Lowered springs

[pedro]

Okay next question, one of these days something will be just straightforward, I went into the local spring bloke today and he reckons according to his catalogue king springs only make a 30mm lowered spring, I've bought 2" lowered springs off them before though which i always took to be the most common amount people lower their cars, does anyone know someone who sells 2"(50mm) lowered springs.
              Pedro

[FCRB26]

Lovells do. im pretty sure.

[DN2168]

ANGLE GRINDER!!!!!

[FCRB26]

Actually after having lovells and other brands i would prefer cut ones they are a better ride heavy duty ones are to stiff although i have a bigger sway bar as well which does not help.

[pedro]

ANGLE GRINDER!!!!! 

 
       Pedro

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Try a local spring manufacturer, we have one in Adelaide and their prices are so much cheaper than usual suspects (no bull  )

[FCwagon]

I imagine Kings would have a contact number so maybe a quick call will provide an answer. In the past I've purchased 2" lowered King Springs for an FB with HR front and have 1 1/2" in the FC at present. The spring place I purchased mine from told me Kings made 3 variations - std, 1 1/2" low + 2" low. Cutting coils may give a reasonble result but will affect the ride and handling. (could be why it's not legal?)
Leigh

[pedro]

Thanks again guys, unfortunately we only have one spring mob here Stinky and they couldn't help me, I'm going to pick up an upper control arm bush kit from Auto-pro today so I'll ask them if they can get springs as well, next option will be to ring Lovells or King springs.
                  Pedro
 

[pedro]

The only way king springs will do more than 30mm lower is if you buy the lowered ones for $200 then they will reset them again to 45mm for an additional $100 , luckily you were right about lovells though Pete they sell 2" lowered through their main office or outlets.
                          Pedro

[NIFFTY]

K,MAC at BANKSIA have 2 inch lowered springs  for a HR front end and as they did with me they will guarantee them tilll the end,I can not praise them highly enough

[pedro]

Anyone heard of leaf springs being coldset, picked mine up today and the boss wasn't there but his assistant said he coldsets them , wasn't what I was expecting, last time I had them done by King springs and they dismantled them reset them and put new plastic between them, these have just been lowered and given a coat of paint.
                    Pedro

[EffCee]

Coldsetting springs basically takes the existing spring and stretches the metal on one side of the spring so that it increases or decreases the curve of the spring. For example, lets assume that you wish to decrease the ride height of the spring by 2". You would measure the curve of the spring pack and dis-assemble the leaves. You would measure each spring leaf and trace a curve of each leaf on the floor or against a board. Then you would use a ball pein hammer on the centre of the spring on the convex side, while holding the concave side on an anvil. This stretches the convex side. After each pass working from the centre to an end, then turn the spring around and work from centre to end until the 2" reduction in spring curve is reached. This is done with each leaf, the spring pack is then reassembled and checked against the original curve to ensure that the desired 2" is consistent when the spring pack is reassembled. Both spring packs are done in this way to acheive the same result.

The drawbacks of resetting springs this way is that the springs have not been retempered. The ride will be the same, if the springs have become a bit soft, they will stay this way. Also if one side has sagged a bit more than the other then the same ride height on each side will be replicated unless  picked up by the person that coldset the springs, compared each leaf of the spring from one side to the other.

It should be noted that to decrease the ride height in a set of retempered springs, the springs are heated, and drawn to get the desired curve, then retempered. Depending on the retempering process this can stiffen the springs considerably.

The springs should still have had the plastic inserts replaced in the springs as these help the springs to function correctly by acting as a lubricating block between the leaves.

Keith

[pedro]

Thanks Keith, sounded a bit dodgy to me but it's going to have to do for now, I'll get another set redone properely in the future when I'm more financial.
                  Pedro