# Cutting stock spring.



## horsehaulin (Oct 1, 2011)

Just keep in mind that GM has the right to void the entire Warranty once the vehicle has been altered. I understand you were told by the service department, but that doesn't hold any water with GMs legal team.

As far as cutting springs. Why not do it right with a set of springs and struts? When you cut a spring, it loses its progressive nature and you shorten the stroke of the piston in the strut, making it closer to bottoming out all the time. Bottoming out the strut piston during emergency braking can become the cause of an accident, which lets face it, no body wants.

I tow cars for a living and see some bad wrecks, some of the worst rear end collisions have been with lowered cars. Cut stock springs and stock struts are a bad combo meant for disaster. Do yourself, your insurance company and the innocent public a favor, if you can't do it right, don't do it.




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## Myiq4 (Oct 4, 2012)

I understand what your saying. I know what the service writer says doesn't mean crap against GM. I rather do coil overs but there a bit out of my price rang, and I can never pick the right spring hight that I want with springs.. I was going to cut the spring as a temp thing to see where I want the car to sit. More of a test. I most likely wont cut the springs. Getting an ideal if anyone has done it an what they thinks.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Myiq4 said:


> I understand what your saying. I know what the service writer says doesn't mean crap against GM. I rather do coil overs but there a bit out of my price rang, and I can never pick the right spring hight that I want with springs.. I was going to cut the spring as a temp thing to see where I want the car to sit. More of a test. I most likely wont cut the springs. Getting an ideal if anyone has done it an what they thinks.


This is a terrible idea that you should avoid at all costs. These springs are designed to operate within a specific travel range at a specific spring rate. The only way to go lower is to get stiffer lowered springs. The only way to go slammed is to get coilovers and adjustable shocks. 

I can't begin to tell you how unsafe this is. There is no "slammed scene." I highly recommend you get the glorified images of slammed cars out of your head; those are for off road use only. We have one member here who did this, and he's using coilovers.

Cutting your springs will force the shocks to operate outside their intended range. It will cause your car to constantly bottom out, and is guaranteed to void your warranty on all chassis related parts. You'll be riding on bump stops most of the time, and run the risk of a tire blowout if you hit a pothole due to the complete absence of suspension compliance. I can go on for pages as to why this is a bad idea. 

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## silverls (Nov 12, 2011)

horsehaulin said:


> Just keep in mind that GM has the right to void the entire Warranty once the vehicle has been altered. I understand you were told by the service department, but that doesn't hold any water with GMs legal team.



Actually, a car company can no longer void the entire warranty for a certain modification. They can only void the warranty on the parts affected. In his case they could probably get away. Voiding tires, brakes, and all suspension parts from the warranty as well as. The oil pan and anything else damageable by bottoming out. 

But i do agree. Horrible idea, especially on a new car. Save up the money and do it right. This isnt a 91 civic.
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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

silverls said:


> Actually, a car company can no longer void the entire warranty for a certain modification. They can only void the warranty on the parts affected. In his case they could probably get away. Voiding tires, brakes, and all suspension parts from the warranty as well as. The oil pan and anything else damageable by bottoming out.
> 
> But i do agree. Horrible idea, especially on a new car. Save up the money and do it right. This isnt a 91 civic.
> Sent from my DROID BIONIC using AutoGuide.Com Free App


You're absolutely right. This, of course, doesn't even include the massive disadvantage you have should you ever get into a collision and the insurance companies discover what you did to your car.


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

You should have bought an Eco as they come "SLAMMED" from the factory.


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## silverls (Nov 12, 2011)

Vetterin said:


> You should have bought an Eco as they come "SLAMMED" from the factory.


Lmao

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## Beachernaut (Mar 27, 2012)

Rofl

Cutting springs = bad idea

Although they can't void the warranty on some parts of the car because of modified suspension, you'd be surprised how useless the rest of your warranty becomes. Say you have an issue with a bad motor mount. Oh look, they're going to blame it on excessive vibration caused by modified suspension. Claim denied.

Besides, any modification to your suspension that isn't engineered and tested properly is just an accident waiting to happen. Even if the handling changes just a little bit, that change is amplified many times in any non normal/good weather conditions. If you've ever driven a lifted Jeep on the highway, you know what I'm talking about.


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

Cut the springs in my Camaro once. BAD IDEA! The ride was so sh**** and at hwy speeds the car would lift up. Bought a set of tokico structs and eibach springs and did it right. better stance and much better performance.

Plus, somehow people knew I cut the spings and they'd ask me if I had. I lied and said no


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Agreed, bad idea. Do it once and do it right with either lowering springs or coilovers. Expect the fenders to need rolling too at much lower than stock ride height. These things are pretty low as it is. 

A 3" drop would leave precious little ground clearance. At stock height I have to be careful negotiating steep driveways. Even then if I mis-judge or need to go quickly the front airdam scrapes.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Cutting the stock spring on a strut assembly is a recipe for disaster. The shock part may not operate properly in the reduced travel of the shortened spring. Also, most coil springs have a progressive rate built in. The more the spring compresses, the stiffer it becomes. Cut the end off and you end up with a softer spring. Also, the cutting should be done by a spring shop as the end more than likely will have to be re-bent (wound), maybe ground to fit the spring seat in the strut assembly. If you want to lower the suspension, buy a strut assembly that is made for the new ride height. 

