Doing the same thing in my coupe. I have a set of springs which achieve a ride height which is what I want. But this ride height is not legal. Coz of the catalitic convertor under the car.

So have stanza springs cut and nicely painted for rego purposes.

You dont need to cut alot of these springs to lower the car 2" etc. So take little bits at a time. Its trial and error.

I believe stanza springs have a progressive rate, i.e. stiff end and not so stiff end. Pick the right end to chop...

I'm chopping down a set of stanza springs too so that they'll fit onto r31 struts. I cut it and then started to wonder what end I actually was cutting. Coils closer together = stiffer end?

i have to agree 100% with phunk, no matter what springs you use, cut ones compressed ones king springs lovells....if they sit loosely in place when there is no load on the suspention they are all as dodgy as each other

making coliovers or really really soft springs the only better way to get the right height

but as for cut springs, if your an idiot and cut too much off the springs and make your car to low.....you will have a crap ride and cops will notice, strangly the same thing will happen with coilovers set to full low
so first leason, if your an idiot....your an idiot

if you want to do a decent job of cutting the springs, first go to a wreckers and find some springs of the same diameter that are stiffer(200b rears and gemini fronts are a good place to look)....use these to cut down
that way you wont be constantly hitting the bump stops (statement no valid if running stanza or sunny struts )

when cutting them, make sure not to half cut through any of the coils that you plan on still using by accident
dont just keep cutting to see how cool it looks without springs....just take the springs out first to get that out of your system
stop cutting at a practical but still cool height

once you have your ride height..... smooth off the cut end of the spring, clean the springs up then give them a coat of paint


then if you really feel like spending money on new springs that are just as good as the cut ones painted up.....go ahead

i am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, but since real springs have a flat coil at both ends so that they sit in properly, that when you cut these off, you have only the end of the steel contacting the landing. This would put extra stress on the landing, possibly putting it through the top and into the engine bay.

Its just one of those things that I would keep well away from. Put up with the not so cool ride height, and save up for some proper ones.

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

ok so chop and save up for coil overs :)

ok then, after cutting get the oxy out and bend the top flat(obviously allowing for a little extra drop).....go vs show?
how exactly do you come up with that.....is it if you cut springs you have go as you can still affort to pay for petrol?

so budget race cars with cut springs arent fast?
so my car with cut springs its fast around corners? i know i was keeping up with the lighter more power boofhead mobile arounf the great ocean road farily well, his has coilovers
ask any of the other guys that came on the cruise if we were going slow

sorry guy s i think you think im cuting them to be cool or something ... this is not the case the car is that high in the air it is UNDRIVEABLE and i have just finish a ca18 convershion and wanna test that it drives befor i spend monie on coilovers

im saying go ahead, cut the springs.....just find some stiffer ones first so that way you can actually drive the car while saving for coilovers

my 120y springs didnt have a flat bit on the ends... ive got lovells in there now and they didnt ave a flat bit either. get some pics up of how high your ute sits with the CA in there.