chopping springs safely

The safest way to cut springs is wearing converse all stars while under the influence of alcohol.




The springs will be stiffer, It probably doesn't matter where you cut as long as it is even as the top spring cup will rotate to compensate - so you can take half off if needed. Even if they are loose you can wire/cable tie/jubelee clip them into the cups to ensure that they re-seat.

I don't like cut springs, but you can cut one off the bottom on yours, just cut a whole coil off so it ends in the same place and it will sit back in the dent in the cup, grind a chamfer on the end though as a sharp edge can cut through the steel of the cup eventually, they may not dislocate with only coil off, but if they do they are easy to wire in on struts.

popuptoaster just spotted your reply cheers good tip o the sharp edge I never thought of that, so just round it off nice and smooth on the cut and cut a coil out from the bottom. I wonder how much lower one coil will translate too??! Shame its such a ballache to take the spring off and refit it all to check the height but its a necessity I guess

Are capris insert struts? If so, take the strut off, remove the insert, carefully remove the welds holding the spring seat to the strut, slide the spring seat down the strut by the required amount of lowering and weld it back on. You may still need to wire/jubilee the spring into the seats but the spring rate stays how it is at the moment.

Yeah, perhaps finding shorter inserts and shortening the strut tubes at the same time would buy a bit more travel. Wasn't there a thread on here not so long back that had quite a few suggestions for sourcing shorter inserts? (my search skillz is weak yO!)

I bookmarked it and have been digesting it again recently ;D

retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=77693

Bigger tyres on the front/smaller on the back?

Been debating a similar scenario for my 'tina which runs lowered spax springs. I did the 1 coil check, 2 coils check thing with the Golf and the result looks good although if looking good was the be all and end all I'd loop another coil of the front. The only thing that puts me off is that if I'm honest the ride is now somewhat compromised.

Mot tester didn't like the front end as it's held in by zip ties although he had to pass it begrudgingly as it does not dislocate. I'm thinking one coil wouldn't hurt on the front although may not give the desired effect.

Interested to see your results what ever happens, pics please ;D

;D TRUE!!!!

Yeah can't take lower cup down due to the wheel space, The springs are very stiff at the moment, I'm happy for them to be stiffer though so increasing the rate is a good thing really as the rear is mega stiff now. I think Ill chop one full spring off, chamfer the ends and put it back together and see what I have to work with. My head physics tell me that one coil should suffice, the car already has a good amount of rake as I'm running 265/50 s on the back and 215/45s on the front and 2" lower springs up front too:D Its just that if i was to draw a photoshop of my car, I would drop the front a small amount and its that sort of detail that'll curse word me off when shes on the road again There is plenty of ground clearance to play with still so it wont be undriveable and the springs are very stiff at the moment so I cant imagine that making them stiffer again will result in bottoming out as its hard to compress the front end as it is.. I shall take out one full coil, chamfer and put it back together and see the result. In terms of locking them in I think Ill cut a some small slots in the cup to feed some stainless jubilee clips through so its neat and fully secure unless there is a better idea?