cut 1.5 coils from front coils = what drop?

[ooimpalaoo]

if i cut 1.5 coils from my front coils what drop will that give me?

[**grumpy**]

Generally, 1 coil = 2" drop.
So, 1.5 coils = 3" drop
generally...

[leddzepp]

I would not cut more than 1 full coil off of each spring. Just my opinion.

[fleetman]

been wondering. can anyone offer a comparison..... in front end ride between diy 2 inch and a vendor 2 inch ? i mean say you didnt know which it was and you were driving the truck ... could you tell which was which ?

[KQQL IT]

1 or 2 coils. Or they wont set in lower A arm right.
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[ctandc]

BTW if you cut them you need to keep dunking them in water to keep them from getting too hot. If you get 'em hot they will lose their spring rate.

Cutting coils = higher spring rate = rougher ride.

[cory d]

i cut 1.5 coils off of my square adn it dropped about 3.5"

[fleetman]

Originally Posted by ctandc

BTW if you cut them you need to keep dunking them in water to keep them from getting too hot. If you get 'em hot they will lose their spring rate.

Cutting coils = higher spring rate = rougher ride.

so then do the aftermarket drop springs have a rate that is a smooth ride compared to diy cut off springs ?
thanks
just wondering if i ought to try cut off or pop for new drop springs !

[N2TRUX]

If your springs are old, worn, and sagging then an aftermarket drop spring is a better choice. If not then cutting is a great economical alternative. You have to factor in many things to make an informed decision. What year is your truck? What is the condition of the current springs? Do you have a BB or SB? What size tires are you running?

My experience has been that cutting a 1/2 to full coil off of a stock spring in good condition will give you a firmer sportier feel. Its not harsh, and makes the truck feel much tighter in handling. If you want more drop, go with a spindle first then cut your stock spring.

[ctandc]

Originally Posted by fleetman

so then do the aftermarket drop springs have a rate that is a smooth ride compared to diy cut off springs ?
thanks
just wondering if i ought to try cut off or pop for new drop springs !

A drop spring is designed that way.

When you take a stock spring and cut, you are increasing the spring rate (stiffness) proportionately to how much you cut.

In reality, anything with over 100K and 15 years or so is likely to be riding on worn out springs. If you hit a bump on the road and the truck is still bobbing up and down after a 1/2 mile, then yeah, your springs are worn.

A lot of times car and truck guys will use stock low mile (used) springs from other applications to accomplish a drop. Problem with this is simply spring rates. A quality drop spring is designed for the weight of the intended vehicle (like our trucks) and often times other application springs will give the desired drop, but the usually have a lower spring rate and this can result in a soft, loopy ride.

I’m all for saving money. Cut the springs and see where you are. It’s your truck, so it’s YOU who has to drive it.

Many times people will “torch” or heat the springs to get a drop. Problem with that is you are actually killing the ability of the spring to do its job. That’s why you see some lowered cars bouncing all over the place.

Just my 2 cents. I’m new to old Chevy trucks but not to old Chevys in general or other project cars.

[fleetman]

thanks for the detailed replys.
getting ready to go with drop spindle and 2 " drop springs and bags in the back.
66 long fleetside .
paul

[cdowns]

so many guys neglect a good alignment after cheapo homemade drops they wonder next why do my tires wear funny and it drives so bad

[SCOTI]

Cutting springs does increase the spring rate but i don't think it's proportionally 'correct' per amount of drop. I've read before that cutting 1 coil is the equivalent of increasing the spring rate no more than 20% (10-20% based on spring thickness). So a 400lb/in spring that was 8" tall is now a 480lb/in spring that's approx 6" tall (my experience here is that 1-coil is minimum 2" drop). The real difference is now there's potentially not enough spring rate for the height of the spring which leads to poor ride quality.

Personally, the only way to know & decide if this will work is to try it for yourself. I find cutting a coil on the 6x-87 based GM trucks works. Cutting more than a coil doesn't (for me).

For comparison, I've also done 'metric' chassis Malibu's (78-81) & would only go w/an aftermarket drop spring as just cutting a factory coil does not increase the spring rate enough to compensate for the drop.

Cutting 1.5 coils could yield around 4" of drop depending on the quality of the coils. IMO, 4" front spring drop in these trucks is not a good thing. Possible.... but not a good thing.

[belway]

do you need different shocks if you cut a coil out?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by belway

do you need different shocks if you cut a coil out?

You shouldn't.... But the only way to ensure that is to measure the shock + suspension to see.