i want to cut my springs

[Hondakurt]

how many coils do i cut i dont want to be slammed to the ground but i want to be low and lookin good lol

[ShyBoyCA6]

might as well slap yourself

[A18A]

i had 1 coil cut in the front and in the back I (think I) had stock eg civic springs, I couldn't safely cut the accord back ones and keep them captive with a good ride height
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/7913/img0554medium.jpg
note that the car has side skirts, so appears lower than it actually is

1 of the front shocks ended up failing after a couple years. I don't know if it was solely cause of the cut spring though.

[Hondakurt]

Ok thanks guys im new to the accord world and i cant find anything to put into te motor im wanting header short throw ect. Ect.

[Hondakurt]

might as well slap yourself

ok ... anyway that didn't answer my question.

I'd like to lower but I'm on a budget. I'm not loaded with money to purchase springs, coil-overs, etc.

Can the springs be cut without serious issues. I'm also looking to find a decent cut length to allow for future upgrades to my rims. I'll be putting on 17" (205/40-17) and I do not want the drop to cause the tires to rub. I don't think I'll to many issues as these tires are almost identical to the tires on the car.

[Pico]

I was told by someone long ago that 1/2 a cut on a coil equals 1in...1 coil cut equals 2in

[A18A]

I don't think I had 'bad' issues with mine, it was just less comfortable to drive. I found it stayed on the road better though, less bodyroll

I reckon there is a bigger difference in how the car drives between stock tyres & low profile tyres than there was between stock springs & cut springs

[MessyHonda]

I would go the pico route just cut half a coil at a time to see how it is. even with 1 inch drop these cars start to look sexy

[obdriver6]

I cut almost 3 coils up front and 1 3/4 in the back.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6774406583_c2d75fd669_z.jpg

With 17" EDIT: 205/40/17 +40 offset
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7072/7010233759_35bd11b311_z.jpg

[Pico]

Coupe + Lowered = SEXY BEAST!!

[MessyHonda]

I agree no 3gee should have a 4x4 stance

[obdriver6]

Coupe + Lowered = SEXY BEAST!!
Yes it is! :D

I agree no 3gee should have a 4x4 stance

We have Honda to thank for that!

[Hondakurt]

Sweet. Love the look. obdriver6, that's the same color of my 88 Accord LXi

[Vanilla Sky]

The rules for cutting springs are pretty simple. Don't heat the metal up. Never use a torch, it weakens the spring and will make it break. Use a saw, and keep the blade lubed with cutting oil. I saved a quart years ago and still use the same bit of oil. The second rule is never cut a spring that is ground flat. That's how the spring needs to sit in the perch. Most springs have at least one end that you can trim.

When you reinstall the springs, make sure they are properly seated. Always remove the springs from the struts to do that. You have to remove the struts to remove the springs, so plan accordingly for things such as rusted fasteners.

[Hazwan]

Not a 3g, but I've cut mine and had a pretty good results until... I went overboard by cutting about 3 coils off (from 5-6 coils total) so yup :p

Do 1 or less coil at once and see if you like it. Let it settle for a bit then decide if you need more. I'd say don't go anymore than 2 if you don't want the shitty bouncey ride.

[gfrg88]

why not spend the 20-30 for ebay springs instead? :dunno:

[POS carb]

my roommate is an engineer and I asked him how cutting a coil will affect the spring rate. He said that assuming nothing else changes you end up with a harder spring. That's why a lot of people end up with a pogo stick suspension, the factory strut can't control the harder springs.
So if you cut your coils you should upgrade to stiffer shocks/struts if you don't want to bounce everywhere.

[cygnus x-1]

my roommate is an engineer and I asked him how cutting a coil will affect the spring rate. He said that assuming nothing else changes you end up with a harder spring. That's why a lot of people end up with a pogo stick suspension, the factory strut can't control the harder springs.
So if you cut your coils you should upgrade to stiffer shocks/struts if you don't want to bounce everywhere.


To elaborate a bit further; the spring rate change is inversely proportional to how much the length changes. For example, say you start with a 10 inch spring and cut off 1 inch, making a 9 inch spring. The ratio of new length to old length is 9/10 = 0.9. Divide the original spring rate by 0.9 to get the new rate. If it started out at 100lbs/in, the new rate will be 100 / 0.9 = 111. If you cut a spring in half, the rate of each half is double that of the original.

Note that this only applies to constant rate springs. Progressive springs are a totally different animal. The rate change will depend on which coils are cut off.

C|

[obdriver6]

Well in my experience, even with all the coils I chopped off, I feel like they're still not stiff enough. My car still feels stock it just now I have to look out for bumps. lol Also, it is a bit bouncy but I think thats because I may need new shocks.

[CzEcHy]

So I wanted to cut my springs, to drop the car two inches, only one coil needs to be cut from what everyone has mentioned?

Also, don"t our springs have the weird top and bottom with two coils touching? How would you cut that since the springs sit flat? Or is it just one end that sits flat?

Thanks

[import racer]

It's just the one end that has a flat coil ,I think it's the top that's flat.

[2oodoor]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7072/7010233759_35bd11b311_z.jpg
This car looks gorgeous obdriver.

Op if youre going for 17 inwheels you should wait till you get them to match your suspension to.

[obdriver6]

So I wanted to cut my springs, to drop the car two inches, only one coil needs to be cut from what everyone has mentioned?

Also, don"t our springs have the weird top and bottom with two coils touching? How would you cut that since the springs sit flat? Or is it just one end that sits flat?

Thanks
I think you'll have to cut more than 1 coil. Try 1.5-2 coils up front and 1-1.5 in the back. Also, I cut the top coils.


This car looks gorgeous obdriver.
Thank you!

[gtoman]

obdriver6 that looks simply beautiful. Low and sexy yet it doesn't look so low that is annoying to drive daily. Props.

Adam

[obdriver6]

obdriver6 that looks simply beautiful. Low and sexy yet it doesn't look so low that is annoying to drive daily. Props.

Adam

Thanks! I didn't mind the low part but it was kind of a bitch since my control arms would hit the strut tower on big bumps. Other than that, it felt pretty much like stock.