Cutting front springs????
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 5,145
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From: The Motor City
Cutting front springs????
Has anybody cut their front springs in order to drop the front end? Right now I've got about 27" from the fender lip to the ground and 2.5" from the top of the tire to the lip. This winter I'm going to put in a fiberglass spring in the rear with the longer bolts to drop the rear down and the Bilstein Sports.
So, here's the questions: How much to cut off to get how much of a drop? The springs were new when the car was rebuilt 4 years ago. I don't recall the rating though. The yellow tag on them says "3851100". Anybody know what rating these are? Does this # correlate to the small block w/o air?
The other options is going out and buying the F41 springs. Anyone have any opinions on these? I'd like some sort of ride quality though. The roads in southeast Michigan stink.
Thanks in advance.
So, here's the questions: How much to cut off to get how much of a drop? The springs were new when the car was rebuilt 4 years ago. I don't recall the rating though. The yellow tag on them says "3851100". Anybody know what rating these are? Does this # correlate to the small block w/o air?
The other options is going out and buying the F41 springs. Anyone have any opinions on these? I'd like some sort of ride quality though. The roads in southeast Michigan stink.
Thanks in advance.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,731
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From: Marietta Ga.
Re: Cutting front springs???? (Scooter70)
Why not go all the way and use VBP's front mono conversion? I don't think cut springs are safe. Check with VBP and see if they have a set that are lower. Just my .01 cents.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Brazos TX
Cruise-In IV Veteran
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Re: Cutting front springs???? (Scooter70)
Each case will be different depending on spring rate and weight of the car so you will have to take small steps and see what happens. Cut a quarter or a half coil at a time and try it. Use a chop saw or cutoff wheel rather than a torch. Cutting the coils is perfectly safe as long as the temper of the spring isn't destroyed or you cut too much off.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2000
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From: Medford, Or
Re: Cutting front springs???? (Scooter70)
Scooter70-This is a common question on the forum! Cut your springs!!!!Your vette will handle great. :lol: :lol:
Just kidding, The right way is to install big block front springs, It will lower the front by around 3/4" or you can spend the bucks and go with VetteBrakes mono-spring and have a fully adjustable front-end.
Dan
Just kidding, The right way is to install big block front springs, It will lower the front by around 3/4" or you can spend the bucks and go with VetteBrakes mono-spring and have a fully adjustable front-end.
Dan
Race Director
Joined: Aug 1999
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From: WI
Re: Cutting front springs???? (Scooter70)
scooter,
I am with Burners 100%, cut 1/2 coil it will lower your car and raise the spring rate slightly. As far as "safety' what could a 1/2 coil possibly do with safety? ...redvetracr
I am with Burners 100%, cut 1/2 coil it will lower your car and raise the spring rate slightly. As far as "safety' what could a 1/2 coil possibly do with safety? ...redvetracr
Senior Member since 1492
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From: Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean people aren't out to get me...
St. Jude Donor '09
Re: Cutting front springs???? (redvetracr)
scooter,
I am with Burners 100%, cut 1/2 coil it will lower your car and raise the spring rate slightly. As far as "safety' what could a 1/2 coil possibly do with safety? ...redvetracr
I am with Burners 100%, cut 1/2 coil it will lower your car and raise the spring rate slightly. As far as "safety' what could a 1/2 coil possibly do with safety? ...redvetracr
I cut 3/4 of a coil & lowered my front end to 26.5in. :yesnod:
Team Owner
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SPARTAN
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Re: Cutting front springs???? (Scooter70)
Cutting the springs should be no problem. I do it at work routinely.
I cut the springs on my car a few years ago. I was sitting 3/4" too high according to the Z heights in the AIM. With ONE FULL COIL off, I'm sitting at the low end of the spec for the gymkhana suspension (don't have the numbers handy).
I cut the springs on my car a few years ago. I was sitting 3/4" too high according to the Z heights in the AIM. With ONE FULL COIL off, I'm sitting at the low end of the spec for the gymkhana suspension (don't have the numbers handy).
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Abby Normal
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Press "2" for English
Re: Cutting front springs???? (Scooter70)
i cut just less than a 1/2 coil of mine, dropped the front about 1". i started with a sawsall. looked like a monkey screwing a football! :lol: ended up switching over to the cut off wheel and even ground a bit of a taper into the top of the coil for about 1.5" from the cut. love the look (sig pic is pre-lowered) and the handling is great.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,899
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From: Summerville SC
Re: Cutting front springs???? (clutchdust)
:seeya I dropped a Big Block and it went to the ground. Had to use a couple of spring spacers in each spring just to get it an inch off the ground. :eek: :D :cheers:
[Modified by Intimidator454, 9:02 PM 10/29/2002]
[Modified by Intimidator454, 9:02 PM 10/29/2002]
Team Owner
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From: Exiled to Richmond, VA - Finally sold my house in Murfreesboro, TN ?? Corner of "Bumf*&k and 'You've got a purdy mouth'."
