Cut spring, is this safe??!

[Split_Pin]

I had the rear axle, 4 dampers and 4 springs replaced on the Corsa today.

 

The gmax shortened dampers that I bought came with the front springs already on the struts, together with rear springs and dampers.

 

However, I decided to have the brand new springs fitted that I bought ages ago just for good measure. The garage said that it was lucky that I did as the aprings supplied on the dampers had been cut, sounded dodgy.

 

However a few people on Facebook have basically said WTF is wrong with that and I am worrying unnecesarrily. Does thos looks safe/legit?

[FakeConcern]

If it looks wrong, it is wrong.

[fordperv]

personally I am not a fan of cut springs at all

[MarvinsMom]

that doesn't look at all ok to me......

[richardmorris]

The spate of broken springs over the last few years is directly related to the end of the springs being straight cut and not chamfered. There's a lot of physics maths involved, but basically the stresses are increased.

[Pillock]

Yeah. Basically as I understand it, the suspension on your car is slightly more technical than the spring that makes the button pop back up on a biro, and you shouldn't alter things by just lopping coils off.

 

Sometimes, they're progressive rate springs, and you don't actually know if you're going to completely kipper the handling by removing some of the progression from the spring.

Other times, if the spring is too short, it'll fall out of the cup when jacked or if you unload the spring over a hump or something. May not seat properly again so again will handle oddly, might even catch the tyre. That's also an MOT fail I believe.

It's pretty obvious when it's been done as most springs have a flat top and bottom, where the last coil is flattened and closes in to the coil before (to make a horizontal plane for it to sit on). A chopped spring will be sitting on an edge rather than a flat.

[Split_Pin]

Does it make a difference that its a 40mm lowered and stiffened spring? Interesting about the forces, something the FB users clearly havent though about.

 

It looked wrong so its going in the bucket.

[MarvinsMom]

peeps on facebook and common sense do not always go hand in hand.

[Tamworthbay]

There is a reason why spring maufacturers don't cut them like that, if they did it would be cheaper and if it's cheaper they would do it if they could. That's enough for me.

[vulgalour]

On a Corsa I'd say chopped springs are bad.  If you've got a stepped spring plate and a non-progressive spring then chopping is, generally, perfectly fine.  Most modern (say post 1990) springs are progressive, shaped and designed to provide the best springing in the smallest space where older springs  (say 1950s-70s) cars have a much more basic approach.

 

Chopping springs was once really the only to lower a car, you couldn't so easily go out and buy a Gmax kit for your Zephyr back in the day.  I'm not entirely opposed to chopping springs either, providing they're the right sort.  I always follow the rule of "if in doubt, don't" and these days there are springs available for any car.

 

The spring you show does look like its' been chopped and you have to wonder why you would on an already lowered spring where lower springs aren't too difficult to come by.  It could be a broken spring - road conditions are as much to blame as finished ends here - but it is probably good it's been spotted and sorted out.  Did you buy the kit new or second hand originally?  If it were bought new it's probably best quizzing the manufacturer about it, if you bought second hand then there's a chance someone has been in there with the choppy device.

 

TL:DR - chopped springs aren't always bad, but you probably shouldn't chop lowering springs on a modern car.

[garethj]

Even if a spring is the constant force type (not a rising rate) the ends are often closed, this means that the last bit of the coil is formed around to make a flat face which fits into the suspension cup.  This helps reduce the stress by spreading the load over a larger area.

 

It's not necessarily dangerous to just lop a coil off and plenty of people have done it.  However plenty of people ride downhill through forest tracks on their mountain bike with a 4 foot selfie stick strapped to their helmet, but after some thought about the leverage it would put on your flimsy little neck bones when you crash I wouldn't do that either.

 

As with the springs, as long as everything is alright, you'll be alright.  Kittens and nuns won't be murdered if you chose to use them, it's your choice.

[Split_Pin]

They came 2nd hand with the used gmax dampers I bought. Spring plate is a stepped rubber item, seemed to fit on the spring fine which is why I didnt notice. I havent used them though, I used new ones instead. Its more a case of whether or not I flog them to someone else. If I do I will be updfront about the fact they are cut.

[red5]

Ignore Facebook 'experts'

 

Bin springs.

 

You want lowered springs  - buy them chaps.

[DodgyBastard]

I had chopped springs on my car once, when driving past a group of nuns carrying kittens I lost control and everyone died.

[vulgalour]

Luckily, you got better.

[Mr A Lawrence]

Yeah but itz slammed innit

[xtriple]

Whatever's wrong with just applying the old gas axe to springs - collapses them a treat and no nasty cut edges!

[twosmoke300]

Did that on my kit car when I fitted new cortina springs and were far too long

[garethj]

Whatever's wrong with just applying the old gas axe to springs - collapses them a treat and no nasty cut edges!

mmmm, that's what I like to see, a bit of carefully controlled post heat treatment.  WCPW?

[Jim Bell]

I've driven literally millions of cars on chopped springs and literally everything was fine.

 

Though I never drive them for long.

[wuvvum]

Does anyone remember that feckwit on the blue forum a while back who was trying to sell a Micra (?) that he'd completely removed the springs from?  IIRC several people tried to tell him how utterly stupid an idea that was, and got shouted down by the mods for being "negative".

[Ghosty]

Facebook is blue, so is blue forum. Go figure.

[fordperv]

So is this place on the mobile version

[strangeangel]

peeps on facebook and common sense do not always go hand in hand.

 

Yep, fit the nice new springs and sell the old ones for £££ to the Facebook Bazzers.

[sierraman]

You notice on standard springs the ends are chamfered and coated so it seats correctly. I wouldn't saw them down unless there was no alternative.

[tooSavvy]

... I've got 'pigtails', so mea mea meah!!

 

TS

[fordperv]

... I've got 'pigtails', so mea mea meah!!TS

[hairnet]

Lol pigtail

 

And the answer is all springs are cut as they're made just the end are different where they fit cut them by all means

 

But where they fit into a strut etc shape them as OE so they fit right

 

Simples

[seth]

They came 2nd hand with the used gmax dampers I bought. Spring plate is a stepped rubber item, seemed to fit on the spring fine which is why I didnt notice. I havent used them though, I used new ones instead. Its more a case of whether or not I flog them to someone else. If I do I will be updfront about the fact they are cut.

 

If the spring plate is stepped then it probably means that the spring was locating just fine. My understanding is that some cars don't have flat/ground ends to the springs.

 

Since you got the struts with the cut springs fitted you'd also have noticed if they were loose at full extension which presumably they weren't so again, you would not have had to worry about them dislocating at full drop.

 

The only reason for a cut spring to fail an MOT would be that it does not relocate in the cup correctly if it dislocates. Dislocation itself would not be a fail - again my understanding is that there are 4x4s where the springs can end up loose if a wheel ends up in the air and there are cones to guide the spring back in to place.

 

Also, never cut leaf springs. That doesn't work.

[Split_Pin]

Ideal, gonna flog them then 😀