Going to be lowering a pickup by chopping springs just until i can get hold of some lowering springs. I know it has been asked before but it usual a question of safety i want to know how much i can knock off and how to chipchop.

How much can i safely chop off and whats the best method of cutting them down minimal heat i am guessing??

Also before anyone else says it is unsafe i would like to have some strong evidence that it is from a personal experience and not some tosh you heard down the dog and gun about how your mate cut his springs and his car just burst into flames.

Thanks in advance.

Dude i really wouldnt chop your springs, i heard a baby dies in china every time a coil drops off. I've also heard tales that driving on chopped springs can cause you to develop aids, but that hasnt been confirmed as yet.

I'm gona vote 2 coils and see how it sits before taking further action.

Ha ha ha ha You retard!! 2 coils should lower me?? I don't care if it handles like crump for a few weeks as its a 1.9 diesle tractor in the end. Do you just grind the coils off??

Do you just grind the coils off??

your very very keen lol

Do you just grind the coils off??

your very very keen lol

Ha ha ha ha! As the car is being stripped for paint i thought i may as well have a go. Boredom and arch gap can make a man lose his sensible side.

Edited 30 September, 200817 yr by demolover

dont do it you fool just wait till you get proper ones its so unsafe but people will tell you its not but go ahead and do what you think. imHo i would wait what is a few weeks eh I've waited 3 months to get coilies and now they're hear I'm over the moon.

Well the reports i have heard from most people is that its not dangerous it just gives a shit ride. Which to be honest doesn't bother me in a 63bhp diesel van. Old car i did things properly and i will be doing in the future. Cutting springs for a temp measure surely isn't that much of a problem??

Plus for the van i have the suspension is a nightmare. Skoda felicia springs up front and a total model specific (vw/skoda pickup) rear suspsnsion setup. Can use mk4 golf lowering springs on the rear but they are not properly rated for the van. Basically you have to fork out for two lowering kits and use the fronts from one and the rears from another. Ball ache i hear you cry.

No coiles available, if you want some its gaz cutoms or homebrew. Basically your money or your life.

Edited 30 September, 200817 yr by demolover

Chop chop, angle grinder time. Bring it over homes, pikeytech will see you right in a matter of minutes.

Protectionless angle grinding for the win haha.

I've ran loads of cars on chopped springs and I'm not dead yet. Its dangerous, but so is everything these days.

Its either dangerous or it gives you cancer. There the only two options we seem to have.

Apparently loads of things make you infertile too, I'll guess chopped springs do that as well.

I've ran loads of cars on chopped springs and I'm not dead yet. Its dangerous, but so is everything these days.

Its either dangerous or it gives you cancer. There the only two options we seem to have.

great quote :)

. Do you just grind the coils off??

No you don't. to do things right you'll have to cut part of the suspension rod to shorten it and match the coils and change the fluid to match as well. After that remember to check wheel alignement. I know rally cars who ran 1 or 2 seasons with this setup (not everyone got tons of $$$ to prep a car).

simply cutting the coils off will result in a shitty and dangerous car

hope that helps

Whack the angle grinder out, 2 coils should be enough.

Will lower roughly 50-60mm, ride quality will suffer but hey...

. Do you just grind the coils off??

No you don't. to do things right you'll have to cut part of the suspension rod to shorten it and match the coils and change the fluid to match as well. After that remember to check wheel alignement. I know rally cars who ran 1 or 2 seasons with this setup (not everyone got tons of $$$ to prep a car).

simply cutting the coils off will result in a shitty and dangerous car

hope that helps

Its only a temp. measure! I assume you mean the shock? I took the suspension off my mk3 polo and someone had cut and welded the shock... probably the most dangerous thing to do, more so than chopping the spring! Wont be able to change the oil in the shock either as they'll be sealed units i'd imagine...

Just chop the buggers! Got a friend from our local meet running a mk2 passat that is on the floor...chopped springs. Has been since days after it passed the MOT about 9 months ago...

Id say you've only really got 1.5 coils max before the spring sits so loose in the cup,its at risk of slipping.

That's still a good 50mm.

Id remove the spring first,then measure it up - you'll be able to get it right on minimum. Then cut an identical amount from the other side - and use the thinnest disc you can on the grinder.

Thanks for the info everyone. Looks like i am in for a hard ride and tumours.

I will put up my findings following this. Including before and after shots, hospital results and any reports of children dying.

Is there any reason why you cant weld the bottom of the spring to the cup? Surely this would prevent it from jumping out?

