FACTS why cutting springs is a bad idea.

[evil_demon_01]

Cutting a spring increases its effective springrate, and lowering within reason lowers the CG of the car, both increase cornering performance. I'm not sure exactly what his project was, but this seems like an effective crutch until a better option is found.

On a stock shock . . . ?

[HardInThePaint]

Still want to cut your springs? Didn't think so.

I can dig what you are trying to say but those pics are clearly not cut springs. Heating and cutting achieve the same thing but are completely different methods. If you are going to use pics to prove your point atleast use pics that prove your point.

[Domesticated]

On a stock shock . . . ?

Nope Bilstien coilovers. The modifications made to the car when it came over to the American market include a shorter overall length of the rear suspension. After making adapters just to get the stuff to bolt on, the springs had to be cut.

[redlined302]

Now I dont cut springs but I need to ask. Everyone appears to be up in arms about this topic. So, would cut springs be any better then ebay coil overs or blown coil overs? I ask this because i once saw some guy say he would rather cut springs then go with ebay suspension products. With that in mind I am going to go ahead and say IF YOU LOWER YOUR CAR DO IT RIGHT AND INVEST THE PROPER FUNDS. While one shortcut may be the lesser of two evils, it is still a short cut on something you should not be cutting corners on.

[HardInThePaint]

So, would cut springs be any better then ebay coil overs or blown coil overs?

Thats a main point in my debate on this subject. IMO riding Ebay cheapos on stock struts is just as unsafe... Yet every other member (not including the countless other people that do this with other cars, not only CB's) rolls like this and nobody ever talks about it being deadly.

My other point is most of these cats talking this "It'll kill you" bullshit have absolutely no experience with cutting springs, whether actually cutting them or riding in a car with cut springs or both. Most of these dudes are just up on here repeating the same shit everybody else says.

Within the last 10 years or so there really is no reason to cut or heat your springs. Lowering springs and coilovers and shit has done away with that "DIY" method. Most of the members here fall into this 10 year period so they don't know anything about everybody cutting springs back in the day.

You are going to be hardpressed to find anybody that has actually died or has killed anybody as a direct result to cutting or heating springs. Not saying it hasn't happened, but it sure hasn't happened enough times for it to be relevant. It CAN be unsafe, so I suppose that by itself is enough reason not to do it but come on now, lets keep it real already...

[turbomaxx]

I love how people don't think of other peoples safety.

Waits for THAT guy to come in and disagree with all of these pictures I just posted.

Dear God, there IS hope for the younger ones. Thank you for not being a dumbass. Those pictures should be all the reason ANYONE needs to leave stock springs alone.

[redlined302]

Thats a main point in my debate on this subject. IMO riding Ebay cheapos on stock struts is just as unsafe... Yet every other member (not including the countless other people that do this with other cars, not only CB's) rolls like this and nobody ever talks about it being deadly.

My other point is most of these cats talking this "It'll kill you" bullshit have absolutely no experience with cutting springs, whether actually cutting them or riding in a car with cut springs or both. Most of these dudes are just up on here repeating the same shit everybody else says.

Within the last 10 years or so there really is no reason to cut or heat your springs. Lowering springs and coilovers and shit has done away with that "DIY" method. Most of the members here fall into this 10 year period so they don't know anything about everybody cutting springs back in the day.

You are going to be hardpressed to find anybody that has actually died or has killed anybody as a direct result to cutting or heating springs. Not saying it hasn't happened, but it sure hasn't happened enough times for it to be relevant. It CAN be unsafe, so I suppose that by itself is enough reason not to do it but come on now, lets keep it real already...

You do make a good point with that. One thing to remember though, is that at that time, like you had mentioned, they didnt have the things we have now. This time period, all these younger guys and people doing budget builds and cut their springs dont take the time and caution like they did back when.

With the way they do it now, you might as well just have an ebay suspension setup IMHO. Also, with the pictures that were posted on here, I personally believe suspension should be something that is not cheaped out on.

[cuate01221]

Dear God, there IS hope for the younger ones. Thank you for not being a dumbass. Those pictures should be all the reason ANYONE needs to leave stock springs alone.

I don't really fit in with my age group so I tend to hang out with older people.....

