hello all. before anyone tells me not to do it, was wondering wether anyone has cut front springs on front of a mk3 polo. if so how did it go? did they sit in spring seats ok afterwards. far from recommended i know but done it on a few other cars and wondered whether anyone had done it at any point on a mk3?

cheers

Kam/Heartagram will be along shortly to inform you that it's fine and he never died from cutting springs.

good man. done it on loads of previous cars. only one i ever had problems with was a mk1 clio. no matter what i tried they just wouldnt seat properly and kept popping out. noticed with the front springs on the mk3 polo the end coils are wound quite tightly together so look like they'll seat almost the same as they do before they cut

Kam/Heartagram? any advice........please?

Kam/Heartagram? any advice........please?

Mmmm i was going to have mine cut but have been advised by Saf -Grunideg and Karl-Cl Coupe that it wouldnt be safe.Spring and shock sets are prety cheap though . I'm going to have to invest in a set next month . Unfortinatly I'm skint at the mo.

As said you shouldn't do it.

But lots of people have and are still alive.

i have never done it, but after driving a car with just lowering springs and with 190,000miles old dampers. the handerling was so bad. Is it really worth it?

handling suffers yes. but I'm in in for the look. lol

i bought a car that had cut springs and my mate drove it home, i followed and soon as he hit first speed bump, i knew they were cut springs...

it bounced all over shop

he said it handled like shit

i personally wouldnt cut standard springs, get some uprated ones, gsf do some 40mm for about £50 cant go wrong for that much

shave a bit of the fronts tho lol

I just chopped mine with an angle grinder. Just made sure the bit that I cut was cut straight and then put them back on the car. I never died, or kill anyone, god never told me I was wrong in a dream, nothing negative every happened from it. They seated fine as well due to the design of the cup. Its just like a step down where the spring seats itself. Shouldn't come out unless you get seriously airbourne and if your getting airbourne your obviously driving like a idiot anyway so won't make any difference

Half the stuff people tell you is just what they've been told by someone else, who has been told by soeone else, whos been told by someone else.

I mean if all these things were true I should be dead 10 times over and I should be classed as a serial killer for the amount of innocent kids I've 'killed'.

Obviously cutting springs isn't ideal, but then neither is walking around texting. The amount of bastards I've nearly ran over who have just wondered across roads texting and paying fuck all attention to the fact that they are about be run over.

Very well said Kam.

Obviously if you cut three turns off the coil spring it's gonna fall out of its seat when the suspension is on full droop and this is asking for trouble.

However, cut just one turn or so from the coil and everything will be ok.

I can never understand why it is thought to be acceptable in VW circles to have a car's suspension slammed on the floor and or rediculously wide wheels and stretched tyres sticking out of the wheel arches and yet everyone says no to cutting coil springs?

Cut no more than one coil,and the spring will stay secure enough. More than one coil,and the spring will move about with the suspension relaxed - risking jumping out the seat.

And if one coil doesnt sound enough,realise that its about 35-40mm - plenty. Remember that you wont have as much spring rate though,so the front end will be softer,lower and thus bottom-out if you drop it down moderately enough from a bump,ramp etc.

If you want to go lower,get a lowering kit.

I've got philj 80mm shocks and springs. everyone has told me to raise the rear a little to get the car sitting level but i wont. looking at taking one coil of each front to level her out. has the shorter shocks so its not like the springs just gonna be rattling around in there

lowering top caps should get the front down enough to have a decent stance. cutting springs may send the front too far down bud.

top caps cost about £20-30 and will pass an MOT. cut coils won't...

erm cut springs will pass an mot!! As long as they dont move up and down when the car is jacked up. Infact i know of 3 cars thats have passed mots with cut springs and have had teh coil jubilee clipped down so they cant come out of the seat.

i dont see people complaining about coilovers as when they are wound down the spring is free to move up and down aswell.

you should be fine taken a few coils out of the kit, take a look at how close the coils are to eat other when they are opn the car.

I was just coming back to suggest that you cable tie the spring to the seat so it doesn't bounce out. I never did, but its a good idea. or as Andy says with a jubliee clip.

I would suggest you cut one coil at a time just so you can see how much its lowered it by. No point in thinking "3 will be enough" then cutting it and the cars sat on the driveshafts. You can always cut more off but you can't add more to it! Its possible to cut the springs while they are on the car if you do it 1 coil at a time. Its tricky, but saves having to strip the struts off again and again.

i already have the lowering top caps as well but still not low enough. yeah I'm gonna cut bit at a time to be on safe side. same way I've done it in the past. just wanted to make sure no one has experienced any problems reseating them afterwards. cheers guys, you are a fountain of knowledge. id be well and truly stuck without this site and the useful info you guys supply

just cut a coil and a half off each front and have come against a problem. when the car is lowered off the jack, the steering arms are now resting on the inside of the wheel arches. has anyone come against this problem before and if so how did you get round it? is it possible to simply beat the arch in with a hammer to gain enough clearance?

May I hijack this thread for just a single post's worth to enquire;

How exactly does a lowering top mount work?

Is it a cheap way to drop the whip a little?

How many feet do they drop the car by? (alright, millimeters then).

Sorry

forget it i just bothered to search the forum. 10 to 15 mm. easy to fit.

anyone know how much?

Edited 28 September, 200718 yr by Chuck Yoghurt

£20-30 from PhilJ mate

Edited 28 September, 200718 yr by DaveGT

£20-30 from PhilJ mate

Thank you DaveGT. I just thought another thought - what about the rears?

Cut springs = certain death.

FACT.

^^ Kam's a walking talking corps then?

i think they are a pikey way of doing things and as phil can get them so cheap i wouild wait abit longer and get teh proper stuff

Cut springs = certain death.

FACT.

fact" ?

yer so got any proof ?

cutting half a coil wont do any harm, but anymore it will just handle like shite

not advised.

just cut a coil and a half off each front and have come against a problem. when the car is lowered off the jack, the steering arms are now resting on the inside of the wheel arches. has anyone come against this problem before and if so how did you get round it? is it possible to simply beat the arch in with a hammer to gain enough clearance?

For the time being you could always just put your standard top mounts back on.

Other than that you'll just have to notch where the steering arms are rubbing.