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Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice please?



Chapster5

Chapster5

Well basically I work at a transmission company and we have a vehicle workshop here with ramps and stuff now I asked one of the mechanics whilst I Was at work could he fit some springs I have they lower the car by 40mm so a fair ammount. He said Ill fit them if im happy with the length of them he said if you get lowering springs they are shorter than the standard spring and if you go over say a large bump or bridge when the suspension drops to full travel the spring will come out the cup and cause the car to swerve.

He also said say you get a puncture and pull over to the side of the road when you jack the car up once again to full strut travel the spring will fall out the cup and sit to one side if you dont notice it and hold it whilst you lower the car you will more than likely cause damage or make the car near enough impossible to drive. I see what hes saying and the springs are a 1/4 of an inch smaller than the standard springs so hes not happy in fitting them. What are your thoughts on this? Should I risk it for a biscuit or dont put them on? I spent £75 to get them and now im unsure

Cheers

Nick :dapprove:
 
B

Bullingdon Bully

  172 Cup
Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

:eek: I'm shocked mate

Thousands of people use lowering springs, dont worry about what he's saying
 
E

ekaJ

Wtf is he on about. Front springs are compressed so wont be going anywhere.

Rear springs is possible bit highly unlikely on 40mm springs, which will hardly be noticable btw.

People with tiny custom springs sometime cable tie them secure, but with the weight of the car on them, its unlikely.
 
S

Steven103

  172
Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

Also, it's an MOT fail if springs do not relocate themselves properly after the suspension is in "droop" (e.g. when it's up on a ramp or the inside wheel during heavy cornering) IIRC. Therefore if the springs are sold specifically for your car (including the correct engine size - this concerns getting the correct length/stiffness for the weight of the car) and you have standard shocks then they should be absolutely fine.

So what he's saying is 100% true it is possible. However you just assume if you buy springs from an actual company that they will be the correct length so they don't get bombarded with legal proceedings everytime a customer car goes over a bump!
 
Stava

Stava

Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

You'll be fine fella, 40mm is bugger all. What springs have you bought?
 
Chapster5

Chapster5

Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

Steven103 said:
Also, it's an MOT fail if springs do not relocate themselves properly after the suspension is in "droop" (e.g. when it's up on a ramp or the inside wheel during heavy cornering) IIRC. Therefore if the springs are sold specifically for your car (including the correct engine size - this concerns getting the correct length/stiffness for the weight of the car) and you have standard shocks then they should be absolutely fine.

So what he's saying is 100% true it is possible. However you just assume if you buy springs from an actual company that they will be the correct length so they don't get bombarded with legal proceedings everytime a customer car goes over a bump!
Click to expand...

Cheers mate it does say on the box Renault Clio 1,1 which is mine so all should be well with fitting them? :) I said I doubt they would have sold springs if they wernt up to road standards and have been tested stringently... He looked at me as if to say you having a laugh :p

Stava said:
You'll be fine fella, 40mm is bugger all. What springs have you bought?
Click to expand...

Cheers matey, The springs are some cheap £75 one I cant pronounce the name of the company though lol its like german or something? Its no Eibach Sportline I know that :)
 
Owen92

Owen92

  Mk4 Mondeo Estate
Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

That normally happens when people cut springs
 
P

pastieman

  Mk2 Ph2 172
You will be fine.... The guy obviously uses alot of drugs and has become paranoid about everything !!!!
 
B

benn j

  Clio 182
Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

i wouldnt worry mate i have got 60mm springs on the back and they stay in when i jack my car up lol
and like someone said before the fronts are compressed onto the strut an wont go anywhere lol
 
jack_davey

jack_davey

  Black Gold Trophy
Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

Does he also say things like it's not worth changing spark plugs as they might snap off in the head?
 
Jay.S

Jay.S

Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

Tbh he has said he will fit them so just get him to do it.

Is he one of them guys thats into Health & safety and all sorts of laws etc he is proberly just covering his back just incase anything happens and you try blaming him.

It will be fine i wouldnt worry about it.
 
A

andy_casey

  Audi (R)S2, 1.6 16v
Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

Most proper spring manufacturers make the springs the correct free length to stop this from happening. In general, you get a dual rate spring, where there are some close wound coils and then some further apart. The close wound coils are there purely to make up the length, so that they don't fall out, and will bind when the weight of the car is on them, thus making sure that the spring is the correct stiffness.

