Quote:

I've been doing some more thinking (Ouch ).

It's clear to me by now from everyone's comments that cut stock springs do work.

Thinking about it..... This is because when you reduce the number of active coils you're effectively shortening your "torsion bar" giving a firmer spring rate & ride which makes the car handle better.

The problem with this is that in giving a firmer spring rate, you are applying a greater stress & bringing the material closer to it's failure point..... Potentially nasty!

Kings / Lovells / Koni etc achieve the same thing in terms of spring rates by using thicker bar and superior spring material.
Same performance, greater reliability (safer).
i.e; The right way to do it.

So (EDIT: PIGDOG, this is for you), I withdraw my "go v's show" statement.
The performance of cut springs should be the same (ignoring seating issues) as some aftermarket springs.
The issue is longevity & safety, which is largely dependant on the skill of the person performing the work.

You win some, you loose some

where are you mate?

There's some places here in Brisbane, but no point if you're in Perth.

If you fill out your user details, it'll go a long way towards getting help on this sort of stuff.

Quote:

Yeah, it's close alright, but it just fits in behind the plenum.
About 20mm clearance.

The Pintara clutch master has a big chunky aluminium reservoir that's integral with the M/C.
If I was doing it again, I'd leave a bit more space by using the Skyline M/C with the small plastic reservoir.

L18_B110 - Just think about it.......
Take a helically wound piece of round bar (a spring), then compress it.
Take any cross section of the spring & see how it deforms..... Yep, It twists!
Like it or not coil springs are torsionally loaded (as opposed to shear, tension, comprssion etc).

All coil spring engineering / design is based around this principle.... Of course because the "torsion bar" coils back on itself, it acts in series, so you have to take into account the number of coils to get your spring rate.

Either that or I wasted 8 years of my life studying part time for an engineering degree for nothing.

This brings me to my next point.....
PIGDOG - What I'm saying is that when you cut your coils, you change the spring rate.
For the worse....? I suppose that depends on your setup & what you want to use it for.
For road use, (or maybe even a budget racer) you probably wouldn't notice much difference, but pop down to your local circuit & see what the quick guys are running..... Bet you won't find any cut coils.

Feel free to prove me wrong though......
I'd be interested to know if anyone has had cut coils, then changed to King springs or similar & experienced better (or worse) lap times at their local circuit.

You got it reuby.......

Coil springs are basically one big torsion bar - Helically wound into a usable size.

When you cut springs & remove the flat base, the bit on the bottom starts to combine the torsional load with a cantilever load.
The point I'm getting at is that not only does the spring not seat properly, it also stuff's up your spring rates.

I guess it comes down to that old question... Go v's show

Clevite bearings!
Wow, people are still using them... Been around for a looong time.

Campo - Did you get a quote for a rebuild or are you doing it yourself?

Trying to get an idea of the cost

A SR20DET 1200 is still a marketable item.
It may not be legal, but there's plenty of drag-specific 1200's out there.....

You should sell the complete car & buy one with the CA18 already done.

This is as good a place as any to sell it.... Why don't you post it in the classifieds section.
Then we can all see that it actually exists (not just in your imagination)

1st - 3.321
2nd - 1.902
3rd - 1.308
4th - 1.000
5th - 0.838
Reverse - 3.382

Out of a S13 CA18 service manual.

I think he means stiffer springs.....
i.e/ Some lowered Kings or similar.

Win / win.... Lower car AND decent spring rates.

I drilled some holes in the firewall & fitted a Pintara master cylinder.

Easy & cheap.
Just needed some extra bracing to the steering column.