How much of a drop would that give?

I'd buy a used set and have them cut by a friend (not using a torch).

I'm just bored and cheap.

 

No way to know exactly. It's trial and error.

Measure compressed length (CL). Then measure uncompressed length(UL).

Rough estimate for the drop would be length of cut-off part X (CL/UL).

 

halcyon, if you decide to go through with this, contact me:

Olderenglish@gmail.com

 

I promise you it will ride like crap. If it doesn't I'll come over and cut another coil and a half off . Sadly I think clipping on the factory coils is a bad idea. The coil will not seat right. A set of used 2 inch drop coils would be much safer and only like $60 or $75. It can be done but I suggest against it.

 

Just my $.02, but I have heard REPEATEDLY that it is NOT smart to cut the factory coils...originally heard of this when modding my Honda (I know, I know....but you have to learn on SOMETHING, right?), and the logic that was given to me made sense. Better to go for a spring made for the drop that you want than to cut one and risk s***ty ride quality as well as a weakened spring, IMO.

Steve

 

Go for it. One coil will give you about an inch. Measure your ride height first, my truck sat a bit higher on one side than the other when it was stock. When you get done and drive it, get back on here and let us know how you like or hate it. If you think it rides like crap, I'm sure we can recommend a cheap alternative to cutting your springs.

 

There is nothing wrong with cutting a little bit off of a coil. It just becomes a shorter and stiffer spring.

If you cut the right end, it will fit in the spring pocket just fine.

It's worth a try. Not because it's cheap, but because it's easy and infinitely adjustable. If it does not mett your expectations, what are you out?

 

[QUOTE=Tim Skelton]There is nothing wrong with cutting a little bit off of a coil. It just becomes a shorter and stiffer spring.
QUOTE]

Please, correct me if I'm wrong here, but doesn't this place a disproportionate load on a spring that was not designed to be there? If the maunfacturer had intended for the coils to be cut, it seems that they would have made them shorter to begin with. What about settling and the chance for compression due to the increased load?

Steve

 

It doesn't work that way.

Springs are just a straight rod of steel coiled up. The coils don't share the load -- each coil supports 100% of the weight of the truck.

As the spring gets shorter, it gets stiffer in direct proportion to the number of coils removed. So the truck's weight is still well supported.

Cutting too much can upset the suspension and cause the coils to bind up, but if we are talking about removing a coil from a nine-coil spring, it's a pretty modest change.

 

I did this to my truck when I first got it and then had to buy a set of springs to do it right. The coil cutting thing lowered the truck to the heighth I wanted but every time I hit a bump it would be into the suspension stops hard, so I had to fix it right.
Dale

 

1. How much did you drop it

and

2. Did you trim the bump stops?

Just curious.

 

Quick question for you guys with drops, all I have heard is to go directly to the alignment shop after installing the springs, but what happens after the springs settle, do you have to go back and get it re-aligned, how does that work?

 

Cut coils are perfectly fine with a linear rate coil, which the lightnings and harleys and f150's have. cutting progressive coils are the no-no's.

the general rule of thumb is for every 1/2 coil cut you will gain roughly 1" of drop. so cut a full coil off a set of SVT springs and you should be sitting with about a 2" front drop.

My first set of drop springs was a set of 02 HD coils with 1/2 a coil cut off. that got me 1" of drop on my 00 HD. rode identical to stock. with just 1/2 coil cut off it made no noticible difference in the ride or handling of the truck other than the better appearance of sitting 1" lower.

After that i got 2" Ruslow 1000 lb coils since i wanted to go lower with a stiffer better handling coil. 6 months later and i lowered the rear some more and wanted to lower the front again.

had a set of hotchkis coils in the shed that already had between 1/2 and 1 full coil cut off. put them in the truck, got another inch drop over my Ruslow 1000 lbers (3" total front drop) and the truck rode fine. bottomed out on teh bump stops, but i got a shorter set to fix that.

wanted my stiffer ruslow coils back in though, so i cut 1/2 coil the bottom of those (not from the flat ground top), and currently have them in my truck right now. i'll probably pull them back out and cut another 1/8 to 1/4 coil off since i still need about another 3/8" to 1/2" drop up front to get the truck sitting level again with a 3" front drop to match my 4.5" rear drop.

handles awesome, rides great, no adverse effects from any of the 3 cut coils i've ran in my truck to date.

FLBigDog, as for the alignment and when to get it, for any drop i've done on my truck, or on somebody elses truck (i've done about 8 front drops so far between my truck and others), i always recommend driving between 50-100 miles before getting an alignment. as long as the truck isnt pulling straight off the road, or the camber isnt an immense amount off, any slight pull or negative camber wont hurt the tires any noticible amount in 50 miles, and it will allow time for the springs to settle in to get the full amount of drop before getting it aligned for that ride height.

 

Thanks Harley, I am looking to get the spring put in this weekend and wanted to make sure I was doing things right, thanks again. Anyone wanna come and help me put these drop springs on this weekend
-Patrick

 

Just set the camber and toe as best as you can by eye and then drive it like #356 says.

Because I didn't, mine was way too far off to drive anywhere. I barely made it alive to the alignment shop a few miles away.