# Cuting stock springs



## Guest (May 25, 2002)

is it possible to do this? Is it smart or stupid to do? I just thought I might try it since I have no $$$$


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## se-r-57 (May 1, 2002)

It's a really stupid thing to do. Just save some money and do it right.


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## SentraRacer97 (Apr 30, 2002)

its possible to do do it but i've heard that cutting your springs just leads to a really bumpy ride.


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## AznVirus (May 8, 2002)

Dont Do It!


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

SentraSESeaTown,

Dont belive everything you here. its not "stupid" for one, cutting springs isnt that bad if you relize what you are doing. when you cut a spring you increase the rate(make it stiffer). for example, if you have a spring with 10 coils and you cut one off the rate goes up 10%. the reason for the bouncy ride, same as an aftermarket spring, your stock dampers cant handle the increased rate. the main job for dampers isnt to absorb bumps or stop body roll(it does though) there main job is to damp the springs "boing" frequency.


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

okay don't say "stupid" say _NOT RECOMMENDED_...


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

myoung, 
Thats more like it. 

Lets think for a minute though, who are the ones that recomend we dont cut our springs?? Aftermarket spring manufactures... They have a damn good reason to. For every person who cuts their springs, the company loses money. Thats not to say they are the only ones wo dont recomend it. Hell, I dont unless you are in a bind(no pun intended), or you are the experimental type like me. Dont belive every company when they tell you not to do something yourself when they have a product that does the same thing..Catch my drift


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## 99.se.ltd (Jun 21, 2002)

what's stupid (yes, STUPID), is to cut your springs, or buy aftermarket springs...and keep the stock struts. that's what you have to worry about. a shorter spring needs to be compensated with a shorter strut..........feel free to hack apart your springs, but be prepared to suffer in ride quality.

since he doesn't even have enough money to buy springs, i know he doesn't want to buy struts. it'll look cool sitting still, but have fun hopping around, and cleaning puke out from sea-sick passengers.


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

I would say it's not recommended because it can be dangerous. Changing the spring rate randomly or based on appearance can cause all sorts of problems within the suspension. One would be creating an exsessive amount of understeer or oversteer....not to mention lowering the car too low and bouncing off the bump stops..causing numerous additional problems.

If you cut your springs can you measure the new spring rate? I would say 99 out of a 100 people would probably say no to that question...

Stock suspension was not designed to be any lower than the way it came from the factory... heck even changing out the stock springs for lower aftermarket performance springs will ruin your stock struts and shocks in a short time...


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

99.se.ltd said:


> *what's stupid (yes, STUPID), is to cut your springs, or buy aftermarket springs...and keep the stock struts.
> since he doesn't even have enough money to buy springs, i know he doesn't want to buy struts. *


absolutly.... 

plus it's a riceboy way of doing things...lol.....


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

Bring it on guys/girls I am ready for it. LOL 

BTW I dug out my old stock 99 XE springs and sent them to get rated, cut, then re-rated just for fun. I hope to get them back soon(should have been done by now, Errr), and let you guys know the results. Yeah it is stupid to do it with out knowing what you end up with, but I am betting it wont be too much worse than a set of Sportlines for two reasons 1. They probly wont end up as stiff as Sportlines, hence the stock dampers will be able to control them better and not wear out so quick. 2. Although they will bottom out, Sportlines do as well. The reasons stock struts go to hell with lower and stiffer springs is becasue 1. The strut's vlaves can not handle the increased rate and wear out. 2. They let the strut bottom out(internaly) more easily destroying the valve. 

Mike as for the riceboy statement, I know a lot of guys with REAL race cars that cut them, not guys like us with street/race cars. Picture this... You need a spring for your race car, but you can not find a company that make one with the correct rate and length for your set-up. You do however find a company that makes all the rates you can ever ask for, but they are all too long. Guess what.. By doing a little math you can pick a softer one, cut it to your specified length and whala.. You now have the proper lenght and rate for your set-up.


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

One more thing..

I am just trying to enligten you guy/girls on some suspension theory. I belive ALL methods of lowering that do not entail proper strut case leangth and valving for the spring used are the wrong thing to do. Thats why I am saving my hard earned cash for a set of shortend strut/ externally adjustible coilovers. I dont want to tease you here but.. The set-up I am getting is one that most of you have never heard of, is really nice, and very affordable. The reason I wont tell you now is not because I want my mods to be a secret, but I dont want to be responsible for suggesting a set-up that doesnt even fit untill I know for sure( 99.99% sure right now, I just need to get them and see if they bolt in). I am willing to take the risk of blowing my money on it for you all. If it works or not I will let you know. That way you can enjoy my find or avoid my mistake.


