Does anyone know if the front bump stop has to be shorten if 1 1/2 coils is cut from the front spring?
Thanks

[This message has been edited by notwohorns (edited 12-18-2014).]

Any reduction in ride height, will reduce the distance before you hit the bump stops. How often you will hit the bump stops is dependent on spring rates, shocks, local road conditions, driving style, and several other factors - so what some people are OK with, others will not be.

By trimming the bump stops you gain back some of this lost suspension travel and the car will ride better.

I had to shorten mine 1" when I took out 1 coil. I hit the stops so hard it knocked my mirror off. Of course I live in Michigan so the roads here are so bad that you need a lifted truck to drive on them, so yours might be different.

quote Originally posted by notwohorns: Does anyone know if the front bump stop has to be shorten if 1 1/2 coils is cut from the front spring?

I'd have to say Yes.

It's a fair amount of work to do it properly on '84-'87 Fieros (requires cutting and welding), but the 88's are very simple to do. Fieroguru's posts on this are great.

EDIT: Just realized this was post number 20,000 for me here.

[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 12-18-2014).]

If you have a welder and a cut off wheel it's not to bad. The hardest part is taking the suspension apart. I used a piece of 1" masking tape to mark the cut and just sliced it on both sides. Then just weld it back in. Took about 4hrs to do both sides.

Okay guys, Thanks. I'll be trimming mine

Anyone have to do this with the Eibach's?

quote Originally posted by Patrick: I'd have to say Yes. It's a fair amount of work to do it properly on '84-'87 Fieros (requires cutting and welding), but the 88's are very simple to do. Fieroguru's posts on this are great.

Properly? Pfft. I was lazy, and didn't do it properly. I've had no troubles.... Roads are pretty good around here, though. I'd recommend doing it properly, it just wasn't for me at the time.

Naaaaaa....see sawsall......

quote Originally posted by Stubby79: Properly? Pfft. I was lazy, and didn't do it properly. I've had no troubles.... Roads are pretty good around here, though. I'd recommend doing it properly, it just wasn't for me at the time.

Several years ago when I cut the springs on my '84, I didn't shorten the front bump stops and I thought the car was fine. The ride was a little stiff, but I didn't mind. It wasn't until I started autocrossing the Fiero that I realized something was wrong. I noticed the front of the car was sort of "skittering" around the corners. It reminded me of a stone being skipped across a body of calm water. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that my lowered front suspension was sitting right on the bump stops. The only "give" was the rubber pads on the bump stops being squished a bit more while going over bumps.

Once the surgery was done to the metal cones of the front bump stops, it made a world of difference with how the car felt... especially at autocross.

I'm just happy that shortening the front bump stops on an '88 is so much simpler to do, now that I drive my lowered Formula at the track.