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Author Topic: Heating a coil or two to lower car...  (Read 3814 times)

Offline Skilgannon

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Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« on: August 16, 2016, 10:05:47 am »
Hi,
As the subject. Back in the day people I grew up around used to lower their cars by heating up a coil or two. And they weren't rubbish cars. I saw people do them on Cosworths and other fast cars of those days. I was speaking to a mate of mine who just bought a jag s type and he told me that he will be lowering his car by heating the springs. He said he's always done it to his cars.

I never really heard of anyone's spring snapping or having any adverse effects on their ride. Do you guys have any stories, opinions or experiences?

P.s I'm not thinking of doing this. Just want to learn a bit more about this method of lowering.

Offline r5gtt

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2016, 10:08:05 am »
Silly idea mate get some lowering springs  :doh:

Offline lukemk5gti

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2016, 11:18:04 am »
DON'T DO THAT!!!

Foolish idea, heating up a critical part of your suspension to the stage that it will actually decompress will completely compromise it's structural integrity.

You'll take a corner at speed and the sheering force will cause the coil to snap.

Don't cheap out on a safety critical part of your car.

Go buy some coilovers if you want adjustable or just some lowering springs!
« Last Edit: August 16, 2016, 11:20:34 am by lukemk5gti »

Offline Shoduchi

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2016, 11:19:41 am »
Big no no! :doh:

Offline john87

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2016, 12:27:45 pm »
Yep, bad idea..

from an engineering perspective, your cars' springs have been heat-treated after being wound to have specific properties - heating them to an unknown temperature may change these properties for the worse. Up there with chopping a coil off..
VCDS Hex-USB +CAN (Central Scotland)

Offline Skilgannon

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2016, 01:13:18 pm »
Yep, bad idea..

from an engineering perspective, your cars' springs have been heat-treated after being wound to have specific properties - heating them to an unknown temperature may change these properties for the worse. Up there with chopping a coil off..

Thank you. I was interested in the scientific/engineering reasons why it's a bad idea. I'll let me mate know the bloody cheapskate.

Offline Andy

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2016, 05:02:23 pm »
Like when you cut them down  to lower the car
please don't go down this route

Offline dronners

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #7 on: August 16, 2016, 05:53:29 pm »
Changing spring rates to something totally random and changing the structure of the metal can never be good.  manufactureres wouldnt spend years and and Tens of thousends of pounds in research and development if someone could come along willy nilly and change it as they see fit with no adverse effects.. It is an exact science

Offline bonelorry

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #8 on: August 16, 2016, 08:26:04 pm »
Oh dear, I though the days of reading crap like this where over...  :doh:

Offline Skilgannon

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #9 on: August 17, 2016, 12:19:26 am »
what about a few garden slabs in the boot......... :evilgrin:

Offline r5gtt

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #10 on: August 17, 2016, 10:18:29 am »
what about a few garden slabs in the boot......... :evilgrin:
yeah do that  :signLOL: or maybe two 20 litre drums of water  :doh:

Offline lukemk5gti

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #11 on: August 17, 2016, 10:39:51 am »
what about a few garden slabs in the boot......... :evilgrin:
yeah do that  :signLOL: or maybe two 20 litre drums of water  :doh:

Sure that's only 45kilos in total... Half a grown man like!

What you really need is to reverse a cement mixer up to the boot and unload!

Offline r5gtt

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #12 on: August 17, 2016, 10:41:22 am »
what about a few garden slabs in the boot......... :evilgrin:
yeah do that  :signLOL: or maybe two 20 litre drums of water  :doh:

Sure that's only 45kilos in total... Half a grown man like!

What you really need is to reverse a cement mixer up to the boot and unload!
:signLOL: into the spare wheel carrier and let it harden. :happy2:

Offline john87

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #13 on: August 18, 2016, 10:00:57 am »
reminds me of that Top Gear episode with the old Merc with the concrete floor  :grin:
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Offline Paradox1

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Re: Heating a coil or two to lower car...
« Reply #14 on: August 18, 2016, 10:26:09 am »
what about a few garden slabs in the boot......... :evilgrin:
yeah do that  :signLOL: or maybe two 20 litre drums of water  :doh:

Methanol :thinking: :thinking: :driver: :driver: