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Cutting coils-stock springs

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T Spool

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Joined
Jun 28, 2006
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How much drop can I expect from removing 1/2 coil from stock low mileage front springs? Anyone with actual experience?
 
How much drop can I expect from removing 1/2 coil from stock low mileage front springs? Anyone with actual experience?

I know when I cut the rears off 1 full coil on the rears it dropped it 1 1/2 inches...

It should drop the front at least 1 inch.. it will be low.:smile:
 
only cut 1/4 coil at a time at the most. i learned this the hard way and you can go overboard very fast. strange how fast the ride height changes with just a little spring. Takes alot more effort but its worth it. Be sure to only use a chop saw or sawzall as well, no heat.
Gary
 
I am selling a set of new, never installed 1-1.5" G-body springs made by Suspension techniques.... $160...that beats cutting by a mile.
 
I am selling a set of new, never installed 1-1.5" G-body springs made by Suspension techniques.... $160...that beats cutting by a mile.

I run these springs on my '87, and I highly recommend them. Another advantage is the stiffer spring rate. Your car will be lower, but will not bottom out as much, same reason I would not run dropped spindles with stock springs.:cool:
 
only cut 1/4 coil at a time at the most.

Ditto. Depending on the spring a half coil could be a quarter inch or one inch. Go slowly and let the suspension settle before you do a re-cut.

Rear springs aint the same as the front springs but the same logic applies. Procede slowly.
 
Ditto. Depending on the spring a half coil could be a quarter inch or one inch. Go slowly and let the suspension settle before you do a re-cut.

Rear springs aint the same as the front springs but the same logic applies. Procede slowly.

Good post.... :)
 
T Spool, just go to the parts store and buy a set of MOOG 5658 springs for $60 and be done with it. Will lower the front 1". Good spring rate. -----Jeremy
 
Also true. ANybody that pays more than 60-70$ for 2 springs got royally screwed. Almost all springs are made by the same company and painted different colors, then sold under brand names. The Hotchkis (sp?) set that is like $250 is just your regular old Moog springs powder coated red, that you can get at NAPA for $120 or less.
I second that 5658s are a good spring, and a little stiffer than stock. Alot of people also go with the 5660s that are a little lower and a little stiffer. I run the 5662s that are a lot stiffer than the stockers, but i have a turbo v8 so its kinda heavy. I dont recommend going that stiff unless you want to do some heavy cornering.
Gary
 
How much drop can I expect from removing 1/2 coil from stock low mileage front springs? Anyone with actual experience?


I cut 1/2 coil out of a set of stock GN springs and got just over 1" drop. They were higher mileage springs and I cut them because the rear sat a little lower than the front. I think the car looks perfect the way it sits now but one of these days I will change them out with lowering springs because you get more bounce with the cut springs. I put a set of Bilstein shocks and that helped with the bounce but its still easy to bottom out.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. You see, I am a little different than most in that I like the lower look, but don't want stiffer springs that will kill my weight transfer. I'm more interested in straight line performance and good 60 foots than corner carving that's why I acquired a set of low mileage factory springs and was looking to cut no more than a 1/2 coil. I like softer springs and it certainly helps in weight transfer.

My current setup as pictured is just a pain as it is too lowwwwwww. I can't even get a floor jack under the front frame and forget about running wide tires. Please excuse the baby size MT Dr's :o I am deathly afraid of installing a set of new springs and having the car sit sky high that's why I'm going with used factory ones so there will be no surprises (unless I cut too much and it sits in the weeds again:rolleyes: )
 

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Looks awesome! One trick you might try is increasing your backspace. The closer to the lip the tire is in front, the more prone to bottoming out.
 
The problem is the driver front sits 5/8 lower than the passenger front because the control arm bushings are shot. I am taking it apart to change all control arm bushings, tubular uppers and new ball joints so I can't see throwing the old springs back in. My car is lowered with nothing more than a torch :eek: , not the right way to lower a car! The coils are completely collapsed and stacked on top of each other. Needless to say, it rides like a skateboard and is really kind of dangerous.

Could somebody tell me what "stock ride height" is for the front? Searched forever and can't really come up with a definitive answer. My fender lips are 23 7/8 off the ground on the driver side and 24 1/2 on the passenger side with 25 1/2 inch front runners. I'd like to end up with 25 - 25 1/2 off the ground.
 
BTW You cant cut the stock rear springs. Just go down to the boneyard and grab some rear springs out of a 3rd or 4th gen Camarobird. Those are only pigtailed on the bottom and are easy to cut. Make sure you also get the big rubber spring pocket that the top of the spring sits in.
 
ok here you go,
Moog Springs for High Performance Monte Carlo and G bodies
you figure out how to use this chart and your in business.
Stock springs are 5608s in the front 5379 in the rear. If you went to a 5658 in the front, it would be 1/2 inch lower from the get go, and actually be a tad softer in the regular useable range, and get stiffer at near bottom, exactly what you want. I ran cut v-6 springs for awhile (5600's) and it was waaay to soft and bottomed right out.
6321 in the rear would lower a good 1/2 inch also and be the same way.
Gary
 
BTW You cant cut the stock rear springs. Just go down to the boneyard and grab some rear springs out of a 3rd or 4th gen Camarobird. Those are only pigtailed on the bottom and are easy to cut. Make sure you also get the big rubber spring pocket that the top of the spring sits in.

Yup, I have done my homework. I can get rear coils for basically nothing so I have a set from the JY blasted and painted and ready to go when I change the fronts out.

ok here you go,
Moog Springs for High Performance Monte Carlo and G bodies
you figure out how to use this chart and your in business.
Stock springs are 5608s in the front 5379 in the rear. If you went to a 5658 in the front, it would be 1/2 inch lower from the get go, and actually be a tad softer in the regular useable range, and get stiffer at near bottom, exactly what you want. I ran cut v-6 springs for awhile (5600's) and it was waaay to soft and bottomed right out.
6321 in the rear would lower a good 1/2 inch also and be the same way.
Gary

I have this chart, thanks. Since I have lightened my front end I feel a spring that advertises a 1/2 or 1 inch drop is not actually going to give me that. If I could figure out what "stock ride height" is that would help. I am guessing 26 1/2 or 27 inches??
 
well if you need new springs anyway i would pay to get some actuall "new" ones. and the only way to figure out what you have is to buy em, put em in and measure. also the measurements are given at the front bumper i beleive on that chart. i vote for buying the springs i put up, especially if you want a soft one. that will minimise cutting, cause remember that when you cut a spring you alter its spring rate and you want to change that as little as possible. Plus there only like $28 a spring from NAPA.
Gary
 
Itsnotagn

PM'd you with a question about the Moog 5662's. Thanks for any
help you could provide.
Turbohh
 
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