I have cut coils on well over 100 cars in my time (did a Lexus LS400 last weekend) and only had trouble with one of them (this was a sharp learning curve!). When you cut a coil, so long as it is still under tension when in place and the wieght is off the wheel, it will be fine. If the coil can move on full suspension travel then you are in for trouble, and this is why coil cutting has a bad name, and is indeed illegal in some countries. I learnt this on the one car I cut down too low. Imgaine hitting a hump-back bridge with springs cut too short - at best, you'll come over the other side with collapsed suspension. As a worst case, I have heard stories of the coil slipping out and going straight through the tyre. This is a bad thing!
As I said, so long as the coil can never move under full extension of the suspension (and is located correctly, of course), then it is as safe as stock.
I am not a big fan of heating the coil until it drops as you are changing the propertires of the metal, and the coil is potentially then prone to snapping. On some applications (pig tailed coils for examples), this is the only way of doing it without spending money.
Last edited by ScrapingScrap : 04-08-2008 at 12:44 PM.
for example taking a raking turn right at 120... and the car is putting all the weight to the left side of the car and the spring can get "loose" and potentially kill you if you are doing 120... lol
I agree with heating, a no no since you change the "spring mass" of the system. Cutting one coil won't be a problem with it falling out. Impossible, as long as it's pigtail sits correctly in its' perch. An uncompressed S class spring will be almost twice it's length uncompressed, so under compression, there is no way it will fall out even with front wheel unloaded, steering linkage connected, sway bar connected, front shock connected, etc.
I guess now, the next question is: should I cut the rear springs?
I was about to but upon examination, cutting one coil from the bottom like the front introduces another problem. The bottom coil has a larger diameter than the next one up and the rest of the spring so in doing so, the bottom (new) pigtail will not fit into the recessed perch...how about cutting the top coil which is flat????
My car looks the same ride height as your finished project - but mine is totally standard ! Are the springs a different spec in the USA to Europe ? It did look an extremely high ride hieght to begin with ? Anyway I now think it looks like it should and hope to you have no problems
your springs are sagged, maybe even broken... it happens on these cars.
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I guess now, the next question is: should I cut the rear springs?
I was about to but upon examination, cutting one coil from the bottom like the front introduces another problem. The bottom coil has a larger diameter than the next one up and the rest of the spring so in doing so, the bottom (new) pigtail will not fit into the recessed perch...how about cutting the top coil which is flat????
this is the least of your worries, you have a self leveling in the rear, that will keep trying to bring your car to the correct level, until your pump burns up. you are asking for trouble, swap to conventional suspension first, then you can manipulate your new springs, as the regular (non ADS) springs are linear non progressive rate pig tail (coil) springs. swapping to the conventional springs involves swapping the shocks and springs, while disabling the PCM for the suspension.
none the less, my opinion is always, get a set of eibacks for 200 bucks rather than heating or cutting for many reasons, most importantly: heating changes the spring rates and specs, while cutting generate corrosion problems where the end of the coil rubs against the lower control arm, both methods will cause your spring to break eventually.
none the less, good luck with anything you do guys...
with all the time taking to cut the springs and being time is money, dont they have lowering springs you can buy online that are as good as stock but lower? Will the cut springs actually deteriorate over time since there is less material. the guys in germany made those springs that height for a reason. I really do hope it works out for you but cut springs is like cutting your legs to lower your body. Thats gotta hurt the rest of you so it must be hurting the rest of your car..
this is the least of your worries, you have a self leveling in the rear, that will keep trying to bring your car to the correct level, until your pump burns up. you are asking for trouble, swap to conventional suspension first, then you can manipulate your new springs, as the regular (non ADS) springs are linear non progressive rate pig tail (coil) springs. swapping to the conventional springs involves swapping the shocks and springs, while disabling the PCM for the suspension.
none the less, my opinion is always, get a set of eibacks for 200 bucks rather than heating or cutting for many reasons, most importantly: heating changes the spring rates and specs, while cutting generate corrosion problems where the end of the coil rubs against the lower control arm, both methods will cause your spring to break eventually.
none the less, good luck with anything you do guys...
When you say "eventually" what kind of time frame are we talking? I guess it depends on how you drive your vehicle but is it months? Years?
When you say "eventually" what kind of time frame are we talking? I guess it depends on how you drive your vehicle but is it months? Years?
it depends primarly on the weather where you live, how much vapor salt and water the car is exposed to, and how worn the springs is in the first place, if i have to set a time frame, i would go with few months here in Boston, to few centuries in say Saudi Arabia...
I live in TX so corrosion is not a problem unless someone sticks a cube of salt in the spring perch with some water....
I believe the self leveling will pump out hydraulic fluid to the resevoir when the adjusting valve is set lower. The N2 spheres still operate the same but the rear shocks are lower and displaced fluids go to the resevoir. There is a sensor on the rear sway bar that rotates based on rear payload. This sensor is directly coupled to the height diverting valve. When I initially received the car, the front was high (stock) but the back was low so I raised it for the first 6 months after I replaced the original N2 spheres and flushed the fluid. I cycled the valve a few times to get the bubbles out and the back will go WAY up. I measured a 6" wheel gap! It looked too funny...
One of these days when I decide to go AMG monoblocks, I'll do the suspension right with real springs but for now, cutting the front springs is working out for me.
I would never do it on my Mustang, I'm on my 3rd set of lowering spring, currently H&R's...
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