Lowering the front by cutting springs?
 

I am cutting down my springs until I get money for bags. It I want 2in lower, do I cut 2" of sprnig off? Can someone who has done this give me some advice.
Thanks

It would be more like 1/2 to 3/4 coil. I would suggest buying 2" drop springs instead. If you cut the spring you sacrifice ride quality more than using drop coils.

-Jeff

Here is some advice....DONT DO IT!!!! LOL
And dont heat it either!! :)

Refer here .... http://www.fullsizechevy.com/forum/s...threadid=11148

I also do not recommend heating or cutting.
If you do decide to do it anyway, cut it.
Heating is a bad route to take.

Before you cut your springs measure your wheel well lip to the ground on each side. Then cut off a small amount like 1/4 to 1/2 coil and then see how she sits. It may take some time to cut and install, but you want each side to be perfect and match. If one side sits higher at the start, I would make that side sit higher by the same amount before cuts.

I plan on getting bags soon. So it doesnt really matter if I have to deal with a rough ride for alittle while. That is crazy!!(the pic)
Thanks for the advice Phoenix. I will go with that route.
Mike

If you do it you have no other choice than to take a full ring or the spring will not seat into the lower arm. one ring will get you 2-3 inch drop depending on how wore out the spring is.if you put good shocks on and get an alignment you wont suffer to bad of a ride.but i would only consider this temperary.good luck

It was even crazier when I pulled that spring and realized it was shaped like a boomerang. :D :eek:

[QUOTE]Originally posted by houston6
If you do it you have no other choice than to take a full ring or the spring will not seat into the lower arm..... [/QUOTE

This is not an accurate statement. The bottom winding of the coil is what seats in the 'notch' in the lower control arm. You could cut 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, or 1 whole coil & it won't make a difference because the end of the coil (cut or un-cut) is still the end, & it still fits in the notch just the same.

I would also disagree w/the statement that even w/1 coil removed the ride quality suffers. 1 coil or less will have a very minimal impact on ride quality. I've actually compressed a cut coil vs. a stock coil from the same truck & the rate increased about 10-15%. A typical stock 1/2 ton truck coil is around 350PPI so even w/15% your still below 400PPI. 2 coils is a different story because there isn't enough spring rate to compensate for the now limited suspension travel so it starts bottoming out easily.

Now, I'm not just saying this because I don't use drop coils on either of my trucks. I have used them when the application warrants their use. I did a complete bell tech drop on a 90 model 1/2 ton 6cyl, 5spd, swb truck for a roomate. With the drop coils that came w/the kit, it rode rough. I told him to drive it for a while & see if the system settled w/a better ride. It didn't & I was suprised because it was the complete drop kit & everything was designed to work together. The solution..... I wacked a coil off his stock springs, put it back together & it rode like stock.

I'm sure someone else has had different experiences..... my advice is to cut a coil first (using a cut-off wheel, not a torch) since its free. See if you personally notice a change in ride quality before buying aftermarket drop springs. If you want more drop.... get some spindles. But you guys know about opinions.......

with the way the top of a spring fits in the upper arm and the way the bottom fits in the lower you have to take 1 complete ring for it to sit properly on 73-87 period!!whether it is different on a later model I do not know but this is based on my exp.lowering my truck

Do the tops of the coils seat in a fixed position?

On 64 & later chevy trucks, the upper arm has nothing to do w/the top of the spring.

The only thing that I'm aware of on 67 & later trucks that secure the top of the spring is a small formed lip that drops from the top of the spring pocket inside of the front crossmember. On the bottom, you just need to make sure the end of the spring is fully seated in the notch within the spring pocket of the lower control arm.

On my 86 the top of the spring is shaped kinda like a D and it fits into a kinda D shaped lip in upper control arm.im not sure if all is like that but my 86 is and i imagine that his is too i beleive his is a 78 or 79

Been running with 2 cut coils for the last 20 yrs(Truck was dropped one month after I bought it) and it has a nice ride. If you cut the coils cut from the bottom and cut whole coils only to seat em', 1 cut coil is about a 2in. drop, had the truck dropped by Ca Truck Works in SoCal and had the coils cut and a spacer kit installed in the upper A-arms to bring the alignment back in and eliminate the bow in at the top of the wheels, also has the flip kit in the rear, when done right you'll have no problems with cut coils.:D :metal:

1/4 coil = 1 inch drop. a buddy told me 1 coil for 2 inches so i did it. i put the original coils back. i learned from my mistakes DONT DO IT. but if you do remember 1/4 coil = 1inch drop

Thanks for all the advice. I am taking this all into consideration. I will be cutting them this weekend. If any one else knows any tricks, please let me know.
Thanks, Michael

If it had flown out and hit you in the head when you pulled it, would it have reinstalled itself afterward? You said it was like a boomerang... :)

Mine too. The second time I replaced my front springs, i got one bad one. The top was not clocked correctly with the bottom. When the top lined up, the bottom wouldn't fit, and vice versa. I fought it for an hour before I realized it was a bad spring :mad: A replacement went in fine.

Slonaker