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Cutting coil springs

S

Stumpalump

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Franktown Co.
Anybody ever cut coil springs to reduce lift? I'm thinking about cutting down some 5 1/2" lift springs to make them 4".
 
Prepmech said:
you could... but I'm sure it would be really easy to find someone willing to trade with you.
Click to expand...

For real, plus, not sure if ride quality is of any concern anymore but it greatly diminishes ride quality because the effective rate is being changed.
 
Stumpalump said:
Anybody ever cut coil springs to reduce lift? I'm thinking about cutting down some 5 1/2" lift springs to make them 4".
Click to expand...

Id say trade as well... My bro once mentioned heating spring until they settled lower but That sounds like poo to me too.
 
Please don't do it... talk about super ghetto. I changes spring rate, messes things up from heat, and is just plane dumb. If you've never seen a coil spring break, its not something I would ever want to expirience. Just trade someone. Heck I'd even be willing to get some 4" ones and trade you.
 
I got a line on some nice jeepspeed progressive race springs with the spring rate I want. I just need to cut off 1 coil on the soft part. That should be the tighter wound part of the coil. They may wind up closer to 5" but I noticed the jeepspeed rigs all seem to sag in the rear so maybe that would be OK. I really need to know if cutting off a coil or two will drop the ride height enough to justify cutting them. If I mess them up I can start over but if anybody knows what will happen with a wrap or two cut off as far as height goes that would be good.
 
Have any of actually run cut off coils?

Yes, it changes spring rate.

Yes, it changes lift height.

I wonder what makes it ghetto, and why is the ride quality automatically worse? Please enlighten me.

-Jon
 
I was an idiot and did it on my old s10, and from personal expirience all I can say s you really don't know until you put them back in and it sets in. I'm sure theres some ridicuous math equation that would evertually get you closer, but I would just do trial and error.
 
My brother and I cut the coils in a 1970 El Camino. It lowered the vehicle as we intended, and from what I remember, the ride quality was good.
 
DanMan2k06 said:
I was an idiot and did it on my old s10, and from personal expirience all I can say s you really don't know until you put them back in and it sets in. I'm sure theres some ridicuous math equation that would evertually get you closer, but I would just do trial and error.
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Yeah, there's a "ridicuous math equation" so you can determine spring rates. If you know the weight of your rig, it can be extremely usefull to fine tune your suspension.

http://www.efunda.com/DesignStandards/springs/calc_comp_designer.cfm

How did you cut the coils? Too much heat can and will soften the steel and lead to failure.

I've cut all my coils to adjust height and rates and my junk seems to work ok.

-Jon
 
I have cut coils bunch of times to change ride height. Try finding coils to make the rear of an XJ sit just the way you want, with the mounts you make. Do NOT use a torch. It will heat the coil up way too much. Use a cut off wheel and cut it quick.
 
Cutting coils is no big deal. It will slightly increase the spring rate. If you use a cutoff wheel and keep it cool the springs life span won't be changed.

I believe Goatman has been running some cut 8" skyjacker coils for a couple of years now...
 
TNT said:
Cutting coils is no big deal. It will slightly increase the spring rate. If you use a cutoff wheel and keep it cool the springs life span won't be changed.

I believe Goatman has been running some cut 8" skyjacker coils for a couple of years now...
Click to expand...
I was thinking the cutoff wheel with a garden spray hose to keep it cool. The sring rate change is like this. If you have 10 coils and you cut 1 off the spring rate is 10% higher. 2 would be 20%. I'll have to count the coils when I get them and try to keep the change below 15%. I'll pm Goatman and see how much drop he got from the amount he cut.
 
Stumpalump said:
I was thinking the cutoff wheel with a garden spray hose to keep it cool. The sring rate change is like this. If you have 10 coils and you cut 1 off the spring rate is 10% higher. 2 would be 20%. I'll have to count the coils when I get them and try to keep the change below 15%. I'll pm Goatman and see how much drop he got from the amount he cut.
Click to expand...

close

new spring rate = old coil count divided by new coil count
10/9 = 11% greater rate
10/8 = 25% greater rate
10/7 = 43% greater rate
etc.
 
coil spring rate =G x d raised to the 4th/8n x D raised to the 3rd
G is a constant for steel= 11,250,000
d= wire OD in inches
N= number of ACTIVE coils
D= mean coil diameter in inches
8= a constant for all coils springs
 
Stumpalump said:
I heard you cut some Skyjacker coils down and was wondering how it worked out. I'm wanting to cut some 5.5" springs down to about 4 or 5 and was wondering how much you cut off and how much ride height you lost.
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I don't know for sure how much height was lost, since I never installed them before I cut them. I cut one full coil off, and got 5.5" of lift. So, assuming an 8" SJ coil will actually give about 7.5" of lift, cutting one full coil lost 2". I really like these coils, they are the best combination I've run.........but, I like a stiff coil, and I did it this way to get a real stiff coil. As a given coil is shortened it gets stiffer, which is what I was going for.

In you're situation, you might start cutting 1/4 coil at a time and see what it does.
 
Goatman said:
I don't know for sure how much height was lost, since I never installed them before I cut them. I cut one full coil off, and got 5.5" of lift. So, assuming an 8" SJ coil will actually give about 7.5" of lift, cutting one full coil lost 2". I really like these coils, they are the best combination I've run.........but, I like a stiff coil, and I did it this way to get a real stiff coil. As a given coil is shortened it gets stiffer, which is what I was going for.

In you're situation, you might start cutting 1/4 coil at a time and see what it does.
Click to expand...
Thanks and you just gave me an idea. I bet I can jack up the front and use a spring compressor to cut a little bit off the coils without removing them.
 
Something about cutting the coil springs while on the car with a compressor connected doesn't seem to safe. Granted the spring isn't gonna go flying off the car and hurt somebody. Something about just doesn't seem right.

Anyway, Ive seen tons of people cut dead coils off of racing springs on cars with no affects other than ride height being altered. Personally I would never cut live coils off a spring unless I could determine the new spring rate and know how its gonna affect the ride/flex/handling. Ive seen alot of cars with cut springs bouncing all over the road everytime they hit a bump.
 
this has been a huge debate on the borderline of ghetto fab and a legitimate modification for a long time. I have been into lifted & lowered trucks for a while & from everything I have seen heard & participated in I would say it is less ideal then actually changing springs, but very rarely if ever yield a dangerous outcome. I am not gonna advocate correct cutting methods but use your head & dont use a torch or something.
 
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