Stupid question by a young punk... heating coils

I've had a stock spring break on a Taurus, took out the tire, strut, rim, and **** my pants. I replaced both sides then...and I washed the pants.

 

My brother and a bunch of his stupid friends heated the coils on a '72 chevy pickup for an el-cheapo drop. Heated the coil until the truck began to drop and drop it did. Right down to the bump stop. The ride was awful, but at least they didn't have to worry about the coil breaking. LOL

 

Use a cut off wheel to cut the springs.


The spring rate will get stiffer,the more you cut off.

 

Once you've removed the Temper,by heating the spring,
you need to restart the heat treat process all over again.

Which involves heating the whole spring to approx. 1450 degrees F,
the exact temperature depends on the alloy of steel used,quenching in oil,then tempering at 450-500 degrees F.
----
A "cold rag" will quench the metal,which can
make it brittle,depending on the temperature.

 

Ian isn't the top or bottom a cruscial structure/strength point on the spring? thats why its narrower right? Or is that just to fit in the pockets?

 

I did it once on a $30 car. On a $600 car, probably not.

 

You know, I dont condone heating em but I do know the coils on my 54 are heated and they have many crack free miles on them.

 

I know its been said already, but I agree with spending the time to pull them out and cut them....yes we have all heated the springs at some point in our life...and they do weaken,they do ride like s#@t, they continue to settle long after you cut them,and very hard to get all to lower evenly.....If you pull them out you can mark exactly how many coils to cut and hack em off....much safer,much nicer ride,wont continue to sag,and you will have an even drop....

 

If you compare springs from different cars,you will see the ends vary.The is no one standard design.

Some are a smaller diameter on the end,to create a rising rate spring.Some have a variable pitch for the same reason.

Some are open on one end,aka "pig tail".
This is a cost saving measure.
A lot of m*** production design decisions are dictated by price.

Race springs are closed wound,and ground on both ends.
Just like valve springs.Grinding takes time,costs money.

 

I drove a beater '72 Pontiac for ages, parked it when the frame finally rotted all the way through where it had already been fixed in the back. The end of one of the coils was broken off the whole time I drove it -

 

Oh yeah, forgot about that, good luck!

 

cold

 

cold

 

the only dumb question is the one you down ask.. really shouldnt be afraid to ask q's around here, we're all in the same boat, we were all dumb punks once.. lol we did this once with a friends s-10 we heated one side of the coil and eventually it rested on the steel 1x1 frame i made to this occasion, it's not the safest way to lower.. but it works.. well most of the time.

 

Heat one coil red hot in about a 2-3" area until 2 coils touch eachother 180 degrees away. Heat the area that touched until the first area of heating does the same. This only lowers 1/2 to 1 inch. Repeat as necessary. It's very easy to control the amount this way. ALSO, when 2 coils touch they can never sag any more than where they are. I've been doing this for 30 yrs. PS-this is for standard spaced front coils. Some GM rear coils (mid 60's-70's) have huge spacing between each coil. Heat these and they'll be ****eyed, and go too low

 

lets start a memorial fund for GRAVEROBBER63.only use cinder blocks,if your planning on building a block wall,good luck

 

Thanks..Ive been practicing

 

Uncle Kle Ian is right. Just for the heck of it heat up an old valve spring till its cherry red. Let it air cool. Then keep flexing it till it work hardens and fails. It will take a while, but eventually it breaks, just like your coil spring.

 

When I bought my car the front springs (rears too) had been heated to lower the car. The front springs had 3 coils touching. It was low...and rode like a boat...plus they weren't even so it sagged to the left. If you are going to all the trouble to jack it up, put it on stands, set it so it only drops so far, crawling under and heating, getting it to cool...it probably wouldn't take that much time to pull the coil and use a cut off wheel and get it done right.

 

Okay, here's the low down freakin' deal. I'm very much a newbie. With that being said, about three weeks ago I did a search here on the H.A.M.B. about torching my coils. After two and a half hours of reading, it was my destiny to heat these coils. The biggest freakin' mistake I've ever made. When you read a post that says don't do it, listen. Next time I won't be so hardheaded. I did this to a 1950 Buick. It rides like ****. The next time I'll spend the recommended case of beer and the time it takes to cut them.

 

good advice from a man who now...knows why

 

Sounds like you went too far and you're now riding on the snubbers. A- this can still happen with cut coils. B-if you're just touching, or real close to the snubbers, you can cut them in half (or more) and get your ride back. It's NOT the heated coils, so much as going to far and hitting the snubbers that's giving you that ****ty ride. EVERY car I heat coils on rides the same as before, unless I go too far and reach the snubber

 

i've been heatin coils for many years (25) I havent done it for awhile cause now I can afford to do it right ! I have never had one break!! I think all these people tellin you not to do it has never experienced it and are goin of urban legends. I have a good friend who is an editor of a major automotive publication who could not find aftermarket coils for his new Caddi, so we heated his 07 coils, sure its not the best ride, but life is full of compromise. (I wanna get drunk and not wake up with a hangover) it aint gonna happen. If you stack your coils it aint gonna ride nice but I feel you'll be safe! My father taught me to stack coils, he's done it since the 50's, back then that was their only technology.

 

i've never had coilsprings.com tell me they couldn't make me dropped springs for anyting so i'd have to question how much digging your friend really did.

yes many people have torched the springs and been fine. did a few myself back in highschool with no problems other than the **** ride. but for just a little more time you can pull them cut them with a cut off wheel and get a much better ride. or better yet call up one of the several custom spring places like mentioned above and have a set of dropped coils done up for you...ken....

 

man this is like a 50/50 in here...

 

So lets see, you have a ****py $600 car. You want to make it even more of a **** pile by giving it a ****ty ride and possibly a unsafe suspension. All in the name of looks and to save time?

Now I've been know to take short cuts for the same reason. That's all this is, a short cut. You know what? I was sorry every time I did. When it comes to the stuff that makes my car/bike go and the stuff that makes it whoa. I've learned to always follow one simple rule.

Say it with me...........
"Any job big or small, do it right or not at all"


the preceeding is only my opinion and worth every penny you paid me for it..

 

WTF! 40 replies and nobody's addressed the most important part of your post - you should never, read that as NEVER, use cinder blocks for supporting any ****ing part of a vehicle. NEVER !!

I had a good friend on mine crushed to death when some cinder blocks he was using as supports let go while he was working alone. It wasn't a quick death and his wife & kids and parents will never be the same. And at least a few times a year I hear of similar accidents.

Buy some GOOD jack stands - not the cheap sheetmetal ones, either. Get some good ones and back them up with a second system (blocks of wood, floor jack, etc.), just in case. If you can't afford good stands, sell the car - it isn't worth dieing for.

 

Nope, most people are saying don't do it and like 2 saying they do it all the time...

It all comes down to what you want to hear.

Ive been in cars with heated coils and they ****ed... I've cut coils on 2 cars and they rode great... I'd still rather buy new coils but if that wasn't an option, I'd cut the coils again. It takes no more than a couple hours to get the coils out, cut them and put them back in.

 

It will work just be sure you are on level ground and not drinking alot of beer... I lowered an old dodge truck by heating coils with only the front wheels pulled into the shop...BUDWEISER...I stoped when the truck looked level and it looked real cool till I pulled it out of the shop and it drug the front bumper on the shop floor. I drove the truck like this for 2 years and the only problems I had were speed bumps and beer cans neither of which would fit under the bumper.