Coil Cutting

[gnordlie]

I'm a newbie with a 48 Club Coupe. I've dropped the front a few inches with tire selection but I want to go another 2 inches. I checked the archives for Normspeed's info but couldn't find it. Anyone help on this? I'm thinking a half a coil but need info so I don't make a mess of it.

[martybose]

If you're thinking about upgrading to disk brakes, the best way to lower that much is by using Fatman dropped spindles. I'm running 215/60-15 tires with stock springs and dropped spindles, and I'm happy with the result. Look in my profile for a picture.

Marty

[homebrewer]

I cut a 1/2 coil from mine and it dropped it about 2 inches. But the coils I cut were already about 1 inch shorter than the coils that I took out. I would try to sneak up on it and cut no more than 1/2 to 3/4 of a coil. If it's not enough you can take them out again and cut somemore. The job is pretty easy and should only take a couple of hours from start to finish working alone. So if you have to do it twice it is no big deal. Do a search for coil cutting, it is in there somewhere. Good Luck. George

[Plymouthy Adams]

Lowering can be done by cutting, heating or finding replacment coils. To retain your ride characterics however I suggest lowered spindles...hate the bottoming out effect..

[falconvan]

If you're looking for a lowbuck lowering method here's what I did on my 48 Dodge rat rod and it worked great. Remove the lower control arm and cut the spring mounting plate off of the top of it. It's just held on with a few rivets. There's a brace on the bottom of the arm, cut this off, too. Trim the edge of the spring mount bracket so that it can be relocated to the bottom of the control arm and will sit flush. Weld into place. I attached the lower spindle to it while I was doing it to keep everything straight. It worked perfect and gave me a 2 inch drop. I also cut 1 coil out of my springs to give me another inch, but not necessary. Here's a before and after shot of the control arm (after on the left), and a shot of some brackets I made to relocate the top shock mount. You dont have to do this part but the ride is many times better if you do. 1967-72 Chevy truck front shocks worked really good.

[Guest rockabillybassman]

Cutting coils is fine if you want to stiffen the ride a bit, but if you want to retain the factory ride, as I did, then a springmaker can heat and retension the springs so they sit lower but retain the original rate. Cost me $80NZ (about @$60US). That's a lot cheaper than a pair of Fatman spindles. I got 2 1/2" lowering from mine.

The old method of taking a gas torch to the spring while it's still in the car is a no-no in my book. The spring will never work properly when it's distorted, and they have even been known to break under load due to cooling too fast making them brittle.

[Normspeed]

g, On my 53 wagon, 1/2 coil dropped it just a hair under 2". With a 2" drop all around, new shocks, a good alignment and new radials, the car handles way better, around town and on the highway. It's a pleasure to drive on long trips.

First time, I cut a full coil from a pair of 50 Plym bizcoupe coils, stuck them in the wagon and it dropped to the snubbers. A little too choppy for everyday driving. We put them in Macksters 53 DeSoto and it did the same thing.

They are noticeably lighter duty than the Plymouth wagon or DeSoto coupe springs. Is your coupe a Dodge or a Plymouth? And if you want the procedure I used for removing and replacing the springs, I can dig up the link.

[gnordlie]

Thanks for all the info. Mine is a 48 Plymouth Coupe DeLuxe and I'd appreciate it if you could dig up the post as I'm thinking about some sort of decision on the lowering. Thanks.

[Normspeed]

Here ya go. It's in post #5 in this thread:

http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=5200&highlight=Coil+spring+R%26amp%3BR

Also, if you're local and want to pick em up, I'll give you the two 50 buzzcoupe coils that are already one coil short. they might do the trick for your car without cutting up your original springs. I'm in L.A. county.