cut ST spring opinions

[drmattyg]

i can get some Suspension techniques springs for my 240, with 1.5 coils removed. What are the advantages and disadvantages of cutting ST springs? Will I be too low and will I need to mess with steering? Will I be too stiff? Good idea or bad idea to use with stock struts? thanks for the help.

[Bambikiller240]

First off, I have no first hand experience with the ST springs, but I remember a few folk on the 240z.org mailing list saying that their opinion was that the ST springs were too stiff for street usage. AIR, they lower the car 1-1.5 inches when purchased. If you cut 1.5 coils off they will lower the car quite a bit more, I'd think.

You may want to contact ST and ask their Customer Service Department what the spring rate is on their springs and what you'll wind up with if coils are removed. They should be able to give you some idea of what you're getting into here.

Good Luck!

Carl

[drmattyg]

what's the website. I am searching yahoo and am coming up with nothing. its not suspensiontechniques.com either.

[2ManyZs]

Unless you are getting the springs for nothing.. don't bother.

First reason and the most important one is, when you use a lowering spring in the first place you will lose 'X" amount of suspension travel (X being however much the springs lower the car) and you will end up hitting the bump stops if you drive it hard and leave the bump stops the stock length. Hammer on the bump stops enough and you'll end up ruining the strut cartridges.

Secondly, if you really have to have these, the best thing to do is to raise the lower spring perch to regain some of the lost travel. If you are going to do through all that work for these springs, you'd end up being better off getting a set of adjustable coil-overs as you'll be doing half the amount of work required to use these.

If this is a street only or even an occasional Auto-X car, lowering springs are fine, but cut ones will be far too stiff and won't give you near enough travel on the street.

FWIW, a friend of mine used a set of cut down springs like these because he didn't want to spend the money for a Ground Control coil-over kit, he had less than 2 1/2 inches of suspension travel, which meant that nearly every turn on the road course he was riding on the bump stops....hard on the kidneys, and doesn't help the handling much either...

[Bambikiller240]

Well, the link that I had for them is now dead, but in doing a Google Search I came up with THIS PAGE . I hope it helps you. No information, but there are Phone Numbers. I "think" it is the same company.

[drmattyg]

alright, point taken. With this, what do you think of uncut ST springs? Are they decent in comparison to tokico, eibach, or MSA?

[2ManyZs]

UNcut ST's can't be much stiffer than the MSA springs I had with the old KYB gas strut cartridges... they weren't kidney busters, but they weren't far from it...:cross-eye

The Eibach progressives are probably the best for a street car as they don't stiffen up until you really begin to use the suspension travel. I've got a set, but the rate I'm going, it will be next summer before I can put them to the test...:disappoin

BTW, I just sold a set of MSA's blue sport springs, so if you look at the pics he just posted, you can see how they do in an auto-X. As for the ride, you'd have to ask him or check his posts to see how the do with the strut cartridges he's running......

I don't think you'll find a lot of difference in the springs themselves, mostly it's going to be what strut cartridges you use which make the largest difference. The better cartridges (Tokico's) will more than likely ride a lot better than if you use cheaper ones(KYB's) so the better strut cartridge you can afford, the better the ride and handling will be. The biggest difference in the springs will be the total amount they lower the car, some are 1/2 inch more or less than the others.