Where the spring is shorter, manufacturers (Apex for example) will tell you when you must fit shortened shock absorbers, such as say the Bilstein B8 instead of a standard length shock, such as a B6. If in doubt, email or call the company, they're usually happy to help.

If you're in any doubt at all and can't get a clear answer, put the car up on the ramp so that all the load is off the front wheels and then measure the distance from the spring top cap to the spring seat at the base (i.e. the length the spring has to bhe when the car is unloaded). As long as your lowering springs are the same height or greater, they can't come out. If they're significantly shorter, then you need to get shorter shocks but this is only likely if you're dropping a silly amount.

HTH
 
Chapster5

Chapster5

Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

andy_casey said:
Most proper spring manufacturers make the springs the correct free length to stop this from happening. In general, you get a dual rate spring, where there are some close wound coils and then some further apart. The close wound coils are there purely to make up the length, so that they don't fall out, and will bind when the weight of the car is on them, thus making sure that the spring is the correct stiffness.

Where the spring is shorter, manufacturers (Apex for example) will tell you when you must fit shortened shock absorbers, such as say the Bilstein B8 instead of a standard length shock, such as a B6. If in doubt, email or call the company, they're usually happy to help.

If you're in any doubt at all and can't get a clear answer, put the car up on the ramp so that all the load is off the front wheels and then measure the distance from the spring top cap to the spring seat at the base (i.e. the length the spring has to bhe when the car is unloaded). As long as your lowering springs are the same height or greater, they can't come out. If they're significantly shorter, then you need to get shorter shocks but this is only likely if you're dropping a silly amount.

HTH
Click to expand...

Thanks for that insight Andy

I put the springs on and what I did to make sure when the caps where tightened down and the spring released I grabbed the spring and shook the whole shock and looked for movement and there was non. I had to compress them a great ammount to get them onto the shock and get the cap back on anyway
 
spanishbhoy

spanishbhoy

  clio 5door sport rep
Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

hahahaha this mechanic clearly should not be a mechanic :)
 
G

G3 NYX

  Toyota MR2 GT Turbo
Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

The rear springs only fall out if lowered by about 90mm (me) but thats solved by uprating shocks.
 
MichaelGrimes

MichaelGrimes

  Non Sport Megane
Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

iv fitted 40mm lowering springs to mine, and i had to jack the rear of the car up the other day, because all my tyres got slashed, so i change both rears at the same time, by jacking it up on the rear beam! my springs never fell out! :) i also asked on here if it was a possibility if that could happen with standard rear shocks, and was told that it wouldnt happen, dont worry buddy it will be fine! :)
 
G

G3 NYX

  Toyota MR2 GT Turbo
Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

MichaelGrimes said:
iv fitted 40mm lowering springs to mine, and i had to jack the rear of the car up the other day, because all my tyres got slashed, so i change both rears at the same time, by jacking it up on the rear beam! my springs never fell out! :) i also asked on here if it was a possibility if that could happen with standard rear shocks, and was told that it wouldnt happen, dont worry buddy it will be fine! :)
Click to expand...

Your springs won't fall out if you jack it up by the rear beam! Ya fool! :)
 
st3ve

st3ve

  Evo 8 MR
Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

Some places just don't like touching aftermarket parts. They give you horror stories to try talk you out of it rather than just saying, "I don't want to do it thanks".
 
C

Chip-mk1

  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

Jack your car off the ground, measure each spring, if the new ones uncompressed are longer than the maximum extension the shocks allow of the springs fitted to the car then it's quite simply impossible for you to have the problems he describes.
 
M

mattybrown91

  CLIO MK2 SI
Re: Just got lowering springs and have been scared out of fitting them... advice plea

all of my cars have been on lowering springs and i have even had my car off the floor and i have never had the problem of loosing any of my springs your shocks take ages to go back down once they have been pushed right down, dont worry about them falling out.
 
Chapster5

Chapster5

It's all safe ran it the past 2 days even give it a tiny bit of a razz about and suffice to say no worried :)

I grabbed the shock by the spring when I had put them on just to check it and shook it like mad with no movement happy enough whacked them on my car
 
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