Clearance issues for lowered cars?

[Pentalab]

IF you lower the car, you better have stiffer springs. Lowered cars + soft springs = more prone to bottoming out, or hitting bump stops etc. For the low cost of your typ lowering spring, it's really a moot point.

Oem Ford springs are way too soft. Even if cut, using the above example in post #18, only results in a 287 /269 = 6.7% increase, which is not very much. And oem springs are no where near 269 lbs, way less than 1/2 of that.

I predict that oem springs, after cutting, + oem struts + shocks will have a tendency to bottom out. Stand on the brakes, and the oem setup will nose dive on the front, and lift severely on the rear. Mash the gas from a light, and back end squats, front end lifts.

2 summers ago, I ran into some asian ricers at the local coffee shop....all with cut springs. I asked em how that worked out. Their reply was... 'not a smart move on our part'. But they had cut way too much off.

 

[Sky Render]

You know what? You guys are right:

https://physics.stackexchange.com/q...nt-with-respect-to-the-length-and-no-of-coils

I apologize for calling you an idiot.

However, I do stand by my opinion that cutting the OEM springs (or most other) will not increase the spring rate by a sufficient amount to offset the reduced suspension travel.

The exception is some aftermarket springs that have "dead" (fully-compressed) coils on the bottom of the spring, which are inactive under load. Cutting them off only serves to lower the ride height, and doesn't affect suspension travel or spring rate.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I predict that oem springs, after cutting, + oem struts + shocks will have a tendency to bottom out. Stand on the brakes, and the oem setup will nose dive on the front, and lift severely on the rear. Mash the gas from a light, and back end squats, front end lifts.

Because when you start with OE springs for your car you're cutting away available bump travel faster than you're adding spring rate. The nose dive and squat will be reduced, but you'll have likely cut away more clearance than that amount of dive or squat needs.

Cutting OE springs is far more likely to end in success if you can find longer springs of the same (or greater) wire gauge and a similar OD that can fit up to your car's spring seats . . . and not go completely slack at full droop. This is at least sometimes possible.


Norm

 

[Bart23Sept]

Norm,

If I take a longer spring with the same basic qualities, cut it to length to effectively lower the ride height an inch or so, you think it would be the same as taking the original springs and cutting them to that same length? I don't see the logic in that.

If vendors promote springs that lower the ride height and don't change the ride qualities, what is different about that spring compared to my OEM spring that I would modify by removing a portion of a coil from? And how frequently does anyone actually bottom out their suspension during normal use unless they've got a trunkful of stuff and four people onboard while ignoring speedbumps?

 

[Norm Peterson]

If you can pick a spring that has both thicker wire diameter, more coils, and a greater free length, you can cut some coils without losing too much ride height for the new stiffness (it's even possible to end up at the same old ride height but with greater stiffness). Chances are, the springs you pick to cut won't be directly off the same model car you're going to be putting them on, but this is sometimes possible. Been there.


Norm

 

[JG-1]

I have a 1.5" BMR drop. Never had a problem scraping anything underneath.