Springs

[260zinsd]

*I want to lower my 260Z.....

*Should I cut the springs?

*How much should I cut?

*Do I need a spring clamp to get them off?

*Are the springs the only way to lower the Z

*I seen some that are adjustable,but they were for 240Z.How much will they adjust

*Any advice would help.

*Thanks.

[Zedyone_kenobi]

Why do you want to lower it. Is the rest of the car in good condition? How are your struts.

You do plan on matching the lower car with stiffer dampers right?

[Z Tyler Z]

Don't cut the springs, save up for some proper lowering springs they'll run around 200 but it;'s better to lower your car the right way instead of just cutting springs. As Zedyone said look into stiffer struts too.

[260zinsd]

Car is clean and I do not want to mess with it, I just do not like how high it sit's

Rim are panasports 15"

Tire's are 205 50 15

What will stiffer struts due?

I have a whole fist between the tire and fender,Is my rim and tire combo the problem?

Why would it be sitting so high?

Thanks again....Hope to see San Diego CA Z club @ Denny's on Tuesday 7-6-10

Don't cut the springs, save up for some proper lowering springs they'll run around 200 but it;'s better to lower your car the right way instead of just cutting springs. As Zedyone said look into stiffer struts too.

[spitz17]

The rims will raise the car a bit, especially if you are on stock springs. Stiffer struts will accomodate the stiffer springs. Stock height is pretty high... and most springs that are on the market... the fronts are pretty high. You could go with a Tokico HP Shock/Spring set up... I've heard that lowers a set up quite a bit.

[Zedyone_kenobi]

Car is clean and I do not want to mess with it, I just do not like how high it sit's

Rim are panasports 15"

Tire's are 205 50 15

What will stiffer struts due?

I have a whole fist between the tire and fender,Is my rim and tire combo the problem?

Why would it be sitting so high?

Thanks again....Hope to see San Diego CA Z club @ Denny's on Tuesday 7-6-10

A spring left unchecked will bounce up and down like a slinky. This is what your struts are designed to prevent. They dampen the motion of your springs.

A car sits on its springs, and DRIVES on its struts. If you put overly stiff short springs, the car will bounce all over the road uncontrolled. Not only is this not good for handling it can be down right dangerous. Properly stiff struts are needed to handle stiffer springs so that all the movement of the chassis is controlled.

[olzed]

You can cut some off the springs, as long as you don't overdo it, and as long as the spring is still held firmly in the upper and lower cups when the car is raised on a jack. Its not the bodge that some people think. You could take off 1-1.5 coils. the cut doesn't have to be in any particular place as the top cup/retainer rotates to any position. Yes, you need a pair of spring compressors to do this job. You need to take the strut assembly off the car and have it in a vice makes it a lot easier. On my 240 I put the car on the jack and measured the distance from the top cup to the bottom spring perch to get the distance with the suspension at its longest travel, then added about an inch to that for a bit of initial compression, then cut the spring to that. For a street car, harder springs can be a pain in the butt in my opinion.I put 260 2+2 springs shortened, in the rear of my car, which are heavier grade wire. I would not want them any stiffer. I had 260 springs in the front as well but after I fitted new Koni shocks on the lowest damping setting I found them way too hard so went back to shortened 240 springs. I have been running my car like this for 10 years.

Edited July 3, 2010 by olzed

[Gary in NJ]

The 205/50-15 are short. They have an overall height of 23 inches vs 24.75 for the stock 195/70-14. This will lower the car by 7/8".

As I have mentioned in other threads, I do not believe that you have the correct springs in your car. In addition to the excessive gap in the wheel well, it doesn't sit at the correct attitude.

Your best bet is to remove the springs and compare them to an OEM length first. From there you can determine if you want to go shorter.

[260zinsd]

Thanks...

The 205/50-15 are short. They have an overall height of 23 inches vs 24.75 for the stock 195/70-14. This will lower the car by 7/8".

As I have mentioned in other threads, I do not believe that you have the correct springs in your car. In addition to the excessive gap in the wheel well, it doesn't sit at the correct attitude.

Your best bet is to remove the springs and compare them to an OEM length first. From there you can determine if you want to go shorter.

[Jeff G 78]

I lowered my LeMons late 260 by cutting two coils off each spring and then adding jounce bumpers from some new Nissan (Sentra maybe?) that are in contact at curb height. It's only a track car, but it rides much better than my 280 with Tokico springs and it handles great. Check out my Facebook page for pics of how it sits. It rides on 195/60R14 tires.

[motorman7]

You can cut some off the springs, ..... you need a pair of spring compressors to do this job. You need to take the strut assembly off the car and have it in a vice makes it a lot easier. .

Just cut off one and a half coils from the front shocks on the yellow Z without removing the struts. Looks like the drop is about 1.5", which is perfect. I did have to use the spring compressors, of course. It would have been safer to remove the whole strut, but this was a bit quicker.

[260zinsd]

What did you use to cut them?Thanks

Just cut off one and a half coils from the front shocks on the yellow Z without removing the struts. Looks like the drop is about 1.5", which is perfect. I did have to use the spring compressors, of course. It would have been safer to remove the whole strut, but this was a bit quicker.