quote Originally posted by Va_Fiero_10: Ok so another question. Why would U cut the front springs and leave the back stock height? is this a style thing? or a preformance thing or what?

quote Originally posted by Carver1: I like the raked look. The 88's sit higher in the front, so cutting the front springs kinda evens it out nice.

Yep! The '88's look ridiculous with the front ride height. I took this picture in Feb. 2006 because of how I found the 350z parked on top of my formula when I came out of the mall. You can see very well how the car sits with front cut springs and completely stock rear ride height. The front wheels are also 17 inch front with 18 inch in the rear. It fit my idealism's of the time, that Fiero's should ride "raked". If I did a setup like that again, I'd lower the rear with a set of coil overs. Lots of people complimented on the raked look. From a performance standpoint, a lower center of gravity in the rear would have increased traction.

As was mentioned before, 88s seem to sit higher in the front than the rear, for whatever reason.
This was my Formula (the same car as the gray fastback) before I started modding.


The pic below was taken with the cut springs in the front.
Note that the new tires were chosen because they were nearly identical in diameter to the stockers.
The car also settled just a bit after these pics were taken. It had only been on its wheels for a few days.

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 12-26-2010).]

Suspension wise I want to lower mine obviously. I want the front and rear to be the same height. Looking for the best way to accomplish tht. Mine is a 87 se notchback. Will have gt bumpers and side skirts on once I get it. I hear the front shocks are seperate from springs. Not sure on the rear. Ive heard 84 n 85's are same in rear and heard 88s and together in the rear. But trying to find out for the 87's. Would check mine but wont have hear till tomorrow hopefully. we did just get a bunch of snow so maybe later.

The rear use coil over macpherson strut assemblies. Cutting the front springs would work well for you. I recommend building a set of coil overs for the rear, because of the seating problem, and progressive rate springs issue discussed on the first page. https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/046456.html

I recommend building a set of rear coilovers too. I dont recommend using the factory struts though (like that thread says). I would go with aftermarket struts made to handle the higher spring rates

Well you don't necessarily need to use a stiffer spring, but the only available shock to correctly damper 300+ lb springs are Koni. Cheaper replacement shocks should do fine for anything less. The stock struts and shocks are garbage, replace them no matter what you do.

ya you're right, they do make the coilover springs in stock-ish rates too. what are the stock rears again? I think it was under 200?

I can't give you that number, there's too much discrepancy - somewhere around 200# average for the rear springs. A 250# spring would probably be a very safe bet for a small upgrade from the stiffest WS6 spring. Koni's are expensive, so using stiff springs becomes expensive. Here's a list of the very many spring options that were offered.

http://floridafieros.org/osg/springs.html

quote Originally posted by L67: Edit: If you're looking to lower the car a lot, try cutting between "1" and "2". I reluctantly helped a friend of mine cut two coils out of the front springs in his '86 GT. He couldn't get out of his driveway without coil binding. I eventually ended up owning the car and couldn't stand the ride. It's better to cut in small increments to find a place you're happy with.

I cut 2 coils out of my 86 and its HORRIBLE! i can barely fit my index finger under the bump stop and bump stop platform in the lower control arm. Needless to say, i'm hitting my bump stops a LOT. If i were you, i would only do 1 coil. I would highly recommended cutting only 1 coil, and getting Rodne'ys 1" lowering ball joint. That's what im going to do when i get the cash.

http://www.facebook.com/pho...3c4b78&id=1279407073

http://www.facebook.com/pho...689123&id=1279407073

[This message has been edited by Seanpaul (edited 12-27-2010).]

quote Originally posted by Seanpaul: I cut 2 coils out of my 86 and its HORRIBLE! i can barely fit my index finger under the bump stop and bump stop platform in the lower control arm. Needless to say, i'm hitting my bump stops a LOT. If i were you, i would only do 1 coil. I would highly recommended cutting only 1 coil, and getting Rodne'ys 1" lowering ball joint. That's what im going to do when i get the cash. http://www.facebook.com/pho...3c4b78&id=1279407073 http://www.facebook.com/pho...689123&id=1279407073

Have you trimmed your bump stops? That would help your ride quality. I am getting ready to do the one coil cut along with the 1 in lowering ball joint on the front of my 88. Since they sit high normally I think it will look pretty good with only a modest increase in spring rate and plenty of travel with the bump stop trimmed.

quote Originally posted by Rick 88: Have you trimmed your bump stops? That would help your ride quality. I am getting ready to do the one coil cut along with the 1 in lowering ball joint on the front of my 88. Since they sit high normally I think it will look pretty good with only a modest increase in spring rate and plenty of travel with the bump stop trimmed.

