Cutting Springs

[jfrawley]

My '82 Spider has the taller springs in the rear and looks like a high school kids '75 Chevy, all jacked up in the rear. The top of the wheel well in back is a full 2" higher than the front wheel well. I have two ways to go. I could either cut down the existing springs or install a set of older springs that are still good. A couple of questions. On the existing springs where should I cut A or B on the attached photo. If I use the older springs do they need to be cut also? Remember I need a full 2" drop to level it out. Thanks for any help you have.

[manoa matt]

Jon,

If you got the earlier springs from the chrome bumper cars, I'd try those first before cutting you stock big bumper springs. If the older springs don't produce the results you desire, then cut one loop out of the stock big bumper springs, Point "A". I think there will be a big difference between point A and point B. Point B may be too much. If it gets to where point A is still too high, then instead of cutting more off the same end, flip the spring over and cut point A off the other end.

[So Cal Mark]

cutting at point a will give the desired height

[jfrawley]

Mark, on the stock springs or the older chrome bumper springs?

[So Cal Mark]

cut the stock springs. What about the front, is it high also?

[htchevyii]

Hey Mark, do see any possibility of the frt spring pockets being damaged by cut springs? I cut one coil off the front of the '82 and like the way it sits, but I am a bit worried that since the spring isn't as flat on top as orig that I could be putting more stress on the car? I wouldn't really worry about it on most cars, but FIATs seem to have a marginal design to begin with.
I think I cut a half coil on the back & I got a pretty even amount of drop frt & rear, but the rear is still too high. I think another 1/4 to 1/2 off the rear should do it.

[So Cal Mark]

on late cars I've been cutting one coil in the rear and two coils up front. I don't see any problem with wear in the spring pockets.

[adrians]

Interesting - Today I took my '81 Spider to the Fiat Specialists in regards to the Springs, as stated in another posting I wanted to upgrade the springs and lower the car.

So after he measured and noted all geometry of the front end, he concluded I wasn't able to lower the front end without unsetting the geometry of the car, - it would handle worst than it did now. So I was to get the same height springs with a different stiffness - that would just fix the handling aspects.
With the rear springs he suggested reusing the same springs but cutting them down ( since they were already pre-sagged ) approximately one coil to be cut out, in addition when they install the new front springs they’ll insert additional spacers to ensure the car rides flat when loaded ( with me )

I’ll let you know the results in a few weeks.

[jfrawley]

To answer your question Mark, the front seems fine to me so I wasn't going to lower it. Here's a picture of the car. The driveway slopes slightly towards the road so it's a little hard to tell how high it sits in back, but the top of the rear wheel arch is 2" higher off the ground than the front.

[So Cal Mark]

nice looking Spider! It does look higher in the rear though

[adrians]

Same problem and look of my car - 2" higher in the back !

[htchevyii]

My '82, -1 coil in frt, -1/2 in rear. I will cut another 1/4 coil off the rear, it's still a little higher than I like.

[pope]

Hey Trey,
When you say your cutting off a 1/2 or a 1/4 of a coil, are you saying that you are not keeping the cut in the same position as the original end? Does it not fit in the rubber end piece the same? Can you explain some more.
Thnx

[engineerted]

Pope, the rubber end pieces can be rotated. They are not fixed, but they maybe stuck.


Ted

[pope]

OK, but I thought there is a metal projection on the actual body and differential that the rubber piece fits into that mimmics the shape of the rubber piece with the indent for the end of the spring? Guess you are saying that it is not necessary to line it up. Right.
Thanks