I can dig what you are trying to say but those pics are clearly not cut springs. Heating and cutting achieve the same thing but are completely different methods. If you are going to use pics to prove your point atleast use pics that prove your point.

Actually, most of those were cut. That is what happens when the come loose while your driving and your car drops because the shock cannot handle all the weight. I have seen cut springs fail and they looked almost identical to these pictures.

The only ones that were heated were the ones that show all 4. That is my bad.

My friend cut his springs about a month ago. I called him a complete jack ass for doing it and he got pissed at me. He called me while I was doing a tranny job on another cb7 and asked me to go pick up his car with the trailer because one of his springs failed and he was stuck on a bumpy back road. I left him there so he can learn the dangers of cut springs.

What if a mom with a minivan full of kids was coming around a corner while he lost control of his car? He would have crashed into them, injuring them or worse all because he was a dumbass.

Do you want more info on cut springs, or are you going to go endanger me and everybody else out on the roads now?

[HardInThePaint]

Dear God, there IS hope for the younger ones,

Well to be honest, the younger ones are the ones that mostly AREN'T cutting springs lol. I would say out of the population of lowered vehicles now days, an extremely small fraction cut or heat their shit. A lot of kids these days don't even know of this method, all they see are coilovers and lowering springs all over the internet so why would they? Thats a vast contrast to 1997 when EVERYBODY did that shit to lower the car. We really had no other choice though.

I think this thread should mostly be used for educational purposes on this old school method of lowering a car. I think pretty much everybody on this thread got a decent argument on both sides. I just find it irritating when cats don't keep it real on the subject, if you are going to debate please keep the shit real. You should neither dog on it nor condone it when you don't have proper education and/or experience to back any of that up.

WTF nobody really does this shit anymore anyways, shit the OP never even bothered posting a response to his own 5 page thread lol, so I'm sure its not really a big deal to him.

[cuate01221]

Well to be honest, the younger ones are the ones that mostly AREN'T cutting springs lol. I would say out of the population of lowered vehicles now days, an extremely small fraction cut or heat their shit. A lot of kids these days don't even know of this method, all they see are coilovers and lowering springs all over the internet so why would they? Thats a vast contrast to 1997 when EVERYBODY did that shit to lower the car. We really had no other choice though.

I think this thread should mostly be used for educational purposes on this old school method of lowering a car. I think pretty much everybody on this thread got a decent argument on both sides. I just find it irritating when cats don't keep it real on the subject, if you are going to debate please keep the shit real. You should neither dog on it nor condone it when you don't have proper education and/or experience to back any of that up.

WTF nobody really does this shit anymore anyways, shit the OP never even bothered posting a response to his own 5 page thread lol, so I'm sure its not really a big deal to him.

Yeah, most of the younger population is using much safer ebay springs.......

Lol but I do agree with you that less and less people are actually cutting springs. I have seem many cars with at least a decent spring/shock setup. As long as people see that cutting 20 year old springs on stock shocks, is not, and never will be safe, than I think people will hopefully at least buy lowering springs.

[HardInThePaint]

Yeah, most of the younger population is using much safer ebay springs.......

Lol, yeah I never said the younger population was any safer lol...

[cuate01221]

Lol, yeah I never said the younger population was any safer lol...

lol yeah I know I just thought I would point that out

[ferenza]

Ebay springs i can say isnt the best route to go if your gonna do suspension,but they are better than rolling on wilted torched springs and stock shocks that are blown and no longer fit the spring.Again i havent had a single problem with my ebay springs and lowering dampners since i bought them and had them on my car. What i dont trust is those coilovers that they sell.

[F20A CB7]

I guess the word is sleeve.. the ebay coils that sell less than 50 bucksb have a weak ass sleeve.

I can actually squeeze the shit out of it with my hand and they will bend.

[ferenza]

yes exactly. i sold mine brand new in the box to a guy who was begging me for them and they had an obscenely high spring rate and felt flimsy. he had them on in a week and then maybe a month later they had split.he also had raised the car as high as it can go and he was still tucking tires in the rear.My ebay springs had a spring rate of 260lbs. front/ 180lbs.rear. just a bit higher than stock.