it is no longer a full circle on top to hold it on the perch on the top. How did you reinstall your cut rear springs? Do you no longer worry as much which way the pigtail points now that the springs are cut? I need to jack mine up again tomrorow and i think i need to spin the springs around so the half coil on top is pointing towards the rear of the car so there it metal all around it to hold it in place good and tight. Im worried about the springs popping out.


If you got any advice man id really appreciate it. if its easier to explain over the phone PM me your number and ill give you a call, i lost your number in my old phone.



thanks!!

 

[Lee12609]

spring is definately not going to pop out unless its cut seriously too short.

Duff your picture looks like EXACTLY 1 coil, you say 2, are you sure and i'm seeing wrong? everything i see says cut 1.25 coils off the front and .75-1 coil off the rear.

my fronts are cut 1.25 coils with stock isolators it dropped the car an honest 1.75"..... i havent done the rear yet but i plan on doing .75 coil.....

 

[1bad95]

i cut like 7/8's of a coil off the rears of my mach 1 rear springs. i put them back in the car after cutting and took it for a test ride and when i hit the brakes hard and it nosed down hard i could hear the rear springs making noise and could feel the left side spring pop. looks like it slid some but i didnt jack it all back up yet. gonna get back to messin with it after work tom

 

[Lee12609]

i cut like 7/8's of a coil off the rears of my mach 1 rear springs. i put them back in the car after cutting and took it for a test ride and when i hit the brakes hard and it nosed down hard i could hear the rear springs making noise and could feel the left side spring pop. looks like it slid some but i didnt jack it all back up yet. gonna get back to messin with it after work tom

probably hadnt seated completely... did you reuse the isolators?

 

[duff daddy]

when your driving it wont pop out, but what will happen now if you do anything with the rear or put ti on a lift they will have a tendency to move more then a stock spring. and wen you lower it just make sure you settle the springs youll hear em "pop" back in. As far as mine, I dontk now why I said 2. It wasnt planned to be exactly 1 coil, i just copied a set of steeda springs I had laying around and wanted to try my spring rate w/that coil legnth...

 

[duff daddy]

ooh i used the iso's up top and nothign inside the spring...

 

[1bad95]

yeah im going to put the upper iso in tomorrow too if its not rainging. with it not having that whole round flat top to the spring anymore is it tough to get the iso to seat without trying to slide off? Also do the pigtails still need to face the drivers side? on the top of the spring now after being cut it is open toward the front of the car, if i spun them 180* so the open is facing the rear and lower pigtail facing pass side, would this change anything?

 

[duff daddy]

by spinning the spring the only thing your changing is the heigh slightly...as long as they face the same your good to go

 

[Lee12609]

i use electrical tape to keep the isolators to the springs during install. matter of fact, when i cut the fronts i cut the bottom, then wrap the first whole coil in electrical tape twice and leave that lower stock spring isolator (the one that wraps around the spring) off completely.

i also dont use the funky things inside the springs anymore.

 

[orodi]

I personally/professionally think cutting springs is a horrible idea. The spring was designed with a certain compression in mind at its stock length. When you cut coils off that divides the load onto the new section of spring and creates all sort of unpredicable outcomes. For example if you have ever seen a Honda Civic bouncing up and down as it goes down the road that is why. Granted it is not as drastic of a case with Mustangs but you get the idea. If you are doing nothing but cruising it around you don't have much to worry about however if you are racing the car with cut springs you are asking for something bad to happen.

 

[Lee12609]

Tell that to the multiple people running 12s n/a with cut rear coils

 

[orodi]

I gave my opinion and I'll stand by it. Take a car out on a road course with cut springs and seen what happens. I could care less if they were running 12s, 10s or 8s on cut springs sooner or later that idiotic "lowering" kit will eventually bite you in the ass. Did you ever think maybe there is a reason why you don't see a professional racing team cuttting springs? If you need a stiffer spring for whatever you are doing there is one available. I'm not going to start a pissing match but like I said in my personal and professional opinion it's a very bad idea.

 

[Lee12609]

We are talking drag not road coarse and there are quite a few professional teams running cut rear coils.

Our coils are not progressive so cutting them simply increases the spring rate while lowering the center of gravity.

What is going to "fail" if nothing is changed except spring rate and height?

 

[1bad95]

thanks you guys for the help! I was also thinking of taping the iso to the spring to keep it held there. Too hot today to mess with it. Maybe no rain tomorrow and ill get on it after work! Ill keep you guys posted

 

[orodi]

What going to "fail" is the fact that if you cut the springs and you do it half assed or cut them wrong (EVEN WITH A NON-PROGESSIVE SPRING) they will not be the same, and if one spring is softer or stiffer than the others or your ride height out of wack your car will not handle correctly and depending on how off they are even in a drag race you are headed for problems. Suspension plays a large part in going down the track even in a straight line. I am not going to defend my opinion any further you seem to have no problem with doing things that way and more power to you. I for one think its a stupid thing to do for reasons I have already explained.

 

[Lee12609]

What going to "fail" is the fact that if you cut the springs and you do it half assed or cut them wrong (EVEN WITH A NON-PROGESSIVE SPRING) they will not be the same, and if one spring is softer or stiffer than the others or your ride height out of wack your car will not handle correctly and depending on how off they are even in a drag race you are headed for problems. Suspension plays a large part in going down the track even in a straight line. I am not going to defend my opinion any further you seem to have no problem with doing things that way and more power to you. I for one think its a stupid thing to do for reasons I have already explained.

but your only "reasons" are "its not right".

like i said, a CUT spring is IDENTICAL to a STIFFER and shorter spring. cutting them DOES NOT make them weaker. the spring rates will change, but if both springs are cut the SAME amount they rate will change the same amount.

basically you'd have to be one dumb SOB to mess up cutting some coil springs, and while in some peoples opinions its not a good idea, in some situations its actually ALOT better idea. you realize some of the ford racing performance parts come with instructions to cut the rear springs to tailor ride height.....

also, the "hondas" you see riding around bouncing all over are doing so because they either HEATED the springs making them much softer, or the struts (actually coilover shocks on most honda/acuras) are completely trashed and cant handle the increased spring rate, OR they are sitting on the bumpstops.

i dont really care that you work for a "shop" or "company" your opinion is not FACT, trying to pass them off as fact just makes you look bad. everything i have posted is MY opinion backed up by facts, or examples..