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St. Jude Donor '06-'10, '13
Re: Cutting front springs???? (clutchdust)
looked like a monkey screwing a football! :lol: .
Anyway, I cut 1 1/4 coil off of a VB&P 460 lb spring. 1 coil was probably enough though. I used a cut off wheel and it cut like a knife in butter. Handling is much better than with the 550 lb springs that were in there.
See signature pictures.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 922
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From: Maine
Re: Cutting front springs???? (BSeery)
There's a link somewhere to VIP (Vette Improvement Project) which discusses this and related modifications. I think one coil on SB springs is about 10% i.e. from 300 #/inch to 330. The roads around here are garbage too: my old Trans-Am had 560#/inch springs and it was very harsh.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2001
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From: Wichita KS
Re: Cutting front springs???? (Scooter70)
Scooter70,
You might see if someone has the NCRS judging manual for your car. For my year (1980), a green tag indicates an original spring and a yellow tag indicates a service replacement spring. The "3851100" number is the GM part number for the spring. The PNs listed in the NCRS manual for 1980-82 are 140XXXXX so I can't help you there.
There may also be a three letter "broadcast code" also on the tag. This code indicates the suspension type. On my 1980 the code was "BHJ", indicating an FE7 option suspension.
You might see if someone has the NCRS judging manual for your car. For my year (1980), a green tag indicates an original spring and a yellow tag indicates a service replacement spring. The "3851100" number is the GM part number for the spring. The PNs listed in the NCRS manual for 1980-82 are 140XXXXX so I can't help you there.
There may also be a three letter "broadcast code" also on the tag. This code indicates the suspension type. On my 1980 the code was "BHJ", indicating an FE7 option suspension.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
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From: In Dreams There Is Truth Ohio
Re: Cutting front springs???? (vettedan)
Scooter70-This is a common question on the forum! Cut your springs!!!!Your vette will handle great. :lol: :lol:
Just kidding, The right way is to install big block front springs, It will lower the front by around 3/4" or you can spend the bucks and go with VetteBrakes mono-spring and have a fully adjustable front-end.
Dan
Just kidding, The right way is to install big block front springs, It will lower the front by around 3/4" or you can spend the bucks and go with VetteBrakes mono-spring and have a fully adjustable front-end.
Dan
If you ask this question to 10 people, you will get 10 different answers, but the one common denomenator, if you cut your springs, you change your handling characteristics and your suspension dynamics.
Do the job right, do it once, purchase the 427, F-41 equivalent coils. You will be much happier, and the job will be done faster. Just R&R the coils, no grinding, no measuring, not wondering if you cut the same amount off both coils, plus, you keep the suspension geometry as designed by the factory.
Good luck, whatever you decide to do
Team Owner
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SPARTAN
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Re: Cutting front springs???? (GDaina)
Big Block Springs?
Seems to me that the Big Block springs would have to have a longer free length to havethe same spring rate with the same trim height as a small block car.
In english:
I'd think the BB springs would RAISE the front end because they're designed to hold more load at the same height as the SB springs.
Seems to me that the Big Block springs would have to have a longer free length to havethe same spring rate with the same trim height as a small block car.
In english:
I'd think the BB springs would RAISE the front end because they're designed to hold more load at the same height as the SB springs.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
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From: cincinnati ohio
St. Jude Donor '09
Re: Cutting front springs???? (Scooter70)
If your going to do all the work to take it apart and then guess how much to cut, why not just go with the glass mono spring and have a bunch of adjustabilty with the turn of a wrench :smash: I cut my Vette Brakes touring springs 1/2 coil but the ride was so harsh I ordered the glass spring the next week and never looked back :cheers:
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
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From: In Dreams There Is Truth Ohio
Re: Cutting front springs???? (ddecart)
Big Block Springs?
Seems to me that the Big Block springs would have to have a longer free length to havethe same spring rate with the same trim height as a small block car. In english:
I'd think the BB springs would RAISE the front end because they're designed to hold more load at the same height as the SB springs.
Seems to me that the Big Block springs would have to have a longer free length to havethe same spring rate with the same trim height as a small block car. In english:
I'd think the BB springs would RAISE the front end because they're designed to hold more load at the same height as the SB springs.
Team Owner
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SPARTAN
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Re: Cutting front springs???? (GDaina)
On the contrary...if u put sb & f41 bb springs side by side, u will notice the bb spring coils are thicker and overal spring is shorter. installing the bb f41 spring in a sb will lower the the car and give u a stiffer ride
Don't big block cars and small block cars sit at the same trim height in the front? I'm assuming that's true. I don't have my AIM handy.
Now, if I have a big block car, the front weighs more than a SB car. More weight, same trim. If I remove weight from the front of the BB car (say by taking off the heads?) so it equals the weight of the SB car, then the front end of the car is going to raise up, right?
