Dirt cheap lowering

Ponycarman · **Dirt cheap lowering**

Got my custom springs installed yesterday. Took me about 4 hours. Of course one side went quicker than the other, after I figured out the easier way to do things on the first side. Here's some pics. Height from the ground to the high point of the wheel opening is now 26.5"

Cost: $8.00 + $53 for an alignment.

Steve

STEVE · 06-30-2004, 02:41 PM

how did you get that for 8 bucks

Ponycarman · 06-30-2004, 03:06 PM

Ancient Chinese secret.

One metal cutoff wheel for my table saw = $8.

1 coil cut off my stock front springs and 1.5 coil cut off my back springs gave me a level drop of almost 2 inches. No problems aligning it.

Steve

WhiteStang99 · 06-30-2004, 03:07 PM

what was the $53 for alignment thing?

Does your car handle better?

Ponycarman · 06-30-2004, 03:17 PM

My Mustang needed an alignment. So I got one. It needed an alignment before I did the spring cut and since you really should have your car aligned when you lower it anyway I killed two birds with one stone.

As for the handling better part. I'll let you know for certain next week. I need to drive to work Friday, 206 miles of long straights, twisty curves, hills and whatnot.

Right now, the 5 miles or so I put on it farting around since my alignment 2 hours ago, it seems to handle better and past experience with lowered cars done in this manner bears it out.

But the proof is in the pudding so I'll let you know after my weekly commute to work and back.

Steve

Zim · 06-30-2004, 03:26 PM

wow you really slammed it...

Ponycarman · 06-30-2004, 03:55 PM

lower is better. Given my choice it'd be lower, but the roads aren't that good. I can still get my floor jack under it though.

Steve

Ponycarman · 07-01-2004, 11:20 AM

Well, after a bit more city driving and hot footing it around some corners I noticed my rear has an occasional slight tendancy to slide out on me. Might have to juggle some swaybar rates to fine tune it into the perfect ride. However, with all the rain we have gotten as of late damp roads might be an issue.

Steve

WhiteStang99 · 07-01-2004, 01:33 PM

let me know when you figure out some more about that, I'd definitely be interested in cheap lowering. I wouldn't look too much forward to having a mustang that was even more light on traction in the rear than normal though...

Ponycarman · 07-01-2004, 07:53 PM

Well, after further investigation I found a nail in one of my rear tires, causing it to be low on air. That appears to be the cause of the rear sliding evey once in a while. Fixed it, tested it, no apparent issues.

Now for the long test tomorrow.

Steve

WhiteStang99 · 07-02-2004, 07:22 AM

yeah, nails are a bad thing. on my last set of tires, I picked up 4 nails. All in the same tire, but all at different times. They're building a house down the road from me...

STEVE · 07-02-2004, 11:41 AM

i dont knowhow cutting your springs worked out alot of people have told me it is bad to cut your own springs

Ponycarman · 07-02-2004, 11:56 AM

I've been cutting springs for a long time, first car I did was my new 1986 Dodge Daytona. So I'm looking at, what, 18 years doing it.

Works fine, except for two things. First is that your car sits lower to ground. How much depends. If you are doing it yourself and you cut too much off you can't do anything about it except buy new springs. If you have a less than popular car (re my Daytona) you are stuck buying new springs from the dealer, $$$. So you either need to ask around and see who's done it and what they did and got, or cut a half a coil at a time and reassemble and see if you like it or just cross your fingers, cut it and live with it.

The second thing is that it will increase the spring rate. Which means the car will not ride as smooth as it did. But if you look at all the lowering springs offered by everyone they all increase the spring rate.

Buying a set of aftermarket lowering springs net's you one thing, someone else's time to figure it out.

Cutting your stock springs is fine as long as you do not cut too much off, don't want your spring to fall out when the suspension is at full droop, and you do not use too much heat. So using a torch is out. A high speed cutoff wheel is the ticket.

Steve

**SpectorV** · 07-02-2004, 03:48 PM

cutting stock springs is just stupid.... if you are to cheap to buy a 100 buck set of springs you dont need to be moding a car lol my friend cut his stock springs OMG the ride was horrible and it handled like CRAP lol

STEVE · 07-02-2004, 04:01 PM

you dont know if you cut them all the EXACT same size eighther

Ponycarman · 07-02-2004, 06:53 PM

If you're too stupid to understand what you are doing you shouldn't be modding a car either. I know what I am doing. Odds are I've been doing this longer than you been around pal. Odds are I have the tools to cut the springs, measure the lengths, measure the spring rate and measure the ride height when they are installed.

Steve

STEVE · 07-02-2004, 07:44 PM

well i ahve just heard alot of horror stories about cutting springs

97Stallion · 07-03-2004, 12:04 AM


Quote: Originally Posted by Ponycarman If you're too stupid to understand what you are doing you shouldn't be modding a car either. I know what I am doing. Odds are I've been doing this longer than you been around pal. Odds are I have the tools to cut the springs, measure the lengths, measure the spring rate and measure the ride height when they are installed. Steve

Please lets keep this a calm post.

97Stallion · 07-03-2004, 12:06 AM


Quote: Originally Posted by SpectorV cutting stock springs is just stupid.... if you are to cheap to buy a 100 buck set of springs you dont need to be moding a car lol my friend cut his stock springs OMG the ride was horrible and it handled like CRAP lol

I'm gonna run this forum like Bambi, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. You can disagree, but keep it constructive.

Ponycarman · 07-03-2004, 03:47 AM

Sorry, mom.

Steve