Yeah i need to do that. But "trimming" makes it sound as if you just use a hack saw and trim them a bit...it's more of cutting and welding your bump stops So it's going to be more involved then i can handle at the moment. Plus I need to have all the parts i need to correct the bounce problem before i do that.

quote Originally posted by Seanpaul: Yeah i need to do that. But "trimming" makes it sound as if you just use a hack saw and trim them a bit...it's more of cutting and welding your bump stops So it's going to be more involved then i can handle at the moment. Plus I need to have all the parts i need to correct the bounce problem before i do that.

I am talking about the rubber bump stops. You can trim these down and give youself a little more suspension travel before they come in contact.

I cut mine down in the front of my 86 GT and I removed 1.5" and it rides okay but I do need to cut my bumpstops a tad as when you hit a large bump in the road it kinda bottoms out on me but for most driving it is kinda nice. It does firm it up a bit too... peace

Pete

Here is a link from Eaton Detroit Spring. They have an excellent discussion on the wheres and whyfores of spring cutting.


http://www.eatonsprings.com...tingcoilsprings.html

I am looking for another solution to the front springs I have now, WCF 1.5" 400# lowering springs. EDS makes custom springs and has the factors Fiero dimensions and rates.

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Steve AT 88GTP DOT com
88 GT\3800 SC\L67\L26\4T65E-HD
NIC Cam\Comp Cam Hi-Tech 1.8 rockers\Rhoads XL Lifters
eBay Headers\Magnaflow Camaro muffler, 3.4 pulley
DH Tune

Wanna go faster?

So based on that link im guessing Fiero's front springs are Tangential End, and our rear springs are either Square End, or Pigtail End? Great news is I get my car tomorrow ! So I can finially go look at mine rather then ask questions. YAY!

After reading this thread and reading a few of you say something about watching the rear springs for coming unseated when raising the rear end. My question would be, why not use ride limit straps to limit the downward travel of the suspension at the point just before they come unseated.
My 4x4 buddies run them on their solid axles to keep their coils from slipping out, why can't we?


Just a thought.

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86 Fiero 2M4 Silver, bought for electric conversion. Currently just fixing all the old stuff

No problems running limiting straps, great idea. Just imagine running over raised railroad tracks unexpectedly and losing a coil.

BTW, heating springs has been done since customizing cars began, when Junior Johnson was just a moonshine runner. Unless you have firsthand experience heating coils with a torch to lower a car with experienced a catastrophic failure don't reply with heresay. I have never heard of a failure due to heating a coil....how do you think they were formed genius? Cutting IMO isn't bad either, nothing wrong with it as long as it can't come undone with max suspension travel, hence the use of limiting straps. Just my .02.

quote Originally posted by Rick 88: Have you trimmed your bump stops? That would help your ride quality. I am getting ready to do the one coil cut along with the 1 in lowering ball joint on the front of my 88. Since they sit high normally I think it will look pretty good with only a modest increase in spring rate and plenty of travel with the bump stop trimmed.

Just an update. With one coil removed and Rodneys 1 in lowering ball joint my 88 was too low in front. So I installed the stock spring again with just the lowering ball joint and the car looks great. It will also clear my driveway and speed bumps! You might be ok with Rodneys 1/2 in lowering ball joints and one coil removed.

[This message has been edited by Rick 88 (edited 04-23-2011).]

Heating coils with an oxyacetylene torch will get you an initial drop, but then they keep sagging and sagging. I found this on the front of my dad's 300ZX when he bought it. Coils don't normally sag like leafs do. Seems to be a 2:1 ratio. Leafs sagging twice as much per decade coils taking 2 decades to sag as much as leafs do in one. But use the torch, you'll more than reverse that.
Australian is partly correct, cutting a coil reduces available compression. But if you can trim the bumpstop a matching amount, then keep the shocks from bottoming, the net result is the same bump travel as original. However, this is way harder to accomplish with a 2" drop than with a 1" drop.
Plus then there's the question of putting the tires against the wheelwells.
Also, the ball point pen analogy, as presented, is flawed. We don't stretch our cut coils back out to their original free length before re-installing them.
Cutting a coil will increase the rate, as L67 presented. However the increased rate doesn't equal the lost length. This is why lowering springs are made to higher rate than a same-drop cut stock coil ends up at.
Torching coils results in loss of rate.