02GF74
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 07:33 AM |
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quickie - lowering suspension
.... previoulsy asked about cutting down a spring but had a locost idea.
what about taking an angle grinder and running it over the outside of the spring to slightly reduce its cross section thus making it a bit softer?
I can;t see thit it matters that the spring is not longer circular in cross section????
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Phil.J
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 07:41 AM |
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Lowering a car by softening the springs so it sags more would have a radical effect on the handling, probably defeating the object in lowering it in
the first place! Plus you would need a way of measuring the spring rates to get them balanced. Shortening the springs by cutting them will also raise
the rate sharply.
If you speak to a local spring manufacturer you might find they will make what you want at a surprisingly reasonable rate.
Phil
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 07:42 AM |
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There's a fairly high risk of creating a weak spot (e.g. a bit thinner than the rest) that would fracture very rapidly as it gets all the stress
concentrated there. Even a bad scratch in the surface would do it.
That's why the spring makers use constant thickness wire...
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nitram38
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 07:58 AM |
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Another reason why I have inboard suspension.
I have the choice of adjusting the springs to help with roll, but also the opportunity to adjust/replace the pushrod lengths for ride height.
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tks
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 08:00 AM |
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the only
cheap way of lowering en stifning what i have seen is to make a clamp
of sheet U´s end to union 2 windins together..
then you lower the car with the distance between the winding! also the spring is stiffer because it has 1 winding less.
Tks
The above comments are always meant to be from the above persons perspective.
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Prez
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 08:02 AM |
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Whatever you do, DO NOT take an angle grinder to a spring. It is impossible to achieve any kind of satisfactory outcome through this method. As
previously stated, go to the professionals, the consequences of a suspension failure at any kind of speed would be horrendous.
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RazMan
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 08:18 AM |
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Softening the spring is definitely not the answer for the reasons already stated. As tks said, I have heard of adjacent coils of the spring being
clamped together, effectively shortening the spring and lowering ride height.
Still a bit dodgy imo
Cheers,
Raz
When thinking outside the box doesn't work any more, it's time to build a new box
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James
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 09:23 AM |
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New springs cost bugger all anyway, just buy some you tight git! 
Cheers,
James
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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Catpuss
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 10:01 AM |
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Certaily new springs will cost less than the problems you find when they fail and the insewerance won't pay out due to the springs being ground
down.
Don't risk it. Just get springs the size and stiffness you want.
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02GF74
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 10:49 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by James
New springs cost bugger all anyway, just buy some you tight git!
Cheers,
James
I haven't inveswtigated this but if I stay with the dolomite shocks, I'd be surprised if there will be much of a choice as far as
springs go (i.e. same diameter, length, lower poundage.)
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greggors84
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 01:13 PM |
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Are they not a standard size then? You should be able to get some aftermarket springs from someone else that will fit your shocks.
Chris
The Magnificent 7!
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02GF74
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 02:09 PM |
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from memoery, they are about 120 mm diameter - dunno if that is a standard size.
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paulf
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 08:45 PM |
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they look similiar to hilmman imp fronts to me , maybe imp front springs would fit.
I would just get a pair of AVOs or Protechs and swap them .
Paul
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MikeRJ
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| posted on 26/9/06 at 09:10 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
from memoery, they are about 120 mm diameter - dunno if that is a standard size.
What is the diameter of the damper body? If small enough it's possible you could modify them to take coil-over springs.
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02GF74
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| posted on 27/9/06 at 09:22 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
from memoery, they are about 120 mm diameter - dunno if that is a standard size.
What is the diameter of the damper body? If small enough it's possible you could modify them to take coil-over springs.
This is the way I'm thinking  . Damper body is 42 mm The damper body slides into a top strut - a cylinder that is about 51 mm so both fit
inside 2 1/4 ID springs will fit.
Worst case is 3 mm clearance but I reckon the top 'cylinder" can be shortned.
Alos the triumph dolomite rear end is for a car that is 2x the weight designed to carry 5 people, larger petrol tank and luggage so the rate is not
gonna be right.
Hopeful.ly by the week end I'll get one of them out and do some spring measurements.
I'm thinking about the RalDes adjuastable kit - see other post.
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NS Dev
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| posted on 27/9/06 at 10:56 AM |
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damper rate will be miles too high, no good at all.
this thread reminds me of my brother's comments the other night on his ideas for a new lowering kit for ebay to appeal to the Chav market.
"super new high tech lowering kit, latest technology from Japan secretly imported" would be the title. For the "basic" kit
you get 4 clout nails, for the improved kit 4 galvanised clout nails and for the "super" kit you get 4 galvanised clout nails clouted
through 4 squares of ply.
high tech kit but no probs with trading standards, it lowers the car by the amount shown on the tyre size reference chart attached to the parcel!
Retro RWD is the way forward...........automotive fabrication, car restoration, sheetmetal work, engine conversion
retro car restoration and tuning
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