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want to chop the springs on me k10, just wondered how many coils to cut off?  going to fit these, 165 55 13 tyres.   |
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rodney
Posted a lot
https://www.facebook.com/RD-vehicle-transport-and-recovery-services-525622614268010/
Posts: 1,677
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this is going to creat mixed comments as you prob know ,
look under the car at the springs while the cars on the floor , measure the distance between each coil and use that to work out how much each coil will take it down, work out how low you realisticaly want to go and can get away with and go for it , for what its worth propper springs arent expensive,.
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facebook: rodney dean / rd transport  |
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Chopping the spring is a bad idea, if you chop it you alter the spring rate and also increase the likely hood of the spring failing as there are less coils doing more work. Spring rate is a function of a combination of items including material, material dia, coil dia and No of working coils.
However if you insist on doing it you would be far better collapsing coils down with the (careful !) aid of an oxy accetalene torch, that way you still have the right type of ground or pig tail end on the spring and you have a bit more control on the height of the car and you can "adjust" it.
If the spring is roughly vertical then as a rule of thumb the car will drop the same amount as you reduce the spring length by (not exactly as the spring will deflect less due to its spring rate increasing)
Andy
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just my opinion andyturbo but personally id rather chop my springs than put heat on a spring to lower it and weaken it surely?!
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VIP
South East
Posts: 8,293
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Chopping the spring is a bad idea, if you chop it you alter the spring rate and also increase the likely hood of the spring failing as there are less coils doing more work. Spring rate is a function of a combination of items including material, material dia, coil dia and No of working coils. However if you insist on doing it you would be far better collapsing coils down with the (careful !) aid of an oxy accetalene torch, that way you still have the right type of ground or pig tail end on the spring and you have a bit more control on the height of the car and you can "adjust" it. If the spring is roughly vertical then as a rule of thumb the car will drop the same amount as you reduce the spring length by (not exactly as the spring will deflect less due to its spring rate increasing) Andy There is no reason for the spring to fail if cut, unless there was a pre-existing fracture or weak point. Heating the spring to deform it changes is molecular properties, making it much, MUCH more likely to snap or fail. |
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Last Edit: Apr 8, 2013 15:30:35 GMT by VIP
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chris just get them off and cut them a half a coil at a time then put them back go for a drive and see how it goes with the famliy in as you gotta try it before you hack to much off or by a set of lowering srings is best but if funds not there then cut them but don't go mad with the grider chap you cant put it back lol
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Yeah, as the others have said, definitely don't heat the springs. Spring steel's properties come from heat-treating processes, cook it with oxy and you'll destroy this heat-treating. There's nothing wrong with cutting spring structurally as long as they seat well still. As said, it'll increase the rate, which can cause issues with the damping rates no longer being matched to the spring rate, but then most lowering springs are different rates too, so come with the same issues, you just get the security of knowing they should seat right. As for how much to cut off, it'll depend how low you want to go  . There's no easy way of knowing how many coils to lop off for a certain amount of drop. It could be calculated, but it'll be easier and quicker to just take a look at about how high each coil is when the weights on it, and assume that's how much drop you'll get. Then when you inevitably get less because the spring's now stiffer, you can always chop a little more off having seen the effect of the first chop. |
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thanks guys for your views and guidance on this(i knew there'd be for an against!!!) think i'll start with a coil at a timean work from that, cheers.
being lazy are they pigtailed on just one end?
cheers chris.
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 Click picture for more |
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. There's no easy way of knowing how many coils to lop off for a certain amount of drop. It could be calculated, but it'll be easier and quicker to just take a look at about how high each coil is when the weights on it, and assume that's how much drop you'll get. Then when you inevitably get less because the spring's now stiffer, you can always chop a little more off having seen the effect of the first chop.