Probably no reason why you couldn't do this but a jubilee clip works fine (or so i am led to believe). Surely as long as you don't cut too much spring off and don't drive like an utter tool there is no reason why it should come out anyways.

as far as i can remember the rears sit in the rubber seat at the top so won't slip out (if i remember rightly) and i don't see any issue with the fronts either as long as the coils are the same width all the way up it'll sit in at the base fine.

so cut the top coils from the rear and the bottom from the front. 2 rear and 1 front coil off shoud see 60mm easy.

don't overlook the fact you may need to cut down the bumpstops 10-20mm.

the only way you risk them becoming unseated is if you were doing jumps or anything to fully extent the shock which is very unlikely imo. an angle grinder with a deent cutting blade will sort it fine, just don't get the sparks on the painwork as the burn into the paint and make little rust spots.

i got an ibiza sunday and bought some 15" bbs monday night for it, the coilys aren't coming til friday so i lopped off a few coils to close the vast arch gap. i've done it on plenty of cars i've owned even when i've bought the lowest possible spring shock combo for whatever i was driving at the time but didn't feel it was low enough - obviously prior to coily's being readily available. now i live at -100mm haha! good luck with it bud!

oh and make sure they seat correctly when you lower the jacks once you've done it.

2 rear and 1 front coil off shoud see 60mm easy.

don't overlook the fact you may need to cut down the bumpstops 10-20mm.

i've done it on plenty of cars i've owned even when i've bought the lowest possible spring shock combo for whatever i was driving at the time but didn't feel it was low enough....... good luck with it bud!

See thats the response i like to read :-) Presonal experience is all that matters. Its a 1.9 diesel vw caddy pickup (same as skoda felicia pickup ) the front end weighs more than the sun and its slower than Stevie Hawking, so i am about as likely to do jumps as he is.

I know about cutting the bump stops as i did this when i put the H&R kit on my old mk2.

Cheers for the reply and i will update the pic thread when the van is done at the end of the wknd probably :-)

Hip Hip Hooray for polo6n2g40!!

. Do you just grind the coils off??

No you don't. to do things right you'll have to cut part of the suspension rod to shorten it and match the coils and change the fluid to match as well. After that remember to check wheel alignement. I know rally cars who ran 1 or 2 seasons with this setup (not everyone got tons of $$$ to prep a car).

simply cutting the coils off will result in a shitty and dangerous car

hope that helps

Its only a temp. measure! I assume you mean the shock? I took the suspension off my mk3 polo and someone had cut and welded the shock... probably the most dangerous thing to do, more so than chopping the spring! Wont be able to change the oil in the shock either as they'll be sealed units i'd imagine...

Just chop the buggers! Got a friend from our local meet running a mk2 passat that is on the floor...chopped springs. Has been since days after it passed the MOT about 9 months ago...

not the shock, the rod that holds the pistons inside.no welding back involved. and shock can still be refilled.

like most things if its done right its perfectly safe

. Do you just grind the coils off??

No you don't. to do things right you'll have to cut part of the suspension rod to shorten it and match the coils and change the fluid to match as well. After that remember to check wheel alignement. I know rally cars who ran 1 or 2 seasons with this setup (not everyone got tons of $$$ to prep a car).

simply cutting the coils off will result in a shitty and dangerous car

hope that helps

Its only a temp. measure! I assume you mean the shock? I took the suspension off my mk3 polo and someone had cut and welded the shock... probably the most dangerous thing to do, more so than chopping the spring! Wont be able to change the oil in the shock either as they'll be sealed units i'd imagine...

Just chop the buggers! Got a friend from our local meet running a mk2 passat that is on the floor...chopped springs. Has been since days after it passed the MOT about 9 months ago...

not the shock, the rod that holds the pistons inside.no welding back involved. and shock can still be refilled.

like most things if its done right its perfectly safe

I've got a mk3 square an i cut 2 off the front and 3 off the back looks evil an I've ad no problems mate

get them chopped, my mate runs chopped springs on every car he has owned, handles like a bag of shit but looks pimp and its free cant complain really

"Its either dangerous or it gives you cancer. There the only two options we seem to have." brilliant qoute

Holy thread bump batman

dude!

just thought id say i cut my springs today as a temp measure and it looks great!! its a bit bouncy but its not as bad as i thought it was going to be.

i cut off almost 4 coils off the rear of the top and 2 and a half on the front springs. the car is pretty much level, thinking about slightly more off the front tho.

would definatley get tracking checked, just drove mine up the road and its all over the place. haha. roughly half the standard tyre is in the rear arch. looks phat!!

gary