[96-GT_Josh]

Ok, I just read the useful links for cutting springs and every link in there talks about 03-04 cobras. And how they have a linear spring set-up.

I tried searching the 96-98 section for:

96 gt cut springs, 96 cut springs, cutting springs 96 gt.... and pretty much every other variation/combination of words of that search that I could think to perform to find my answer and no luck.

My question is do we have the option to cut our stock springs with no ill effects? And if there are neg. effects what would they be? A stiffer ride, floaty, bouncy...?

Any positive input will be helpful. My head is just starting to hurt from 2.5 hours of reading threads with no answers, but more questions and confusion.

Josh

[1989Gt.]

Dont be cheap find a used set if your going that way, cutting springs is dumb sorry if thats not what you wanted to hear and im not trying to be a ass or anything

[96-GT_Josh]

Didnt take it that way. I am just wondering why its ok for them and why not ours. If it is safe and the smea outcome as lowering springs why not save a few hundred and spend it elsewhere? Go read the threads and lmk what u think.

[1996 GT]

My car was "professionally" lowered when i bought it. Yeah no, two coils cut and rode worse then a tricycle. Point of this story, get real lowering springs.

[MustangTim]

I cut one coil front and back and removed the iso's on my 97 GT. The ride is a little firmer, but the car also has the original struts/shocks. I plan on fox struts for it.

I agree that you should "do it the right way". I cut mine because I don't daily my car and I got tired of it sitting so high in the front. I'm also going to cut another 1/4 to 1/2 coil in the back to level it out more. It's got a bit of a rake on it now.

[98REDGT]

I cut one coil from stock springs. It lowered it right at .75" .I could tell no difference in the ride at all. I was going to cut a second coil, but instead went with some economical drop springs. I have nearly 3" of drop from stock. I love the way it looks, handles and rides. It is firmer riding. I also swapped the rear shocks for crown vic shocks, only because i had a near new set from a previous project laying around. I like the way it turned out. I got it sligned just fine with out any high dollar parts. The guy i go to has been doing alignments for way too many years. He has tricks that suirprise me. But always work and hold. Its all a matter of what you want to spend.

[MustGT98allday]

i wouldnt cut the springs. its not ok for cobras either. its bad for any car out there. the springs are designed at that height for a reason. do your self a favor and just get some lowering springs. you could find used springs all over the place. this winter i am actually swapping to coilovers so ill be selling my eibach springs/shocks/struts

[ReverendDexter]

Cutting springs is perfectly fine. It's not bad for the car, lol; well, at least it's no worse than using an aftermarket spring to lower the ride height.

There's just a right way to do it and a lot of wrong ways to do it. If you do it one of the myriad wrong ways, you get all the problems associated with cut springs, like horrible ride quality.

The right way is to do it with a minimum of heat (heat changes the temper of the metal), and to make sure that the shape of the spring after the cut matches the shape fo the spring before the cut i.e. if the spring top was flat, make sure it's flat when you're done.

[96-GT_Josh]

I dont see how a cut spring can be bad either, at least no worse than a lowering spring. Either way the strut loses some of its movement for compression but gains for decomp.

As well as when the spring compresses cut or not it should still have the same spring rate.

The correct way to do it would be a full coilover set but I don not have the 1k dollars for that.

And if the ride gets rougher oh well. As this car sits now if I drive over a penny I can tell the date it was stamped in.

[1989Gt.]

Because when you cut ths spring you're cutting part of the max load and tension off that's why, Idk what anyone says cutting springs and buying springs designed for the car are totally different, if that were not the case then why is eibach jba bilstien h and r still around? Fuck it Whynot take the shock apart and cut that bitch up too!

[ReverendDexter]

Originally Posted by 96-GT_Josh As well as when the spring compresses cut or not it should still have the same spring rate.

Cutting coils off increases the spring rate.

Originally Posted by 1989Gt. if that were not the case then why is eibach jba bilstien h and r still around?

Maybe because they make springs in rates other than stock?

Originally Posted by 1989Gt. Fuck it Whynot take the shock apart and cut that bitch up too!

If you've got a rebuildable shock, like a Bilstein, and you know what you're doing, sure, cut that thing open and revalve it. It's what all the serious racers do.

[1989Gt.]

Ha yeah anyways like i said before dont go cheap. Springs are very easy to install and very worth the 80 bucks you could spend on used ones....

[96-GT_Josh]

Ok with input in here saying they did it and have no negative effects from it other than a harsher ride. I will do it. I don't mind a harsh ride. If I don't like it I will buy some springs.

I simply asked if it was possible on these like the 03-04 cobras.

I appreciate you guys looking out for me and saying do it the right way and just buy springs thought.

[96-GT_Josh]

Ok so I went to cut my front springs today. When I got the front drivers side off I noticed than the spring actually broke from rusting away maybe 1.5 coils up. That would explain the front end knock when I hit bumps.

So I cut another 1/2 coil off, then side by side comparison cut the pass side and re-installed it all.

I have to say that I feel no difference in the way the car drives, handles, takes bumps or anything. So my guess is its fine. No harder or softer than stock.

Dropped the front maybe 2" and left the rear alone for today. But I have to say the stance looks nice. I will get some pics up soon.

[1996 GT]

Thats the one i pulled out of my car, and the oem replacement i put back in. When it was cut like that, it was actually ridiculous. I couldnt keep it straight over a bump, and it had terrible handling and after about 10 minutes of driving it i had to use the washroom.

[96-GT_Josh]

Mine is no different. Maybe urs was bad because you cut from the top and cut the flat part off.. Every thread I read said cut from the bottom. Maybe because the a arm is recessed for the shape of the spring and the top is just flat?

[1996 GT]

I never cut it, it came like that when i bought it from a guy. Either way it rode horrible, bottomed out on EVERY bump.

[1989Gt.]

Yeah i expect that.

[BLUE91GT]

Buy a spring that is made for lowering your car vs a spring that has been cut and changed in how it will work. Just my .02

[blackmage]

i dont see why people get in such a fuss over cutting springs on these cars? They're not progressive rate so like others have said, it will increase the spring rate cutting them, but its not going to compromise handling or anything like that. I forget where the thread is, but even the C springs have a couple dead coils on them anyways. Cut away OP. its not going to hurt.