# Cutting Springs



## silver93sentra (Nov 23, 2005)

OK, I'm not sure how this is gonna go, but here it is. I was watching Overhaulin' and they cut the springs on a car to give it a little more drop. I'm EXTREMELY sure they were aftermarket (probably Hotchkis) springs. Can you do this with stock springs and struts, or do you have to get aftermarket springs and new struts? How is the ride quality with correctly cut springs? I haven't personally thought about doing this, I was just curious as to how it would go if I was to.


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## mr-ricardo (Dec 14, 2005)

i think cutting springs is a bad idea the sping rate goes to shit it can be done but thats just gay they must have been pressed for time


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## WATSON1 (Jul 9, 2005)

Do not cut your springs...


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## silver93sentra (Nov 23, 2005)

if it is so bad, then why do they do it on Overhaulin' w/ REALLY nice cars? Is it b/c the springs are thicker on muscle cars?


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## willembop (Sep 28, 2003)

If you cut the springs enough to achieve a significant drop, you will have issues with bottoming out, which is very bad for the shocks, not to mention very uncomfortable. On my B14, I cut the front springs, but only 1/2 of a coil, and that works well, if you use a torch to bend down the next 1/2 coil, so that it sits like a stock spring at the top of the strut. This only lowers the front about 3/4 inch and stiffens it about 8 percent. But it is stiff enough that you need stiffer shocks to match (I have KYB AGXs set on "2"). Maybe you could cut a full coil without much bottoming, but I haven't tried it. For sure you would need stiffer shocks. 

Bill in San Diego




silver93sentra said:


> OK, I'm not sure how this is gonna go, but here it is. I was watching Overhaulin' and they cut the springs on a car to give it a little more drop. I'm EXTREMELY sure they were aftermarket (probably Hotchkis) springs. Can you do this with stock springs and struts, or do you have to get aftermarket springs and new struts? How is the ride quality with correctly cut springs? I haven't personally thought about doing this, I was just curious as to how it would go if I was to.


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## silver93sentra (Nov 23, 2005)

willembop said:


> If you cut the springs enough to achieve a significant drop, you will have issues with bottoming out, which is very bad for the shocks, not to mention very uncomfortable. On my B14, I cut the front springs, but only 1/2 of a coil, and that works well, if you use a torch to bend down the next 1/2 coil, so that it sits like a stock spring at the top of the strut. This only lowers the front about 3/4 inch and stiffens it about 8 percent. But it is stiff enough that you need stiffer shocks to match (I have KYB AGXs set on "2"). Maybe you could cut a full coil without much bottoming, but I haven't tried it. For sure you would need stiffer shocks.
> 
> Bill in San Diego



So, you're saying that it isn't bad to cut the springs, as long as it isn't a significant drop. So if I was to get Eibach Sportlines (1.9" drop) and cut about half a coil off just to get a little more of a drop and then bent them back into stock shape along with adding KYB AGX (I plan on getting this setup anyways) then nothing bad should happen? Just making sure I'm reading what I think I'm reading.


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## thecolonelcm (Mar 28, 2005)

Very bad idea.

You're going to lose the little bit of travel you have. If you want to drop your car, save the money and do it right with coilovers or a properly matched set of springs and struts.

straight from mr Kojima


> Do not lower your car too much! This perhaps is the number one no no. It is a symbol of a true rice-boy (not a racial slur, means all show no go, typical car that has $5000 bucks of wheels and tires, a big 5 inch tip, aero kit, a thumping stereo, vinyl graphics, no springs and not much else). Lowering looks really cool and can make a significant improvement to a cars cornering capability but going too low is detrimental to both handling and even safety. Going too low can cause bumpsteer, where the tie rods and control arms are traveling different arcs resulting in the wheels steering themselves with no steering wheel input. When a car is so low that the suspension bottoms under cornering loads, the end of the car that bottoms first will violently slide out. Super low guys are convinced that they are driving super touring cars but if you take them out on the track they will suck incredibly. Our Sentras are cursed with short travel suspension as it is and cannot take being lowered more than 1.5 inches at the most with stock length shocks and struts. So install some good springs such as Eibach, H&R or Ground Control and *DO NOT CUT THEM MORE TO MAKE YOUR CAR LOWER. *If you have the Ground Control springs do not adjust them to lower your car more than 1.5 inches except if you are going to compete in car shows where the car will be a stationary display. You want to maintain at least 1-3/4" of travel. If you don’t care about your safety or are a rice boy poseur, then go ahead and slam it. Get your suspension advice from the folks at Ricky Racer, not here!