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## myoung (Apr 15, 2002)

PatScottAKA99XE said:


> *One more thing..
> Thats why I am saving my hard earned cash for a set of shortend strut/ externally adjustible coilovers. I dont want to tease you here but.. The set-up I am getting is one that most of you have never heard of, is really nice, and very affordable. The reason I wont tell you now is not because I want my mods to be a secret, but I dont want to be responsible for suggesting a set-up that doesnt even fit untill I know for sure( 99.99% sure right now, I just need to get them and see if they bolt in). I am willing to take the risk of blowing my money on it for you all. If it works or not I will let you know. That way you can enjoy my find or avoid my mistake. *


A secret? Now that just sounds silly... why bothering posting it then... ??

Isn't that what a community like this is about? sharing information and helping others and learning.... Why take a chance on wasting money if someone can help you make a more educated decsion? Maybe the experiance of another will save you not only money, but time and effort...lol... 

haha and I highly doubt big time race teams cut their own springs....


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## morepower2 (Apr 19, 2002)

PatScottAKA99XE said:


> Lets think for a minute though, who are the ones that recomend we dont cut our springs?? Aftermarket spring manufactures... ]
> 
> Ok I'll say it, I don't recomend cutting springs either.
> 
> Mike


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## morepower2 (Apr 19, 2002)

PatScottAKA99XE said:


> Mike as for the riceboy statement, I know a lot of guys with REAL race cars that cut them, not guys like us with street/race cars. Picture this... You need a spring for your race car, but you can not find a company that make one with the correct rate and length for your set-up. You do however find a company that makes all the rates you can ever ask for, but they are all too long. Guess what.. By doing a little math you can pick a softer one, cut it to your specified length and whala.. You now have the proper lenght and rate for your set-up. [/B]


I can't imagine not having Eibach ERS springs in the right rate or length. Not a single racer i knows cuts there springs!

Mike


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

Hey guys,

Here it is... Tein HA coilovers for the Nissan N15, After checking some part numbers I think Ill be alright with them. Now if someone who has the cash in hand goes out and gets them tommorow and they dont fit.. Its not my fault..Mike Y made me do it  LOL 

I knew I was gonna get lots of thoughts on the subjuect of cutting springs. I hope guys dont belive that I think cutting them is the way to go. Maybe I havent been clear enough. One last time I will say it..


I also do not recomend it, unlesss you know what you are getting yourself into, Your ride will go to hell-in-a-handbasket.. It is possible however that it may work, but you have to know what will happen to your suspension if you cut them ie. new rates, bump stroke, valving issues, ect.. I am not talking about specific app, only in general..

Ok now, I work with several guys who run circle track(boring I know), they have experimented with cut springs, and tell me its fine..IF and only If you know what you are doing.. You see they dont run coilover-strut suspension like we do.. the coil and the shock are in two different locations, sometimes you cant simply go to a spring mfg. and pick up standardized coils that will fit in there cars(domestic V-8 cars), On the other hand if we(talking Sentra's here) have Say GC coilovers in our car, it is real damn easy for us to get the springs we want(i dont have to tell you guys this).

I was making statements about springs in general with my last few posts.. Sorry If everybody thought I as talking about Sentra specific applications.

There is a time and place for cutting springs, but the Sentra chassis is not one of them.. I never told "SentraSESeaTown" to go ahead and cut his.. My repllies were mostly aimed at the members who said it was "stupid", and from what I understand dont seem to know the math,theory,and effects of cutting springs..

For instance.. Most know that cutting their springs causes a bumpy/bouncey ride, but I would bet you that 99% of them dont know the real reason.. 

Imagine for a moment that the B14 chassis had all of the suspension travel in the world(god, I wish) with the same damper valving.. If you cut the springs(remember NO damper case bottoming will happen), The ride is gonna be bouncy becasue the dampers cant handle the spring rates.. Better yet picture this.. Stock B14 struts with stock ride heigth, and super high rates would also be bouncy, again not becasue of suspension geometry, but becasue the dampers cant handle the rates..

I got an idea... If you want to stiffen up a Sentra's suspension, but dont have the cash to do it right(shortend strut coilovers), go out buy some AGXs and spring rubber for your stock springs. Any opinions on that setup from the tech gurus on this board? Seriously Id like to know if its a good idea, or if I am really lacking in my thinking.

I hope everyone is having as much fun with this thread as I am.. This is what the board is for, and threads like this are an awsome learning experience..

Later peeps, keep "flamming" me  LOL


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