cutting front springs
cutting front springs
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,760
Likes: 8
From: Gadsden Purchase
Originally Posted by just-n-time
What are the pros and cons of cutting the coil springs to lower your truck?:-huh
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/coilspring.jpg
The top end of the spring is not spaced the same as the rest of the spring.
That prob'ly won't give you any real trouble especially if you are cutting
wimpy springs.
The spring shown is supposed to be the next to the stiffest spring they made
for my F150. Are you working with a F250 or F350 by any chance?
Super Camper Specials (and I don't know what else) had an even longer spring.
Did you know...?
Shortening a spring makes it stiffer. :)
Think of a coil spring being like a straight torsion spring, since they both twist.
Putting small diameter tires on it ain't enough?
Alvin in AZ
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 448
Likes: 0
From: Winnfield,La.
custom 100
The steering geometry is no longer at optimum?
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/coilspring.jpg
The top end of the spring is not spaced the same as the rest of the spring.
That prob'ly won't give you any real trouble especially if you are cutting
wimpy springs.
The spring shown is supposed to be the next to the stiffest spring they made
for my F150. Are you working with a F250 or F350 by any chance?
Super Camper Specials (and I don't know what else) had an even longer spring.
Did you know...?
Shortening a spring makes it stiffer.
Think of a coil spring being like a straight torsion spring, since they both twist.
Putting small diameter tires on it ain't enough?
Alvin in AZ
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/coilspring.jpg
The top end of the spring is not spaced the same as the rest of the spring.
That prob'ly won't give you any real trouble especially if you are cutting
wimpy springs.
The spring shown is supposed to be the next to the stiffest spring they made
for my F150. Are you working with a F250 or F350 by any chance?
Super Camper Specials (and I don't know what else) had an even longer spring.
Did you know...?
Shortening a spring makes it stiffer.
Think of a coil spring being like a straight torsion spring, since they both twist.
Putting small diameter tires on it ain't enough?
Alvin in AZ
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 811
Likes: 4
What is the end result you are looking for? If you want to lower the truck 3-4 inches, then there are kits out there to do that safely, and you still maintain the steering geopmetry. If you want to go lower, bag it.
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,760
Likes: 8
From: Gadsden Purchase
:-headbang
the springs are on a custom 100 but they are for a 150 and are much thicker
than the oem springs,two things caught my eye first the spring had the shocks
at max hight and I also wanted to drop the front end, I know I will have to bend
axels to put the geometry back to stock settings of the camber.:confused:
the springs are on a custom 100 but they are for a 150 and are much thicker
than the oem springs,two things caught my eye first the spring had the shocks
at max hight and I also wanted to drop the front end, I know I will have to bend
axels to put the geometry back to stock settings of the camber.:confused:
No kidding, that happens all the time and even happened to me with Rancho
5000's which are a pickup specialty shock. If anyone should get them right it
should be Rancho, right?
Can't tell you what to do since I've always wanted to raise stuff to get more
ground clearance for un-maintained mountain roads. :)
If you are going to mess with the geometry, and do your own work, you are
going to have to figure out what to do to it.
I've had two pretty badly bent front I-beams so far and neither one acted like
they wanted to break anywhere.
The wrecking yard replacements needed no adjustment other than toe-in.
(which was set by "experts" and they both dropped the ball;)
Have fun. :)
It would be cool to hear your ideas as you go. :)
Alvin in AZ
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Elder User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 679
Likes: 1
From: Memphis, TN
how many coils can you cut off without getting your beams bent?
im saving up for some beams from belltech but kinda want to drop it now. just a few inches.
im saving up for some beams from belltech but kinda want to drop it now. just a few inches.
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 273
Likes: 1
i was only able to go a half coil on mine without having the beams bent.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 448
Likes: 0
From: Winnfield,La.
I have looked at two different drop beams one round and the other that looks more like the beams, in search both have had trouble with bending so I am a little uneasy with laying the money out for bad stuff. of course I dint know how much abuse was placed on them either. I also want to put stabilizer or sway bars on the truck.
Freshman User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
In hopes of helping you out a little. I have dropped the front of my 79 F100 5" with the DJM 3" lowering dream beams and then I bought a pair of '90's F350 springs we cut them down to the stock height (F350 springs are longer then the original F100 springs) then we cut 4" of coils off. Right now I have a set of Bilstein shocks that we had laying around in the front. They work, but over some bigger bumps in the road you get the old bunny hop once or twice (right now looking into getting the right shocks which is hard to do seeing how I've found your on your own when it comes to lowering these trucks)
Mountain Pass
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
Cutting coils will slightly increase spring rate which may be good. In fact if you can get long ones and cut them way down you may be just right for a low rider. It works kinda like this: If you have 10 wraps on a 300 pound spring and you cut off two then you just made the spring 20% stiffer or about 360 lbs. Most lift kit springs and factory springs are too soft for a low ride anyway. Can't help on you angle of the dangle on your steering but make sure you remove the coil to set bumpstop height first then measure for shock lengh. If you shocks are about 1" from being collapst (perfect and no less) when resting on your bumpstops then use this magical devise to ease hard hits. Get the black ones from a site sponser who sells Daystar. They are fantastic in the right aplication.
Daystar EVS Foam Bump Stops - OK4WD
Daystar EVS Foam Bump Stops - OK4WD
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 493
Likes: 0
Check my gallery , I cut exactly 2 coils from stock springs , dropped it 4 inches 1 inch above tire , the camber was 3 dagrees off tilted in , had a alignment shop bend them to 0 dagrees camber , they said that was max bend they ever did on these trucks , camber and castor is better than stock now and drives perfectly straight and no bump steer , cut bump stops off and mounted smaller bump stops to frame which gave more travel . Then bought lowered djm 14 inch shocks from stylin concepts , rides better now and bottoms out less , I am going to buy new springs next and cut then down for a little stiffer ride , I suggest get new springs and cut them and then bend the beams , cost $150 bucks instead of $600 beams and $100 shocks .
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 448
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From: Winnfield,La.
cutting coil springs
ken I had a much larger set of springs, they where three inches taller and 3/8 ths thicker than oem, I cut four wraps off and it sits just one inch above the stops, I have no idea about the ride as I am still in the paint and polish stage ,I only get maybe four hours a day on it but I am getting closer to day I rebuilt the bench seat, several springs to replace, next retouch the interior and door jams.