Cutting down coil springs, good or bad?

[capt.bones]

So I posted about my fabtech coils making my truck feel maxed out. I looked and read up on coil springs. Looks like most have a 2 inch lift. My fabtechs are 2.5. So I was wondering if I could cut a coil or half a coil to drop the lift and make the ride a little. Being that I cant return them. And also if my bilstein 24-187107, 5100 series will still work in there. Please help. Its the only thing holding me back from putting all back together. Thanks again and please excuse my ignorance. Im trying to learn.

 

[aspevacek]

Cutting coils can be done but I do not advise it. It could throw off camber. Are they progressive rate springs or a solid even spaced coil?

 

[adsm08]

Cutting coils is highly inadvisable unless you have the equipment to do a cold-cut. Even then it is not recommended.

Cutting a spring usually does not make it ride better, it can make them loose their "spring" if done wrong


http://www.eatondetroitspring.com/cutting-coil-springs/

 

[xcross]

Cutting coils is highly inadvisable unless you have the equipment to do a cold-cut. Even then it is not recommended.

Cutting a spring usually does not make it ride better, it can make them loose their "spring" if done wrong


http://www.eatondetroitspring.com/cutting-coil-springs/

I would agree with his statement. Better buy the right coil to avoid any future problem and be safe.

 

[Hitchner2009]

Im 3rd on the bandwagon for that! Dont cut your coil springs, what happens if you cut it crooked or something? Then your alignment is off and you could cause damage to your truck. You just dont know, i wouldnt take the risk.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I'll go against the grain, mainly because I just cut some coils for my race truck. I used a zip disc on a 4.5" grinder.
So this is what I found in my search;
Cutting coils makes them "stiffer". If you imagine the coil straightened out to, say, 10 ft and one end is held solid, then hang some 100 lbs off the other end, it will dip down 1 foot. Cut the spring in half and hang the same weight off the end and it will dip down 6 inches....so you just doubled the spring rate because you will need 200 lbs to get the spring to dip down to one foot again.

So in your case if you cut off 1/2 a coil and the thickness of the coil rod is 1/2" you may or may not bring down the ride height 1/2", depends on the spacing of the coils. It's one of those try it, you might like it! If you end up with coils too short you get to buy new springs....so what? You were going to buy new if you followed the other advise.

So cut a little at a time, I advise 1/2 a coil.

Don't forget that your spring rate will be stiffer so your ride will be a bit more "bumpy". WAG ; Half a coil won't make much difference in ride quality.

As far as throwing off camber/caster, if your ride height stays the same there will be no camber/caster change. If there is, take it for an alignment or follow the sticky on doing your own alignment.
Edit; it sounds like you have new front end stuff going in so you would have to do an alignment anyway.
aannd another edit; don't forget to roll the truck back and forth to let the suspension settle before you decide on ride height. This is very important with ttb and tib.
Good luck,

Richard

 

[donsau]

Don't cut your springs. They wont sit in the pocket like they should. I got one trick that i've done once. Install your coil springs on your truck and have the weight of the truck sitting on them. Put a couple jack stands under the frame on each side and the set the height to where you want your truck to sit. Take a torch and heat a coil that is either close to the top or close to the bottom. NOT in the middle of the spring. Just heat the coil until your truck starts going down and sits on the jackstand. Did that on my brothers S10. we lowered the front end 3in. He's still driving around with it and never had any issues. That was 4 years ago.

 

[adsm08]

Take a torch and heat a coil ...

That is the worst idea I have heard today.

Did you miss the part where heat unsprings springs?

 

[AgPete139]

That is the worst idea I have heard today.

Did you miss the part where heat unsprings springs?

Heat-treating coils to acquire a custom spring rate is rudimentary, and a child could do it. I'm sure donsau is very capable of eyeballing such a task.

ADSM, it sounds like you need more torch practice.

 

[adsm08]

ADSM, it sounds like you need more torch practice.

Yeah, I do. My cuts always come out really jagged with big blobs on the edges and I keep flinching and setting the vehicle on fire.

 

[armadillon]

Yeah, I do. My cuts always come out really jagged with big blobs on the edges and I keep flinching and setting the vehicle on fire.

That's what I do. I make it into a game though! Will it explode before I'm done cutting?! We're dying to find out!

 

[88SXT]

i have to agree with adsm here, heating and cooling metals make them more brittle, especially if you rapidly cool them.

now im an aircraft mechanic and not an auto mechanic, so i dont half-a$$ anything, do it right the first time bc eventually you will have to pay to fix it right, and may end up paying to fix other stuff that wouldnt have had to be fixed had you done it right to begin with.

edit: I also cant stand people who block up their springs half ass to fit bigger wheels on their car.

 

[simpler=better]

That's what I do. I make it into a game though! Will it explode before I'm done cutting?! We're dying to find out!

Ok, this exchange made me laugh. I always seems to find that hidden rust pocket when I'm on my back and the slag goes down my shirt

 

[TomB1269]

Cutting coils is never the best idea. Do you have the truck down with the suspension fully loaded? It is the only way to tell what the end lift will real be.

 

[rfl]

That's what I do. I make it into a game though! Will it explode before I'm done cutting?! We're dying to find out!

Can you post a video the next time you do this?