Hi all... So I've had Tein S-Techs for about a year now and want them a little lower in the front, maybe 1/2" or so. Did alot of searching and saw that Randode and others have cut 1/2 to 1 full coil off the fronts with no problems. I want to try this when I install Monroe Sensa-tracs all around (in a few weeks)...

Some questions for the experts-

-It seems the consensus is that it's best to cut the bottom of the coil... is that correct? That basically lowers it the thickness of the coil, around 3/8 as I understand it...

-When a friend and I did the S-techs we didn't cut down the bump stop as I recall. Does that actually affect the ride height? Or is that just to keep the travel from bottoming out on potholes ect.?

-This is how my car sits now with a sub and art/school supllies in the trunk. Def a tad lower in the back...



Thanks in advance for any suggestions/comments.

 

Anyone?

 

okay...
1. you have to cut the bottom of the front coil. the top portion of the springs wind smaller as it goes up. so if you cut it up top, the diameter of the top spring will be too big to sit in the top hat. you cannot do it. so you have to cut the bottom.
2. cutting the bump stop allows for suspension travel. the xb has so many inches of travel before it will bottom out on the bump stop and rebound up. it is probably about 4" so lets use that as a factor; so lets say at stock suspension you have 4" of travel... that means you can hit a dip or whatever and the car will travel 4" down, then bounce on the bump stop and go up. so now you lower your car 2" and have only 2" left of travel. you now hit the same dip and the car bounces on the bump stop and the car goes up then down and may bounce again on the bump stop. after all it is now only 2" away. this is why people cut bumpstops when they lower; to compensate for lost travel. there is shock valving and spring rate (stiffness) to consider but generally you want to cut (at the very least!) half of what you lower the car. i lowered my xb 2.5", i cut the bump stop almost 2" to compensate.
3. bump stop can affect ride height in one way; if the bump is short and that travel allows for the springs to compress fully all the time, the springs will sooner sag (think about it, if you have a tiny spring in your hand and you only compress it a little all the time, it will keep it's height a long time. however if you compress it all the way alot, it will sit lower and feel softer. it will "sag") with all of this said, you need to find a median to cut bump stops. if you are going to end up about 2.5" lowered, cut the bump stop about 1.75". it will give enough room for travel and yet wont be so low that the spring will want to sag.

 

interesting....^^^. boxer...you might want to look at the spring clamps and see if that works for you, if it doesn't then try the cutting method. good luck bro.

 

if your working on a budget id understand why you would want to go this way, but cutting springs never seemed like a good idea to me. I would save alittle money and buy the tanabe which drop maybe 1/4" higher that what you want but a 1/4" is not that bad and the ride quality wont diminish as if you were to cut the spring.

 

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

I just put my monroe sesa tracks in with goldline springs- check my profile for new pics...the shocks and struts were worth every penny. My ride is more comfortable than ever, as is handeling, and looks. Check it out...

deano

 

I've always disliked springs. My suggestion is to invest in a set of coilovers (not ebay crap brand). I've gone through coilovers like underwear with my 240. Also I never like the fact of cutting springs either.

 

I've decided to cut a coil off the bottom of the fronts, trim the bump stops and see how that goes. If I'm not happy with it I'll get some DF210's and run the just front ones, as I think the rear height with the Teins is right where I want it.

Deano- Glad you like the Sensa Tracs... I've heard nothing but good things about them. I was going to save for Koni's but the Monroes are so inexpensive I gotta try those first.

 

Boxer_Rebellion, i see you have chosen to go the route less people go. way to find out results yourself dude. ive had my front lowers cut a half coil for a few weeks now, rides just smooth as can be on the megan springs. with the design of the front springs, cutting has no effect other than a lower stance. remember cutting too little just means cutting again but cutting too much means buying new springs. go 1/4-1/2 coil first...

 

Thanks for the advice. Refreshing to hear it from someone who's actually tried it

 

cutting springs? thats the most ghetto mexican p.o.s. thing i have ever heard. what a cheap way to do suspension. you make alot of us look bad i bet you wanna stretch yo tires too huh? just another reason im glad to not be apart of the xb group

 

You may want to-
A. Read the above posts.
B. Do a bit of research on the subject.

Nice ethnic slur too BTW...

 

^^^^I agree, I bet he's gonna make a lot of friends here with those ethnic slurs....It never fails, some moron comes into a thread and has to be an @$$......I like the advise of cutting too little means cut again but cut too much means buy new springs...Let us know how it turns out...I thought about cutting my Gold-Lines but I was told you can only cut the front springs. For me, I don't want the front end lower than the rear making it look like an old muscle car stance with the back end all jacked up in the air...I thought about sticks idea about the clamps too...

 

Haha, that's cool... you want to do the opposite of me. If you were near here I'd trade front springs with ya

 

my friend here at work has a BMW with Eibach lowering springs. his friend cut 1 coil, you can't cut half cause it won't seat right, and it is impossible to get a finger between the tire and the fender. he's running 18" rims with a 225/40/18 tire. just found out today he was riding and the spring came out from the front. DOH!

 

been in the suspension business for about 9 years now and you are correct for most bmw's. on a bmw you cant make it seat correctly because the front spring cap sits on an angle and has a seat for the spring end. so the coil ends would have to sit on the same side when cut as they were before the cut. but xb's dont have angled caps or spring end seats sir. they are flat and the spring seat is replaced by an offset rubber cap bushing. the spring end can sit on any side and needs no angle. this is why you can cut a half or full coil off the front spring. i have it on mine now. it seats correctly. pics available upon request as i have now found my dig camera. anyway careful not to post incorrect info as it discourages others. if anyone were to doubt this info or mis-info. just measure your spring perch and compare it with the measurement of the spring diameter at whatever coil you intend to be at after the cut. it's not an opinion, it's geometry.
as for the racist comment guy; i may not be mexican, but i'll be the first to say that was a pretty stupid thing to say. do a search, there's probably a forum for people like you.

 

Is it possible to cut the rear springs? I have heard it is not possible.......

 

You mean the TC forum?

I keed, I keed!

Thanks for the info on the differences versus BMW's, good to know.

Post some pics if ya can, I'm sure we'd like to see em

 

no prob. have pics up by tomorrow night then.
as for the rear springs; the rear springs shape resemble that of a football, each end is wound to a quite smaller diameter than that of the middle. this is why they will not work if cut. cut off either end and it will go right over the seat... some guys have heated them or cut and welded them to make it lower. both ways are a little dangerous. the spring after being exposed to so much heat with weight on it makes it very weak. the cut and weld method as well can be weak. if you must have a lower drop, coilovers are about the only way to go. spring clamps of course are available but make some noise and have the possibility of coming off under extreme conditions. this is not unsafe, just unfit for the streets.