rysz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,558
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It seems your biggest concern is not so much the spring once fitted, but whilst cutting. Correct, the stored energy in a car spring is collossal and can easily injure you badly. Also, car springs are very carefully designed, they are overstressed whenever you take them beyond their standard travel, try taking one solid and then, if it doesn't shatter and impale you, then try releasing it (very carefully) and see the state of it after that - ever seen a kids scribble picture? As that is what it will look like! 1/4 of your cars weight is sitting on this thing and it is only wire bent round a mandrel - so even as stock, they do a fairly impressive job!
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,926
Club RR Member Number: 174
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cutting springsstealthstylz
@stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member 174
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Nov 22, 2007 10:13:10 GMT
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Surely if you remove them from the strut to cut them there is no stored energy at all when the spring is fully decompressed? Obviously cutting the springs in situ is fairly dangerous.
Matt
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tigran
Club Retro Rides Member
In rust we trust. Amen.
Posts: 6,444
Club RR Member Number: 142
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cutting springstigran
@tigran
Club Retro Rides Member 142
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Nov 22, 2007 11:10:06 GMT
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*digs about for piffles benz spring pic*
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1964 Rover P5 i6 1987 BMW 525e - The Rusty Streak 1992 Micra K10 2001 BMW E46 316i 2002 BMW E46 330Ci 2013 BMW F31 320d 2018 BMW G31 530d
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street
Posted a lot
6.2 ft/lbs of talk
Posts: 4,662
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Nov 22, 2007 11:24:54 GMT
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I understand your fears about cutting in-situ, I guess it comes down to how much you trust your spring compressors. I did mine the lazy way.... Took out all the tension with the spring clamps, then hit it with an extra thin cutting disk on the angle grinder.... Once cut, the unwanted coils were removed and the spring compressors wound back out until they were free to remove...... At it's new length the spring was now loose in the cups, so some holes were drilled around the top cup and the bottom cup.... And the spring was wired in place. That's 4 coils off, the ride is uber stiff but it actually handles extremely well! Certainly better than it was at standard ride height Before: After: Would still like it lower though, after the MOT perhaps Like Stealthstylz says, can't see a problem if the tension is taken off the spring. I prefer to take the spring out of the car completely as that ensures nothing will go wrong (like the compressors slipping off mid-cutting) but like I say I was feeling lazy that day.
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Last Edit: Nov 22, 2007 11:26:10 GMT by street
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Nov 22, 2007 11:54:36 GMT
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I too remove mine fully and use a hacksaw as I believe that it causes less disturbance (although can take blasted ages)
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Last Edit: Nov 22, 2007 11:54:59 GMT by mrrx2u
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Nov 22, 2007 12:09:43 GMT
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Useful info. Best 'chop spring?' thread ever? don't you just love daylight? went out and rummaged under teh arch with my eye and hand. looks like my springs are like this (just wanted to correct myself from earlier) Top |///// so they could be modifed either way, taking off top or bottom, losing one at the bottom would still seat the same way.... Glad thin cut disks were mentioned, its obvious but could imagine me getting out there in anger grabbing the grind with stand all purpose disc, as said great contributions.
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it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts
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Nov 22, 2007 13:07:21 GMT
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ive done the escort today well put the coilovers back on i took a coiland a half out the front and a coil out the back and it sits perfectly no more of that off road look for me ,good thread with lots of usefull info good stuff ,worth a sift for the info and a sticky?
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Lets clear up car terms: "Understeer" is when you hit the fence with the front of the car. "Oversteer" is when you hit the fence with the rear of the car. "Horsepower" is how fast you hit the fence. "Torque" is how far you take the fence with you.
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bazzateer
Posted a lot
Imping along sans Vogue
Posts: 3,653
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Nov 22, 2007 13:57:38 GMT
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Pictures please?
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1968 Singer Chamois Sport 1972 Sunbeam Imp Sport 1976 Datsun 260Z 2+2 1998 Peugeot Boxer Pilote motorhome 2003 Rover 75 1.8 Club SE (daily) 2006 MG ZT 190+ (another daily) 2007 BMW 530d Touring M Sport (tow car)
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Nov 22, 2007 20:57:01 GMT
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once again rocking with 1117cc and 4 gears!
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slater
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 6,390
Club RR Member Number: 78
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cutting springsslater
@slater
Club Retro Rides Member 78
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Nov 22, 2007 21:00:38 GMT
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Less talk more slamming
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Nov 22, 2007 21:01:29 GMT
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The trouble with off the shelf springs is they are not really very low are they, I mean 60mm! That's like seeing a picture of Kylie then trying to convince your mates that you've slept with her. HO HO HO HO HO HO ;D ;D ;D
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once again rocking with 1117cc and 4 gears!
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Nov 23, 2007 10:12:04 GMT
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I'm also a fan of the electric c-spanner method lol. But only if your doing it on a car u don't intend to drive hard in as they(well mine have) handled like curse word. I would never dream of doing it on a car i itended to be going fast in.
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