I put cut off springs in a car once, but it had a full A-rm wishbone suspension and I wasn't lowering the car, just stiffening up the suspension for racing. It was a drastic change as the car was a '65 Stinger and the new springs all around were front end springs from a 396 Chevelle with two coils cut off. I had it done by a spring shop. Wasn't very expensive for the labor. The new springs from a dealer parts department were the big cost.


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## babymobilcruze (Aug 17, 2012)

Buy lowering springs and just cut one of the coils off that collapses?


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## OnlyTaurus (Mar 20, 2012)

Heating springs to compress and lower or cutting a couple coils to lower is what those dam Honda kids do...

Were better than that, don't do it.

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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

babymobilcruze said:


> Buy lowering springs and just cut one of the coils off that collapses?


No. No no no. Wth man?

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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

OnlyTaurus said:


> Heating springs to compress and lower or cutting a couple coils to lower is what those dam Honda kids do...
> 
> Were better than that, don't do it.
> 
> Sent from my DROID BIONIC using AutoGuide.Com Free App


Aaahaaaahahahaha!!!! Well said even though i did that once 

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## JdmHonda'lude (Jul 19, 2011)

OnlyTaurus said:


> Heating springs to compress and lower or cutting a couple coils to lower is what those dam Honda kids do...
> 
> Were better than that, don't do it.
> 
> Sent from my DROID BIONIC using AutoGuide.Com Free App


Not all Honda kids/owners hack their rides. Look into ksport coilovers for the cruze. Sure the cost some money but you gotta pay to play in the stance game. I know nobody that has cut or heated springs for a drop, but I have heard endless horror stories of hacks doing it because they don't want to spend money. Pickup some H&R springs for a bit of a drop. They are fairly cheap and engineered to make you lower. I don't know how the stock shocks/struts on the cruze will handle a drop but more then likely they will eventually be blown. Please don't cut your springs for the sake of being low


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

For a change I agree with everyone. Cutting springs is a silly hack-job way of lowering your car. Also keep in mind it is actually illegal in some states to raise or lower your vehicle more than "X" amount of distance (I know NY is 1.5" low and 3 " high). Crash bars are designed at specific heights for vehicles, lower your car too much and you may be putting yourself at risk in an accident. Food for thought.


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## OnlyTaurus (Mar 20, 2012)

JdmHonda'lude said:


> Not all Honda kids/owners hack their rides. Look into ksport coilovers for the cruze. Sure the cost some money but you gotta pay to play in the stance game. I know nobody that has cut or heated springs for a drop, but I have heard endless horror stories of hacks doing it because they don't want to spend money. Pickup some H&R springs for a bit of a drop. They are fairly cheap and engineered to make you lower. I don't know how the stock shocks/struts on the cruze will handle a drop but more then likely they will eventually be blown. Please don't cut your springs for the sake of being low


No offense to you, as you may have more common sense than most Honda owners, but if I took pictures of all the civics and old dsms that did that, you would change your opinion quick, lol.

It was the thing to do to look like a badass when you only worked at McDonalds or 7-Eleven years ago. Every one had to have a car that looked like it was on the Fast and the Furious...


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

OnlyTaurus said:


> Heating springs to compress and lower or cutting a couple coils to lower is what those dam Honda kids do...
> 
> Were better than that, don't do it.
> 
> Sent from my DROID BIONIC using AutoGuide.Com Free App


To be fair the whole dangerous suspension modification trends began with domestics especially with "off road" vehicles.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Aeroscout977 said:


> To be fair the whole dangerous suspension modification trends began with domestics especially with "off road" vehicles.



Not true, there is only two ways to raise a off road vehicle & none require cutting of stock suspension parts changing suspension travel. Contrary to what most people think there is no blocks of wood, missing teeth or moonshine involved in these mods. 

Body lift is the cheapest & is just longer body bolts & 2-3in rubber hockey type pucks to raise the body to allow taller tires. This mod is cheap & does nothing to change the suspension of the vehicle. 

Real off road trucks buy a suspension lift kit which is entirely new engineered springs shocks & mounts that raise the vehicle, nothing what so ever dangerous about lifting an off road vehicle this way & allows bigger tires & more suspension articulation. Most state laws only allow so much suspension lift above stock & also how large of a body lift you can install.


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## Mick (Dec 31, 2011)

But yeah, don't do it.


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## Aeroscout977 (Nov 25, 2010)

@spacedout

FACEPALM

Ill leave it at that


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## Hatje (Jun 23, 2011)

i say go for it!

Cut them down and drive really fast down a highway with lots of curves!


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## Cleck (Dec 5, 2011)

Not sure what state you live in, but in some states (like NY), having a cut spring is just as bad as a broken one and fails state inspection guidelines. Don't do it, it's stupid.


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