https://www.summitracing.com/parts/nlt-rev174-0040 IF you cut a full coil.......go ahead and buy a set of these (cheap insurance) This will get you home at least! I cut the front coils on my "M-word" and although it looked really trick.......it scrubbed on every speed bump in the area!! I installed a set of these and it raised it up just enough to stop the scrub. Not sure how you figger the math but.....a 2" pad on top of the spring does NOT raise it 2"!?! That said.......Summit has these pads in all different thicknesses. Soooooooooo you can restore some height if you trim too much off the spring (and I think a full coil may be too much!) jus say'in.... 6sally6 PS post some pictures..........we luv pitcherz!
I agree with harsher ride with lower-profile tires. Danger "from both bad ride an poor front end grip in turns"??? I don't think OP, who is choosing to cut front coils, rather than replace rear springs, is shooting for a tuned suspension for which tire profile would be a major factor, not on a shoestring budget.
A harsher ride is something I hadn't considered. Right now, the 'Bird just floats down the road and is quite comfortable. I don't know if the rear springs are actually sagging, it's only got 75,000 miles on it. Other T Birds I've seen of this vintage have a similar stance...
In most cases what ever you put under the spring or on top will double. So if you put a 1/2" spacer under the spring you will get about 7/8" lift. This is true only on independent front suspension. Actual height change with solid axles, so a 1/2" spacer moves it 1/2".
55-57 Tbirds all look higher in the front, and there is a lot of air between the top off the front tire and the wheel well. However, the rocker panels are level. I suppose it was a desirable profile in its day; maybe it was carried over to later models. Being an owner of a 55 Tbird, I don't like the look, particularly/w skirts, which reminds me of a bow riding high in the water. For that reason, I installed Ford Aerostar coil springs and 1 1/2" drop spindles. Although the Aerostar coils are shorter, they are variable-rate springs; the coils, alone, did not noticeably change the ride height. The Aerostar springs are more effective lowering the front end of full-size Fords, which must have more weight over the front suspension than the 55-57 Tbirds. Considering you have a plush ride, cutting the springs should reduce floating down the road, but ride quality should still be acceptable. The 55-57 Tbirds aren't known for their plush, floating-down-the-road ride, even with OEM springs.
Looking at your photos, the rocker panel looks level, but the ground might not be, and the shadow could be deceiving.
Take a full turn, you'll get about a 2" drop. IMHO, 1" won't be noticeable, worth the work or be low enough for that big Bird. Also, IMHO, not worth an 8 hour drive to do the job on a hoist. It won't save you much time or work. Unless of course you're planning on visiting with your friend anyway. I recently took a turn out of the coils on my late model Chevy half ton for another 2.25" of drop (2" drop spindles and 2" drop springs weren't enough). Driveway, floor jack, jack stands a few wrenches and a 4" Harbor Freight cutoff wheel. Took under 3 hours. Ride not really any stiffer.
The closed in rear wheel wells, along with the slendering height of the panels towards the back, create an illusion of the rear being lower. A very clever design used in a lot of cars from this era. To me, it looks as it should.
Make sure you have the rear height set and all the weight on the car. I first cut 1-1/4” coils. Didnt think it was enough….but….I was an idiot and hadnt noticed when I let it the lift was still taking weight. So I cut 3/4 more for a total of two, but the height stayed the same. Thats when I figured out the lift issue. So, 2 coils dropped it about 3 inches. Too much because of the front disc brakes needed less back spacing and caused a turning issue. 1 coil would have been right. So, the springs were junk and I ordered 2” lower springs from Jamco. Just right.
After two surgeries and ten fused vertebrae, my back isn't up to working in the wheel well with Jack stands. Besides, I haven't seen my oldest friend since before the China flu arrived...
I took a full coil out of my '59 Ford springs and it sits nicely. Doesn't bottom out or do anything negative. The OG rate was 414 lbs/inch, I calculated the new rate as 495 lbs/inch. The next time it comes apart, the plan is to take another 1/2 coil out of it.
the last coils I cut I was able to use some strut spring compressors pull the spring together and cut without dis***embly. cut a full coil it was a down little more than I wanted it to be should have done 1/2 or 3/4 a coil
I've seen springs fly out, even when using a spring compressor. For that reason, I wrapped a chain through my coil springs and secured the chain when I removed the coil springs from my 55 Tbird. I did not use a spring compressor.
I have used the torch sagging method and don’t recommend it. Have also cut some coils, and that turned out great. This was on an Entry-Cl*** dirt circle track stock car racer. Yes, cutting a coil does increase the spring rate. I used it to my advantage. Your results may vary. Nowadays, I would just use a cheap, off the shelf spring, such as a Ford Aerostar van. No h***le, low cost, easy way.
Cut springs are fine. ***uming they are cut with cutoff wheel. Sawzall won't work unless you have abrasive blade, springs are heat treated and very hard. Dull a regular sawzall blade with teeth almost soon as you try cutting. Spring rate will increase as percentage of coil cut vs number of starting coils. That is usually beneficial on a lowered car. Just don't do the heat and sag. That destroys the heat treating and will likely end up with inconsistent results and continuing spring changes as you drive. Or worse case spring failure.
Clamp them, see what ya think. If you don't like it, you wasted $30, take em off and go back to stock
The method I used: Whatever you cut from the free length of the spring will double the drop of the car. So if you cut off 1" of spring free length the car will drop approx. 2". https://www.eatondetroitspring.com/cutting-coil-springs/
I'm not a big fan of them, but they do work. And they sell them at the parts house. I've thrown ratchet straps around my control arms just to get a visual to see if i like the look before i do the grunt work lol.
ive cut springs many times . then cut the second set the correct amount . one coil is fine .NOTHING more . dont ask how i know
I don't know if a '63 T-Bird has progressive front coils or not, but if yours does make sure you cut the end of the spring where the coils are spaced further apart. This is the "stiff" end of the spring, and cutting from this end will preserve some of the ride quality. The downside to progressive springs is that they have less total "deflection" or travel before coil bind. Progressive rate springs generally have less total deflection compared to a linear rate spring of the same free length. This is because the closely wound coils needed to create the dual rates take up deflection space
Mid-60's T-Birds tend to wallow a lot in the turns, lot's of body lean. This is not unique to T-Birds, most mid-60's cars ride like this. A shorter spring with higher spring rate usually improves the handling quite a bit by lowering the center of gravity of the car and by reducing body lean while turning. Your car will look and handle better. Just don't go too much and cause clearance problems.
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