Miata Mailing List: June 1996, Message #22
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   From: RSAlder@aol.com
Subject: Re: Cut my springs?
   Date: Sat, 1 Jun 1996 21:24:29 -0400

In a message dated 96-05-31 16:03:06 EDT, Kevin.Sullivan@cibadiag.com writes:

> I'm going to be sorely 
>     tempted to also trim a little off the rear set to eliminate the tail 
>     high posture the car now has.   Have any of you followed this path?  
>     Any success (or horror) stories?  How much would I have to take off to 
>     drop another half inch?

Kevin,

Your idea has you skating towards a potential pothole.  Contrary to what
might seem to be conventional logic, when you cut coils off your springs, you
not only change the spring height but the spring rate as well.  As result,
you cannot simply cut X inches off the spring and get a resultant X inches of
lowering of the car.  You will lower the car but will also have a spring of a
different spring rate which will have an effect on the overall car handling
beyond merely lowering that particular end of the car.  Not that it can't be
done, it's that there are other factors involved beyond the obvious.

Personally, I have my Konis set up on the lower spring perches and, due
largely to the front air dam being scraped frequently on almost any driveway
I can't manage to take at an angle,  I am planning to re-set the front
perches to the higher position when I next get some free time ( and can find
some spring compressors).  I do like the looks of the car in the lowered
position (I don't even mind the tail high look too much) but personally,I'm
tired of bottoming out on speed bumps and driveways.

FWIW and YMMV.

Ralph Alder
SoCal 90 Red A