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## willembop (Sep 28, 2003)

silver93sentra said:


> So, you're saying that it isn't bad to cut the springs, as long as it isn't a significant drop. So if I was to get Eibach Sportlines (1.9" drop) and cut about half a coil off just to get a little more of a drop and then bent them back into stock shape along with adding KYB AGX (I plan on getting this setup anyways) then nothing bad should happen? Just making sure I'm reading what I think I'm reading.


There is nothing intrinsically wrong with cutting springs. I only cut off half a coil from STOCK springs.

Sportlines already drop the car too much, leaving pratically no travel, so that you will be banging on the bump stops even over small bumps. Cutting Sportlines would be disastrous. 

If you try to "slam" you car on the cheap, you will have a terrible ride. The only way to lower a Sentra signficantly, and maintain reasonable ride, is with coilovers. Listen to the advice that people are providing. For the cost of Sportlines plus AGXs, Tein Basics would only cost a bit more, and are reported to work well.

Bill in San Diego


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## travis_k (Jan 14, 2005)

Dont cut your springs, and dont heat and bend them either, Heating springs is a good way to make them btittle so they break when you really dont want them to.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

willembop said:


> There is nothing intrinsically wrong with cutting springs.


there absolutely is. You're changing the spring rates of your springs just by cutting them. Then heating them adjusts that even more.

If you're too cheap to spend a little bit of money on the 2nd most safety-important part of your vehicle (2nd only to BRAKES), you shouldn't be modding a car in the first place. I'm sorry, but you're an idiot for cutting your springs. I don't care how well you 'think' it worked.


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## willembop (Sep 28, 2003)

*Cutting Springs Can Be Okay*

As I said in an earlier post, cutting Eibachs like the guy wanted would be a disaster. In most cases, it is a very bad idea, and I generally don't recommend that novices try it. 

However, cutting springs can be okay, if you know what you're doing. I've done it many times for stock cars, and a few times for street cars. You can calculate the increase in spring rate. For example, cutting one coil from a spring with ten coils will increase the spring rate around 10 or 12 percent. This is not a bad thing, if you are looking for a spring rate increase (as I was). You DO need to get stiffer shocks to match. When I heat the springs, it is only at the top (or bottom) coil where it will contact the spring perch, and is no longer is a moving part of the spring -- the heating just changes the shape of the last coil to match the spring perch. The heating has no effect on the "working" part of the spring. 

It's not an issue of being cheap -- you can't buy any springs like the ones I cut -- only a very slight stiffness increase and a small lowering effect, with no ill effects. This works much better to achieve the handling increase I wanted, without affecting the ride comfort in any significant way. 

Parroting information you hear on the internet without having any actual knowledge does not always help people, although I'm sure that is your intent. I have over 40 years experience doing this kind of stuff, and I'm an engineer by trade. What are your qualifications?

Regards,
Bill in San Diego




chimmike said:


> there absolutely is. You're changing the spring rates of your springs just by cutting them. Then heating them adjusts that even more.
> 
> If you're too cheap to spend a little bit of money on the 2nd most safety-important part of your vehicle (2nd only to BRAKES), you shouldn't be modding a car in the first place. I'm sorry, but you're an idiot for cutting your springs. I don't care how well you 'think' it worked.


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## silver93sentra (Nov 23, 2005)

willembop said:


> > As I said in an earlier post, cutting Eibachs like the guy wanted
> 
> 
> I never said that I wanted to cut springs, I was just inquiring about the idea. I will more then likely end up buying a set of K-Sport coilovers off eBay for around $900 when I decide and get the money to even think of upgrading my suspension. Susupension will not be in the near future so it isn't a problem at this very time.
> ...


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## sweet3rdgen (Jun 9, 2006)

Overhaulin' does things like cut the springs because they are on a time crunch plus most of these cars will not be street driven very much. It is fine to cut the springs to lower a car if it is only going to be trailered to shows. But if you driving the car, or worse yet racing the car, don't do it. 

Springs manufactured for lowering have different spring rates to compensate for the shorter travel. When you just cut off some of the spring you aren't able to take that into effect, and in turn you actually weaken the spring making it unsafe. Not dramatically unsafe, but unsafe nonetheless. Problems like bumpsteer become more aparent.


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## nicochama (Dec 21, 2005)

like they all said above. DO NOT just cut springs. Go ahead and get yourself a real kit. There are many options that do exist out there. Megan Racing is a great company and does do coilovers, they're even working with some forums that i subscribe to in order to make new kits based on their needs! Company that sponsors me deals their parts. I love their products and must say VERY good quality. Bottom line. Get a real kit dont cut, could turn out to be dangerous and eventually break other components.


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