This question is about my 610, reason why it is in the off topic section. I am going to replace the front discs, pads, bearings, and ball joints, so I thought this would be a perfect time to take my struts off, put in new shocks, and cut my springs to check the height drop, about 3 inches(the 610 has a lot of room) Later on I plan to use coil overs, but for now, I want to lower it, so , counting from the end of the coil, how much should I cut? I do not want to go too far.
Thanks
Jaime.

No.
Don't.
Stop.

Did that work?
Probably not.
I really wouldn't do it. It will be crap. Especially 3 inches....
Why not just buy lowered springs?

i agree, very bad idea ive done it before ....yes it will be lowered if u cut the springs but it will be just as bouncy as the standard ride u are probably having with the standard uncut springs, the handling wont improve very much, getting lowered springs ready made is the best option but if u intend to cut the springs anyway my car had 3/4 of a coil cut out of it and it dropped 3.5 inches it was an 89 laser bubbleass. be careful how much you cut out if u do it 1/2 a coil might even be too much...

I'd guess 1/2 coil. Probably best to cut 1/4 or 1/8 coil at a time, then check. This is a time-honered acceptable way to lower cars with non-tapering coil springs.

Yes, the ride won't smooth out, but if the idea is to lower the car, this will work. You might end up with little to no suspension travel however, and this is a bad thing. 3 inches is a lot, maybe too much for the 610? How much travel is there now (like when the wheel bounces up going over a bump)?

The "lowered springs" are probably higher rate springs, making the car ride rougher, but less likely to bottom out due to stiffer springs ... is that what you guys are talking about?

yeah thats right, cutting springs can be dangerous as ive heard many stories of springs falling out of the cups cause they were cut, supposedly you can use wire to hold it in place but for improved handeling and legal reasons i dont reckon king springs are overpriced

what i always tell myself is, imagine if i ran over some kid that chased his ball on the road, the kid dies, they take my car away to inspect it and find cut springs, how long are they gonna put me in the slammer??????????

i believe its that serious

edit - stuff the time in the slammer, how will i live with myself knowing i killed some kid to save 200 bucks

Hey "mates", here in US it is not easy to find shorter springs for the 610, and a set of coil overs , if available, will be like more money,and I will get them, but it will have to wait a little more, so I thought, just to check the car out lowered, lets see. I wondered 3 inches because there is a lot of space between the top of tire and the fender lip.I know this is a primitive way of estimating, but if anybody knows about shorter springs for a 180B ,let me know. Any coil over adjustables in mind, let me know. Ground control has a set, 200 dollars without struts,eventually I'l make it. I 'm also saving some bucks for my set of 235 tires from NZ, the shipping is expensive, but that will be the intended look, 235/50/13 , lowered, 5 speed L20B engine 180B Datsun.

Jaime

When i lowered my 1200, i found some springs from a 210 from the junkyard and cut those. The wire size of the spring was a little bigger/ stiffer. I started by measuring the car height, cutting off a half coil ,reinstalling the struts and taking another measurment. You should have a pretty good idea of how much each half coil taken off will lower the car.
It's doen't take too long to partially reassemble the car to measure since you don't have to assemble the brake lines, swaybar and strut rods.
I think you'll have to do more than just cut/replace springs to lower your car 3". I think you'll run out of suspension travel, even with the bumpstops removed.

Mr Spring Cutter,

Ask the question at www.ozdat.com.

They know more about L-Series struts and springs. Maybe a 260Z,280ZX,510,810,910 or 240K spring is shorter.

I wouldn't recommend cutting springs either. I bought shorter springs to suit 240Z sports inserts and shortened the strut to suit. The 510 boys wire their rear springs in when they lower them.. I've heard of cars running off the road after getting airborne over speed humps and crests, and losing their rear springs. I agree though that "normal people" don't get airborne on the street...

Chris

I'm going to agree with about half of the answers. I think you will run out of suspension tavel unless swapping over to Z-car struts. 280ZX fronts, I believe are the tric setup for a PL-510 (1600) so they would probably work for you too. Tensandtwenties may be able to answer this one better. John?
As for the safety issue of cut springs, that is where I'm going to disagree. I have run cut springs in almost all of my Datsuns and have NEVER had a problem. I have used everything from zip ties to stainless steel safety wire (and once or twice nothing but gravity and pig ignorance) to hold the springs in place. If it does worry you, after you cut the spring to half a coil higher than your final ride height, heat the coil and bend it flat instead of cutting the last time. That will approximate the "locating coil" of the stock setup. Again, I have never done that and have had no problems.

Quote:

I don't want to sound like an irresponsible, kid hating, cheapskate but I think you are going a bit overboard here. Yes, it would absolutely suck beyond belief to kill someone with your car. And yes, if it were a loss of control due to the cut springs that led to the death, it would suck all the more. But if, as you originally posed the situation, it were an accident, I think it would be hard for them to say the springs were at fault. And if they could "prove" that, when the springs weren't at fault, you need a better lawyer.