I installed front Moog springs and cars sits too high

If you have (example) 800lb. spring and cut a coil, it's not 800lbs anymore (it's not fake just reality), maybe it only drops to 750 I don't know and I may have to do it, but as a last resort... I drive my car into turns and don't want a soft left front on a right hand turn... it's not good for my 'pursuit of happiness'. That's just me, if your happy with the cut, then that's all that really counts.
 
I have four panthers (2 Marauder's and 2 Sports) and they all sit at different ride heights stock, which I find bizarre.

I would think the spring coil and strength itself (compression strength) would not change too radically by cutting 1/2 to 1 coil, unless you heated the last coil or two to tap it and flatten the end.

By simply cutting the coil, you are only shortening the coil, not changing its overall thickness and structural rigidity of its spring quality/matric. Of course the coil is now shorter so you are diminishing the overall or total amount of possible compression...

1/2 coil cut netted my MM 3/4 of an inch lowering (max) which was perfect. I installed KYBs... I may try Monroe super duty shocks on next. I noticed no change whatsoever soft/hard/sloppy wise (except the improved lowered center of gravity improvement) due to cutting coil. *Note: If I did diminish my spring from 800 to 760 by cutting 3/4 coil, maybe the firmer shock offset? Car rides a little firmer, I assume due to the shock.

Next week I am cutting 3/4 coil off the RedSled because it sits so high that w 235/50 front and 265/50 rear their is almost negative rake like OP's car. Looking for it to drop 1 inch to 1 1/4 inch (only) in front so that it will simply look like stock Panther.

All of this was to say... Don't worry about cutting the coil. Just don't cut too much.

Btw I did test drive a MM that was "slammed". I recall guy said he cut 1.2 to 2 coils. It drove like a POS! I hated what they had done. And I swore if I ever cut... I'd rather it be .5 inch high, than .5 inch too low.
 
metro1998 said:
If you have (example) 800lb. spring and cut a coil, it's not 800lbs anymore (it's not fake just reality), maybe it only drops to 750 I don't know and I may have to do it, but as a last resort... I drive my car into turns and don't want a soft left front on a right hand turn... it's not good for my 'pursuit of happiness'. That's just me, if your happy with the cut, then that's all that really counts.
Click to expand...

cutting THE LENGTH increases the rate i used 650 ish rate springs from a 69 429 torino in many of my old mustangs a third of a coil would raise the rate to 720 i might be off a bit as i have used 1/3 , 1/2 and a full coil cut offs. cutting with a torch can end up weakling the spring

Also increasing the rate might require much heavier shocks to control springs from bouncing.

My 1000 lb rate front springs i use double adjustable QA1 shocks. I had them rebuilt a while back and had forgotten my settings. I set them up at to low of an compression and rebound. Yesterday while installing my summer tires dropped the front shocks and went 2 clicks up on compression and rebound.
now the front end dosent bounce around hitting woopies.
 
my summer and winter tires also affect the ride
Winter using 265 x 50 x 15s F and 295 x 50 x 15s R.
Summer 285 x 30 x 18 F and 295 x 35 x 18 R
the winter tires ride best due to the taller rubber section both sets are the same diameter
 
Thanks ALL comments are greatly appreciated. I don't know how to get a picture on here... 'URL of your image http://' ?? I have a PNG File (.PNG) or a JPG File (.jpg). I'm not really computer literate.
 
metro1998 said:
Attached file?
Click to expand...




I would be too embarrassed to drive that truck. And after already spending the money already and seeing the outcome I would have slid the jack right back up under there and got my grinder ready..

Did you torque down the A arms with the car in the air by chance?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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Someone else is doing the work, He should know that but I'll tell him to do that first before changing the springs, but do you really think that's going to lower the front 3"... I'm thinking.. nope.
 
You basically clamp the UCA and LCA in that position when you torque them. Think about it, to remove the factory coil over assembly it is much easier to loosen the LCA bolts so that it will drop more. These are not bearings. You absolutely torque the bolts on the control arms when the suspension is loaded.

