cutting a coil in springs

[captin_urbis]

anyone done this or any reason as to why i should not do it??

 

[AlpineWhite]

You are joking?

 

[captin_urbis]

no, my friend told me to do so and i dont no anything about it lol

 

[chris27]

Dont do it. Very dangerous. Springs are progressively wound (ie compress differnet amounts depending on weight). Keeping it simple imagine that half the spring compresses under half a ton and the other half compressess under a ton. If you cut it in half you are loosing the first amount of compression, so with between half a ton and a ton of weight on it, the spring will do fu*k all.

If ive got that completley wrong someone feel free to correct it.

 

[AlpineWhite]

Also the ends of springs are wound flat; i.e. it forms a circular contact at each end with the strut. Cut springs will just leave the end of a coil in contact with the strut. Not a good idea!

 

[Dave_R]

 

[captin_urbis]

lol ok, i see so i shall jus save and buy some coilies and give the guy who told me to do so a slap then!

 

[silverline1]

cheaper than coilovers mate, i'd take 3 off

 

[chris27]

Or jus buy some lowering springs rather than coilys if your on a bit of a budget?

 

[captin_urbis]

take off 3 what? and might have to look into the lowering springs, seen the polo ones going for jus £65 on ebay

 

[chris27]

Im sure someone else will know better but dont presume all polo stuff fits the ibiza

 

[Fl@pper]

out of all the types of spring i have ever come across only one type (tangential) is cuttable in any form and doing so increases the spring rate anyway so needs some serious maths/measurements and understanding first

the top of ibiza springs are pigtailed but if i remember the bottom is tangential so theoretically it is possible but and i MEAN BUT considering the time/effort/calculations and lack of multiple pieces and test equipment to verify results you may as well buy some lowering springs be a lot safer and simpler

the calculation is (11,250,000 times the wire diameter to the 4th power) divided by (8 times the active number of turns times the mean diameter cubed)


then on top you will need some shockers that operate correctly to match the new spring rate/length as your standard ones will just bottom out on the first corner pothole and put you in the wall

 

[silverline1]

christ, some folk take stuff for gospel

Polo suspenson wont fit, its not weighted properly

if you are going to do anything, do it properly or not at all

 

[AlpineWhite]

if you are going to do anything, do it properly or not at all

Go big, or go home

 

[wilz]

cheaper than coilovers mate, i'd take 3 off

Best quote so far,

Why not just take off the springs and run on shocks.lol.

Give your friend a good slap, very dangerous and just plain stupid.

As above polo suspension has the wrong spring rating

 

[captin_urbis]

aah right ok thanks for the advice guys! will jus buy the ibiza lowering springs then cheers!

 

[orangemuffin]

Cuting springs is very old school. People use to do it alot when i was at school to ford orions and metro's that they brught for £150. The ride is truley shocking and is very dangerous.

 

[EnGbudd]

Haha i remember my mate wanted to cut his springs on his saxo, i told him bad idea. Just get coilovers £200 from club polo, is nothing if you think about it.

 

[OllieL]

Another cheap way of lowering the car would be to fill it with much weight as you can.
Paving slabs normally fit well into the front foot wells, and you can fill the spare wheel well with concrete

Ollie

 

[captin_urbis]

lol might try this, just to see if it work! lol then ill use an old ironing boarrd as a spoiler and a hair dryer as a turbo!