Stupid question by a young punk... heating coils

Okay so I've never heated coils before.

I was going to rest the car on some cinder blocks, put some stacked bricks or 2x4's under the crossmember and get underneath with the torches and heat them till the car "rests" on the bricks or 2x4's.

Now, do i heat a whole coil or just one section? I know this is the hack way of lowering a car, but it's a $600 shitbox and I don't feel like pulling the coils out to cut them.

Do i need to heat the whole ring around the coil? Does it matter where on the coil i heat?

Thanks my hamb bretheren

 

Im not too sure about the cinder block, dont let that car fall on ya.
I would imagine heating the whole coil a little at a time would be best, if it was on the ground you could see how much its lowering it.

 

consider how a lever works... if you have blocks under the frame, at some distance away from the wheel, you will actually drop the car further with the first corner than you will on the others... hope that makes sense.... even for a shit box i think you'll get better results cutting them.

 

I,ve done it a few times. What I,ve done is support the car @2" higher from where you want it to sit (it will settle quick). Then starting toward the bottom of the coil heat it up on one side till it drops. Keep working your way up one coil at a time till it bottoms out on the on the stop/ cinder blocks or wutever comes first. then soak a rag with motor oil and apply to coil this will help to cool it down slowly without making it brittle.??????????? GOOD LUCK!

 

DON'T DO IT!!! Cut the coils or get dropped spindles or get shorter springs. Heating springs is a sure way to make them fail. Springs are heat treated and if you heat them with a torch then you destroy that heat treatment. Don't endanger your life and the lives of those around you. Do it right or don't do it. I am NOT kidding.

 

best if you can get the car on a four post lift-- so you can leave the car sitting evenly weighted on its tires. then put in some well placed temporary suspension stops at a bit higher than where the suspension will stop where you want it to sit. Then with the car raised on the 4 post, go underneath and evenly heat the coils (i'd remove shocks in front if in the center) in the areas where the spacing is greater (center 3/4) until it rests on your stops. Then jack the car, remove those temp stops and voila....

btw: It is what it is. i wouldnt do it this way, but it's been done...

-scott noteboom

 

My lazy brother used to do this. He would heat the coils until the car sagged and call it done. He could lower a car in 15 minutes. Problem was, the heated section of the coil lost its temper and would eventually fatigue and break.

IMO, the best way is to pull the coil and use a cutoff wheel.

 

I'm guessing you don't care how the $600 shitbox rides... 'cause it's gonna ride like ass... do yourself a favor at least pull the coils to cut them... at least there will be a ride to speak of....

 

ive seen people just heat the bottom of the coil. that way if it breaks anywhere chances are that pocket will catch it. and i would just let it air cool. a rag would only induce cracking.

 

i heated the rear springs on my 65....... just jacked up the ass, put some wood blocks under the rear tires, let the car down on the blocks, had 5 of my buddies sit in the trunk, and i comenced to heatin em..... never had too much problems, its my DAILY driver, and been drivin it like that for 2 years..... no problems at all. just stay away from the fuel lines!!!

 

It really depends on if you have an old car, with coils that are a constant diameter, or tapered springs like on newer car. the tapered springs have different spring rates as they compress, they get stiffer. They should definitely not be cut or heated with a torch. Be safe and spend $ to get new ones. my .02

 

Ok so think about this smarty pants.. When you heat the spring your gonna actually aneal it. Id let it just air cool the poil deal works if you submerse the thing. So we have heated it let it drop and air cool and in the process we prolly anelaled a small section? Now how is this dangerous? beats me .. It wont shatter cause its not brittle.. How is that gonna kill anyone.. ??? When you get to school tomorrow ask your science teacher
Or maybe your bus driver
Dave

 

DING ! DING !

We have a correct answer.

Springs are Tempered.Heating them destroys the temper,
making them soft,and prone to work hardening,and eventually breaking.

Like anything else,just because someone else got away
with doing it wrong,doesn't make it a good idea.

 

Better yet,ask the official HAMB Metalurgist, 38Chevy454.

 

Here we go graverobber, you let em loose!

 

Agreed. Heat-dropped springs tend to continue to sag, and they don't ride well because a) you've messed with the temper of the springs and b) the useless coils are still taking up room between the a-arm and the frame. Pull them, cut them, and put them back in.
If you really want to do it fast and lazy, buy some "coil spring height adjusters" ($11.95 at Summit Racing) and clamp a couple coils together. You get the same lowering as heating springs, but now it's adjustable and reversible.

 

even better ..dont do it..
it isnt that hard to take them down and do it right..
lazyness is no excuse for poor workmanship..it is the reason for poor workmanship..
and yes they will or could eventually break..would you want your kid in the seat next to you at 75 MPH when it does and just by some possibility it sends you off the road or into another vehicle?
just my opinion..It aint worth the money you will be saving or the time..

 

If you end up heating them, make sure you are ready to back of sooner rather than later, anticipate the drop. If you heat them for too long and let off, the spring will still compress thus lowering the car even more, maybe too much. I have seen it done.

 

also, make sure u drop em even

 

yeah ..yeah..and than hurry up and sell it to some unsuspecting buyer!...GREAT!

UHHHH!

 

Sorry guys I didn't tell you all the whole story... I've only got the car in the shop for another day, so I really didn't want to spend the whole time pulling all the suspension apart just to cut the coils, if I had more time I would have. Thats why I resorted at the last minute to heat them.

As for the clamps, I heard they are really dangerous. I wouldn't feel comfortable knowing that any bump you hit could shake one of them loose.

Thanks for all the input!

If I heat them, is there any way I could re-temper them? like someone said with a cold rag or whatnot? Or once they are heated they are shot?

 

wait until you have the time to do it right..JMO....remember you asked!

 

really only took me 2 hours to do my 53 chevy so..

 

I think I'm gonna get some budies over to help me pull them out and just cut them.

I heard from someone that even by cutting them it still makes them weak? I take it that the spring rate gets all fucked up?

 

If you cut them with a torch it'll heat it enought to make it weak, but if you use a good cutoff wheel, it should be cool to the touch a couple inches from the cut. I tied a soaked rag around the coil an inch from the cut to keep the heat from the cutoff wheel at the end of the coil. It worked pretty good for me on my shoebox and my T-Bird but someone might tell you I messed up?

 

Do yourself a favor and dont half ass it. I have never bought a car for more then a grand. just cause you only paid 600 doesnt mean its worth destroying.

 

Ya my friend did it in high school...he died in the same low rider truck that summer. They fail....believe me. Don't do it

 

hey brother iv done a lot of them never had one break yet the problem is as you get them to temp they drop fast,,and trying to get the other side the same is a bitch,,yea they ride like shit and its not good for them. if its a good car dont but if its a beater............for all you do gooders i had a 72 delta 88 i bought for the motor,, torched those spring and did some low ridin it was way cool till we junked it....if its a keeper do it and then later when you have the time get the rite ones and cut them.......oh yea the heat does wonders for the shocks up front

 

Did your brother ever have one break? I've heard this arguement against heating coils for years, but I've never actually heard of one breaking. I agree that it is better to cut them, but I'm wondering if coils breaking is just an old wives tale.

I know of people that have driven cars for years with heated coils and never had a problem. I agree that just because some get away with it doesn't make it safe. But has anyone here actually had a coil break? I'm curious.

 

same here... I would never danger myself or anyone else on the road If I had any doubts that they could snap.

Lots of guys I know have torched coils and the biggest thing everyone complains about it the shitty ride...