And yes cutting the springs does increase the spring rate:
https://www.eatondetroitspring.com/cutting-coil-springs/

And if you want the math behind it here you go:
https://www.eatondetroitspring.com/cutting-coil-springs-calculations/

Also, when you cut a spring you need to understand that the factory dampers were designed with a specific spring rate. Now that you have cut the spring you may very well have screwed up the damper/spring combo. If you are going to tinker with spring rates you need to understand how this will affect the damper or have the $$$ to get adjustable dampers. Even then you can get crazy and get custom valved dampers so you can mess with different spring rates but that is usually on race cars. Think Penske here:
https://www.penskeshocks.com/
 
metro1998 said:
Someone else is doing the work, He should know that but I'll tell him to do that first before changing the springs, but do you really think that's going to lower the front 3"... I'm thinking.. nope.
Click to expand...



Depends on just how tight he tightened the bolts.. and yes it could lower it an easy 1 1/2”. Keep in mind you had new uncut springs installed so matter what it is going to sit tall.

Smashing the bushings down on unsprung suspension and expecting them to simply maneuver back into static ride height isn’t going to happen. It will also chew up the bushings if left and create a stiff ride.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
LOwering or raising the suspension often requires different length shocks as well as stiffer shock valving. so its best to measure between the shock mounting points with the vehicle sitting on the ground.
tightening the control arms without the vehicle on the ground issue is the factory style bushings metal sleeve has teeth on the ends that engage when the bolt is tightened. Because of this the rubber acts like a torsion spring. it adds enough to the spring rate that installing poly bushings (have no teeth) with stock springs one could find they might want heavier rate springs
 
When I did the car above, cut one coil, put back together and slid a jack under the lower control arm and jacked it up enough to lift that side off the jack stand a CH
Then tightened up the upper control arm bolts.

It took a week to settle completely

Just put 2000 miles on it going to Woodward..
 
blazen71 said:
What is the ride height at now?
Click to expand...

The black car with 235 55 18s up front sits at 27.5 and my thumb sideways barely fits between the tire and fender lip

I have a 72k silver birch with a vortech and stock suspension with stock size firestone tires and it sits at 28 inches.

Hope that helps
 
Turbov6Bryan said:
The black car with 235 55 18s up front sits at 27.5 and my thumb sideways barely fits between the tire and fender lip

I have a 72k silver birch with a vortech and stock suspension with stock size firestone tires and it sits at 28 inches.

Hope that helps
Click to expand...
Yes it helps, thanks! I'm not sure if you said, what springs did you use?
 
Aerocoupe said:
You basically clamp the UCA and LCA in that position when you torque them. Think about it, to remove the factory coil over assembly it is much easier to loosen the LCA bolts so that it will drop more. These are not bearings. You absolutely torque the bolts on the control arms when the suspension is loaded.

And yes cutting the springs does increase the spring rate:
https://www.eatondetroitspring.com/cutting-coil-springs/

And if you want the math behind it here you go:
https://www.eatondetroitspring.com/cutting-coil-springs-calculations/

Also, when you cut a spring you need to understand that the factory dampers were designed with a specific spring rate. Now that you have cut the spring you may very well have screwed up the damper/spring combo. If you are going to tinker with spring rates you need to understand how this will affect the damper or have the $$$ to get adjustable dampers. Even then you can get crazy and get custom valved dampers so you can mess with different spring rates but that is usually on race cars. Think Penske here:
https://www.penskeshocks.com/
Click to expand...


What ends do our springs have?
 
The fronts are a tangential end on the bottom and more of a pigtail end on the top. This makes it where you would only remove coils off the bottom of the spring.

I have disassembled the front strut assemblies on my CV IFS to install adjustable coil overs so I am looking at the springs.
 
Aerocoupe said:
The fronts are a tangential end on the bottom and more of a pigtail end on the top. This makes it where you would only remove coils off the bottom of the spring.

I have disassembled the front strut assemblies on my CV IFS to install adjustable coil overs so I am looking at the springs.
Click to expand...

You got it backwards. Bottom is pig tailed. Remove coils from the top.
 
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