[Brian 63]

Took my front coil spring out to cut but then realized both ends have a pretty flat box end. Can i cut this spring? If i cut the bottom will it stay seated properly? I understand there are better ways to lower a car a couple inches just curious if others have cut theirs.

 

[Nova Thug]

I cut mine one complete coil. Brought it down 2”.. If you cut it any differently they will not index properly on the perch and the cup up in the spring tower.

 

[Brian 63]

Ok but did u cut it off the bottom?

 

[Nova Thug]

You need to cut the tangential end which is the top and is located/indexed by the upper spring cup. The bottom of the spring needs to remain fairly flat or the perch will rock over to the longer side/tail end of the spring in an exaggerated way and make it difficult to install and seat properly.

 

[Brian 63]

I hear ya nova thug but both ends are not tangential. Someone else on here wrote that when they cut the top they couldnt get the cup to sit right in the shock tower .It would sit cockeyed.Right now my top and bottom are pretty flat. You cut the top and had no issues? I'd basically create a tangential end. Just making sure thatd be safe.

 

[Nova Thug]

When I got my 64 the passenger side spring was installed upside down and the spring would be plucked like a guitar string by the inside edge of the bump stop when the suspension cycled enough to move the spring.. I didn’t know what was wrong with it till I pulled it apart and compared it to the driver side which did not behave this was. This is when I cut my springs down. I wasn’t sure how they were supposed to go together so a bit of trial an error made it clear to me that the tangential end needed to go up and the flatter end sat on the perch.. Otherwise I’d be back to playing the guitar..

After I put it all back together, I had no more problems with regards to the springs. This was done in June of 2017 with no problems to this date..

I worked on getting the toe in adjusted centering the steering wheel and drove it around for a weekend but I just couldn’t get it to stay aligned. The strut rod bushings were toast and I figured control arm bushings were probably not great either and the ball joints should be replaced.. So I went with a mini subframe kit which prettty much replaces all that and improves the front ends ability to stay aligned..

 

[bbqrat]

spring

spring shop cut these 63 fronts.. 14 " tall, about a 2" drop.. note the cut and location..

 

[Brian 63]

I cant tell by your picture but assuming theres a "flat" end and a tangential end? Put the flat end in the bottom?

 

[Nova Thug]

I cant tell by your picture but assuming theres a "flat" end and a tangential end? Put the flat end in the bottom?

It’s impossible to tell which end was cut on his spring.. A spring shop cut them for him and they could have made the end flat again as that is how they appear in his picture.

I used a cut off wheel to cut mine. My springs were tangential on one end and flat on the other. The flat end goes on the perch.. There is a locating tab on ore side of the perch which is located towards the engine. There is a spring cup under in the tower which has a locating tab that pokes through the top of the spring tower. Both of these tabs index your spring and keep it located. When you have your springs out look at how the cut ends of the spring are clocked.. Mine were timed at 6 and 12 o’clock.. The lower flat end of the spring is at 12 o’clock on the perch and the upper tangential end is at 6 o’clock in the spring cup..

It is possible that you could have a quarter turn springs which puts the upper end at 3 or 9 o’clock.. If you look at the top of your upper spring tower you can tell where the tab pokes through. There are two sets of tab alignment holes. Regardless of which spring orientation you have, you can really only take one complete coil off of your springs as the clocking needs to be the same. If you take two coils off you’ll be riding on your bump stops..