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Cutting coils to lower a car...bad idea.
This is copied from another site, but it is pertains here:
"I guess i will be the odd man out here.. First off There is abosulutly nothing wrong with cutting coil springs. But you need to know the basics about doing it. First... you never cut a coil with a torch NEVER!! When you cut coils you do it with a die cutter or cut off wheel,using very little heat. Next is suspension Geomtry..if you know nothing about it you probable should not be cutting springs. The lower a-frame on most car should be NO lower than level to the ground.Thats center of ball joint to the inner pivot of the lower a-frame should be level or the ball joint center a liitle closer to the ground than the inner pivot.Also the tie rods should be in the same plane or its bumpsteer city(not a very fun thing) Next cutting springs DOES change spring rate. If you cut a spring it will raise the spring rate(soft springs get stiffer as they get shorter) So if you have a big diameter wire on your coil and you cut it..its going to be even stiffer.(sometimes we buy a soft rate spring if we think we will be cutting a lot) We have to cut coils all the time to set ride height on rods ..its a common practice and there is nothing wrong with it..But you do need to know why you are cutting them..It affects camber ,castor,bumpsteer,Toe,ride and some times shock lengths. So if your doing it to get the cool look ..FORGET it. As with anything you touch on the frontend it has to be aligned after you get done with any mods.Hell if you install A/C on you car you should have it realigned(diff nose weight,changes alignment) DONT EVER CUT 2 COILS OFF with the first try. 1/2 to 1/4 at a time is BIG.Its very helpful if you get to be friends with a circle track racer with a spring rater to help you,they will know springs in and out(probabaly have 50 or so hangin around) Hope this clears up some of the myths about cutting coils"
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don hodgdon '89 744ti, '81 242t, '71 D-35
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