Bambam7

Yep....well, if done in moderation- it's fine!
I've done a number of searches, and most people who have done it, and those who race as well agree that it's perfectly fine if you only knock off a coil or so... it's a great cosmetic and handling upgrade!
It's where jokers take out 3 or 4 coils, because they could never buy a spring so low (and radically unsafe) that things get dangerous.
So- I'm going to cut mine. I know the RB springs are only 60 a set. and I'll get them sometime, but this is a free, temporary improvement
Also- my car has a nasty rake- like a 79 trans am...!
I want to lower the front by no more than 3/4"- 1", and the rear by about 1.5 or so... (no more) to even it out.

My question- with the car on level ground, can I just measure 1.5" in from the end of the spring, mark it, cut it, and will it equate to exactly a 1.5" drop? Or will it be less or more because of a different spring rate with the 1" gone?
I don't want to go any lower than 1.5 inches in the back- I'll get WAY to much neg camber..
Anyone recomend heights? I only want a mild drop- I don't want the car boucing around like a Honda!
Also- cut from the bottom or top of the spring in the rear?

I know the front's are progressive... what is recomended to cut from, top or bottom?
Even if I can't do the front, I'd still like to cut the back 3/4" or so to even the car out...
Thanks!

chaos7

iTrader: (2)

oops didnt read carefully enough

Taranis

Awhile back someone (I think RETed) mentioned that lowering the car more than 1" would throw off the camber quite a bit and you'd need camber plates to correct it. I'm no suspension guru.. Would this be a bad problem even if you only take off an inch?

- JB

RETed

My suggestion is...
Remove tire and jack the hub up from underneath with a hydraulic jack.&nbsp This will give you an idea of how much of the spring to cut down once you have that corner "loaded".

I've been in an FC with cut down ST springs, and it felt fine.&nbsp Like you said, moderation is the key.

Taranis is also right - you have to watch out in the rear as you end up with too much negative camber dropping anything past 1".&nbsp Better have some money for a rear camber adjust rod to take out all that camber, or else you end up with squealing tires on hard acceleration (reduced tire contact patch) and irregular tire wear (eats the insides of the rear tires real quick).


-Ted

chatch

Ted is right about the camber, when I cut mine on my GTU the rear wheels looked like they were riding on the inner lip of the tire, and the ride sucked, gets way to "floaty". Ill never cut springs again. Granted I did have my 16" Konigs almost in the wheel well.

MasteRX

I have stock springs, but they are old and worn so my car sits lower than stock I think. But anyway, my rear camber is bad and rides on the inner lip of the tire, in fact my tires right now are down to the threads on the inner lip but are fine on the outer edge (I need to get new ones quick).

speederx7@yahoo.com

I have an 86 and its on stock sus. It looks like the rears have a lot of negitive camber but when I did a wheel alignment it was almost exact. Realize we have sports cars so theres going to diffrences between hondas and us. My instructor has a 91 M5 and it looks neg cambered
really bad but its at stock specs.

tmak26b

I will sell you my Eibach springs :P

SureShot

I am a serious cheapskate. I plan cut about .8" next week.

Silkworm

If you're a math major, you could probably figure out how much to cut to give you 1.5" of drop. Me, I'm not. So all I can tell you, use a CUT OFF WHEEL, not a torch to cut the spring, and go half a coil at a time. Yeah, it's a PITA, but unless someone else who's done it can tell you how much to cut to get the drop you want, that's the best way to do it.

And definitely not, cutting 1.5" of spring is not going to give you 1.5" of drop.

PaulC

Bambam7

OK- that's what I figured.
I have noticed a lot of 86's riding a lot lower.. especially in tha back.. I noticed the neg camber. (worn springs) My old 88 was worn too.


OK- 1" max in the back.
1/2 inch in the front.


Does any one know... cut from the top or the bottom of the springs??

Jahoo88

Does anyone know the stock spring rates? # of coils? Total length of the springs?

takerwolf

Is there some stiffer springs you can get that don't lower the car?

Bambam7

Why?
Lowering the car lower the center of gravity, even that little bit is considerable because of the wieght of the car.
The 1-2" drop improves the handling just as much as the stiffer rates.
If your springs are worn, and your car looks low, don't worry, aftermarket springs won't drop it any more... they'll be about the same- and be stiffer.

RETed

1988 Mazda factory service manual...
front - coil number - left - soft 6.05/hard 5.51
right - soft 5.83/hard 5.31
free length - left - soft 14.4"/hard 13.3"
right - soft 14.0"/hard 12.9"

rear - coil number - soft 10.81/hard 10.79
free length - soft 14.45"/hard 14.0"

Jack Yamaguchi quotes 2.0kg/mm front, 2.0kg/mm rear.
I've seen old GReddy catalogs that quote 2.0kg/mm front, 1.8kg/mm rear.

Times 55.88 to convert kg/mm to #/in.
2.0kg/mm = ~112#/in.
1.8kg/mm = ~101#/in.



-Ted

SpeedRacer

I think this slightly differs depending on model and year, but my 90 GTU had 120lbs. front and 90lbs rear. I'm not POSTIVE on that that though. If you do cut your springs, make sure you cut down your bump rubber. Lowering your car without raising the spring rate will make your car bottom on the spring rubbers much more easily. That is very bad if your are corning hard and you hit the bump rubbers. It can cause snap oversteer VERY easily.

takerwolf

I would just like stiffer springs but don't want it any lower than it is now (at least not the amount of drop aftermarket kits do). Any idea how to tell if they are sagging? (87 Turbo 55,000 original miles, 3rd owner, only owned since June so no clue what it use to sit like)?
What about full coilovers?

Castrol86GXL

no one ever says to cut from the top or bottom of the springs but my guess is the top

yearrgh

Does anyone know the compressed length of the springs while the car is sitting? It shouldn't be too hard to calculate if you know the free and compressed length of a normal spring, and the compressed length you want after cutting. It wouldn't be exact if the spring rates are progressive, but i'd think it would be close enough. Anyone agree with me?

BTW Castrol, what the hell was that twisted thing thats you're avatar before Godzilla got to it?

Elysian

do me a favor and get those changed like today, i had to donate my 87 TII to the junk yard because of that i don't want to see it happen to another FC, those r way too cool of a car to send to the junk yard

Castrol86GXL

its a nissan skyline gtr 34

http://skylinesdownunder.com/skyline...ry/deadr34.jpg

Castrol86GXL

why what does it do???

Ezekiel702

Get what changed? What is that bad? Sorry I couldnt find what you were talking about.

ilike2eatricers

this is coming back from the dead

Elysian

what happened to me was i lost traction at about 40 mph when i downshifted to 3rd to get up to bout 45 or 50 in the rain... my tires lit up instantly and i lost control, spinning thru the median and hitting a bus head on. so please, don't let ur tires get too bald lol