Front lowering springs

[pto]

Hi,

I have a Europa Twin Cam, and the front is far too high for my liking.  It appears it is far too high for everyone else's too because when I look around, either on forums or on google images, Europas have been lowered at the front.

I've attached two pics - the black one is mine.  See how it's taking off into outer space?
I'm after a result similar to the yellow - something that essentially levels the car out.

I know that SJS sell a pair of complete kits - shocks and springs, but it works out close to £300 by the time VAT and postage are factored in, and my shocks are in good condition.

My question is does anyone know where to get lowering springs for standard shocks that don't break the bank?  Or, does anyone have any novel ideas - i.e. "Use the spring from a different manufacturer" or "Cut it down and bake it!"

The outer diameter of my current springs are 3" and 3/8ths.

Many thanks

Jack

[EuropaTC]

Hi Jack,

This is the point where no doubt I shall need a flame suit because I'll admit that before I changed my set-up I experimented with cutting down the OEM springs.  It will increase the overall spring rate slightly, but if you're only removing a single coil then frankly you won't notice any difference in the ride.

I removed a single coil at a time, which is the easiest method of ensuring both springs are exactly the same finished length. It's simple enough but does involve some time because after removing the coil you've then got to grind both sides of the cut end into tapers, heat roughly 180 deg away from the cut in order to bend it and get back to the nice flat surface you need for the spring platform.   You will of course lose any temper in the last 1/2 coil but if you are careful heating and shield the adjacent coils then the heat affected zone isn't going to be critical. I'm not going to say "it makes no difference" because clearly it will, just that your lost mechanicals are in the bottom coil which isn't as critical as it would be if you messed with the 2nd or 3rd coils.

I'll look and see if I have any photos of the original job and if so I'll post up with where it's been ground/cut/heated.

Once you know the length you want then personally I'd just buy new springs to suit the length and rating you've ended up at. You'll probably be better off going for "competition springs" because you can pick exactly what you want then. Like this place....

http://www.avouk.com/Products_COMPETITION_SPRINGS.htm

other suppliers are available of course but the springs themselves are pretty cheap.

Brian

[RoddyMac]

From what I've researched, 200 lb/in springs seem to be good for fast road.  I opted for 8" free length but I ran out of adjustment on my spring perches.  A 9" would have been perfect. 

[BDA]

I have 250# on the front and 130 on the rear. The ride is surprisingly good. I don't have my notes with me but I believe the fronts have 8" free length. I have Spax shocks and I think my spring perches are all the way up. I most likely got them from Richard.

The body of the TC was changed in the front for new head light regulations so you probably won't be able to lower the front as low as you may have seen on S2s. I'm not a fan of the "bread van" aspect of the S2 but the front of the S2 is nicer.

[jbcollier]

If you have the stock shocks, Richard at Europa Engineering will have springs to solve issue.

[4129R]

Or buy Spax coil overs with adjustable spring seats.

I still haven't worked out yet if lowering the bottom seat makes the spring longer and the car lower off the ground, or raising the spring seat raises the whole ride height. I need to talk to Spock to find the logic behind adjustable spring seats.

[jbcollier]

An adjustable lower seat allows you to change the spring's installed length and therefore pre-load.  Depending on the spring's rate, length and pre-load, it will usually allow the ride height to be adjusted significantly.  A better system is where the spring's preload is adjustable separately from the ride height but that is a lot more complicated and expensive.

[EuropaTC]

I still haven't worked out yet if lowering the bottom seat makes the spring longer and the car lower off the ground, or raising the spring seat raises the whole ride height. I need to talk to Spock to find the logic behind adjustable spring seats.

As JB says, lowering the spring platform will reduce the pre-load on a spring and hence lower the overall ride height.  Conversely, raising the platform increases pre-load and also ride height.  The OEM springs are longer than the extended damper length and as such have a significant pre-load before you fit them on the car but aftermarket springs, especially if they are higher rated, could have a free length which is less than the fully extended damper with the platform at it's lower level.

That makes it very easy to fit the springs because no tools are required but against that your ride height will probably be too low.  At least that's what I found with both the Elan & Europa setups. You can calculate the platform height working back from the pre-load on the OEM springs and set it before fitting your adjustable dampers. I'll 'fess up and say I didn't bother, just fitted the units and adjusted them until the ride height was level and where I wanted it.

Brian

[4129R]

Sitting in a hotel in Borneo, with massive jet lag, I think I understand.

I need a little more ride height at both ends on 4688R as the wide 185 Yokohamas are very close to the fibreglass on all corners.

Plud the front wheels need spacers to avoid scraping the front suspension, so just hit footwell wheel arches on lock, so while I am setting the tracking and ride height, I will see about the spacers and tyre clearance on the footwells.

The Minilites are only 6" wide, but that seems to make the difference with 185s all around.