JIMMY54

iTrader: (2)

I have an extra set of springs, which i'd like to cut and lower the car.. Just to see.... since my car is already all in pieces....
If anyone has done this before how much did you guys cut off and how much did this lower it?

Thanks

JIMMY

V8kilr

chopped off a couple coils on the front

cjf

iTrader: (1)

I am sure you already know that the springs (unless they are mazda springs) already lower the car 1" or so. How low do ya wanna go?..

JIMMY54

iTrader: (2)

I'd like to have the rear with no gap and if possible have it slightly tucked in, and same with front...


v8killr: So you only cut off two?

More Power

All I have read says that it is not a good idea to cut springs. It will make them bottom out. A spring that is made 2 inches shorter will be harder, and/or have a progressive coil that is harder the closer you get to the bottom of the travel. Can't you find a lowering spring from a company? They aren't that expensive. In the long run cutting your springs may be more expensive.

79+80_rx-7

Find a mustang..... and take out those clamps on the back springs if I am not mistaken..... then turn them around so you can lower instead of raise the car..... or... go to jc whitney and buy them for 6 bux a piece..... LATERZ

BoominRX7

v8kilr,
where did you get that hood scoop from, how did you do it,
pm me, and let me know.
thanks
John W.

peejay

The car's too low already with the soft stock springs and you want to lower it more?

yayarx7

if you cut the coil off, assuming it is not a dead coil, you increase the the srping rate by the factor of the number of coils cut to the total number of coils. so for a 5 or six coil spring that ytou cut 2 coils off, you get a 33 to 40 percent stiffer coil. Not bad if you completely discount the fact that you will probably be hitting the bumpstops in corners, sending your spring rate to infinite immediatly. That is not a good thing.

SilverRocket

Sup Jimmy,

To follow up from the PM I sent you, I would strongly advise you not to lower your car that much. If you insist on cutting your springs (like I did), don't cut any more than *1* coil. It isn't a new sport compact car; you can't get away with this stuff as easily on our cars. Lowering more than 1" is detrimental to handling.

The problem with lowering an FB like that is you are reducing the suspension travel to an unacceptable level. What this will do is make the FB's few inherent handling problems much, much worse. If you hit a bump during a hard corner, you *will* bottom out your suspension. This will make your car's handling very unpredictable. As well, constantly bottoming out will quickly destroy your shocks.

If you want to lower your car that much and retain any kind of handling whatsoever, you need to install a kit to raise your strut towers. RB sells one, however it is not a simple job to install.

If I were you and I were serious about wanting my car that low, I would maybe call the guys at Ground Control and ask them about it. Those guys know their **** with FB suspensions, they have all kinds of parts like coilover kits, and they could certainly give you the low down. You could call RB as well; they'll probably just tell you to buy that kit I mentioned.

BTW, there is a huge difference between cut stock springs and aftermarket lowering springs. Will and I put his stock springs next to his Tokico springs, and the difference was astonishing. The lowering springs have many more coils, and are much stiffer. If you look at the springs on my car, they have very few coils left in comparison, and I only cut them 1 coil. The aftermarket ones are really much better.

Anyways, my 2 cents is that there isn't any cheap easy answer here. If you cut your springs more than 1 coil, you'll likely end up with shitty handling and you'll need to replace your shocks before too long. Then you'll need to get proper springs, and you'll end up spending much more $$ than you would if you got the right springs to start with. Personally, I say cut only 1 coil or wait to get the right ones.

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

I cut the coils on mine, it's a trial and error thing to get the drop u want. I took out 1 and a half coils. remember ur cutting spring steel so u have to cut real slow. I used a hack saw and 2 blades. The more coils u take out, the less travel u'll have and the sooner it'll bottom out.

Montrealer

In the front I can just barely fit my hand between the tire and the wheel well.

With 350 inch/Lbs springs in the front, I have about 1 1/2 inches left of travel before i bottom out (with the front bump stop removed.

in the rear, I tried doing the same, but forget about it, with 200 inch/Lbs springs, I was riding the bump stops, so they would have to be hacked down substancially.

Personally I do not see how you can get the ride height you want with the stock spring rates because im pretty damn close to the limit with my spring rates.

peejay

The more you lower the car, you make the suspension geometry even worse than it is stock. That's why I say they're too low already...

JIMMY54

iTrader: (2)

My thought was to only cut one coil off, I would LIKE to have my car that low, but i pretty much figured that the suspension would just be fucked. All i wanted to accomplish is have my car a little lower than it is right now... but ofcourse i don't want to be riding bumpstops or anything like that, or lose my handling because its just not worth it. I just didn't want to put to much more money into my car, because i know im losing the battle to rust.... So i just figure only do mods that i can later transfer to another car.

jeremy

iTrader: (1)

suspensions overrated man. just make everything solid and turn it into a gocart.

like they said, you're asking for trouble. dave's car is also used for straightline speed, not handling. he doesn't mind the front end bottoming some since he isn't flying through corners. depends on what you want your car to do.

jeremy

iTrader: (1)

by the way if you look at my car in the background you'll notice that i don't even use struts.

Montrealer

thats why you want to have a tri-link, panhard bar & turn in spacers for the front at those ride heights.

1st7heaven

Montrealer is right! I have that set up. I made my own turn in spacers though, I am selling them for $55 for a pair where as Tri-link is selling for $105?
http://www.cardomain.com/member_page...e=Mazda%20RX-7

V8kilr

yeah about 2 coils,
did it while they were on the car,
pretty dangerous,
but when i was through i could be for sure how many i chopped

V8kilr

jc whitney

V8kilr

very true,

if i go hard into a corner i have really bad snap oversteer,

although with my suspension set up the way that it is i can still make the car corner on a dime,
but thats because i have had it like that so long i can feel the point in the wheel just before its ready to dive into the corner

once i hit that point if i need to turn more i will nail it and turn the wheel,

if i let off the gas and turn more its trouble and will cause an uncontrolable drift

its very tricky and i would get some practive with it before you "seeing what it can do"

V8kilr

well you can transfer new springs to your next car if its an rx7,

i am also losing the battle to rust "hence why shes not getting painted"

thats why i have been doing all bolt ons

you can also grab an rb catalog and they have a strut lift kit that will lower your front end the proper way without cutting springs

go to my write up here on the gsl-se suspension swap and you can see them installed on the donor car

here is a picture of them