has anybody done this to your E?? to make a long story short... santa clause brought me some 18' rims for x mas which i LOVE... and santa knew that i wanted to get it lowered eventually, so he decided to take it to his friend and have him heat the springs so it would drop 2 inches

how they do it is they but blocks under the body how ever many inches you want it dropped... take a blow torch to the springs, and let it sit...

WHICH IS FINE... but it lines you up for a MORE THAN BUMPY RIDE... so i am looking for some lowering springs now as i have gone insane going over speed bumps and such...

SO HAS ANYONE ELSE BESIDES ME AND SANTA DONE THIS TO THEIR E???

thanks!

Dalton

please don't use a torch to flatten the springs/lower the car......it is wrong.

there are too many other options, it is unsafe, and it is just plain wrong.

I'd rather see somebody install those stupid Lambo/flip up doors on a Hyundai or put a hot tub in the back of a mini van.....why not some shag carpet on the dash?

Put the tools down and step away from the vehicle....get some sort of real spring installed by a professional pronto.

never do that. you wont get an even drop and the ride will be horrible. i have some used h&r sport springs for an 03 e sitting in a box in my basement. they were on my e and then swaped out for my teins.pm me if interested.

Taking the springs off and cutting a coil or two is the barely acceptable method of lowering your vehicle on the cheap. Heating up the coils so that they lose their temper goes beyond ghetto all the way to hillbilly.

Don't do it, my buddy did this to his civic, was very unhappy. Please refrain from torching the springs...

Heating the springs has been done for years. In racing circles it's the accepted method of getting the body to the proper ride height for your setup. I have raced several cars in SCCA that were adjusted in this manor. They were also daily drivers. I put over 65,000 miles on a new Trans-AM that was lowered that way, just hours after it was out of the showroom. It had several weekends on the track racing. That's more punishing on suspension parts than any street will ever be. You will have to replace the rubber mounts in the upper portion of the tower. They melt on cars that are equipped with them. .

Other than that it should be ok, as long as the heat, did not destroy the inter workings of the strut.

Replacing Stock springs with lowering springs will also provide a stiffer ride. I think you called it bumpy. That is what you will have with lowering and low profile tires. It's normal for that type of a setup.

Or you can do something like this (http://www.pagedezigner.com/bluecoil/rate.htm). This is one of the best in the field. They have heated springs at the track to adjust a car's height. They are one of the best in the industry. They are located in Bermin, In


Dom

Heating the springs has been done for years. In racing circles it's the accepted method of getting the body to the proper ride height for your setup. I have raced several cars in SCCA that were adjusted in this manor. They were also daily drivers. I put over 65,000 miles on a new Trans-AM that was lowered that way, just hours after it was out of the showroom. It had several weekends on the track racing. That's more punishing on suspension parts than any street will ever be. You will have to replace the rubber mounts in the upper portion of the tower. They melt on cars that are equipped with them.

Other than that it should be ok, as long as the heat, did not destroy the inter workings of the strut.

Replacing Stock springs with lowering springs will also provide a stiffer ride. I think you called it bumpy. That is what you will have with lowering and low profile tires. It's normal for that type of a setup.

Or you can do something like this (http://www.pagedezigner.com/bluecoil/rate.htm). This is one of the best in the field. They have heated springs at the track to adjust a car's height. They are one of the best in the industry.


Dom
ya... my dad use to do this with all his muscle cars he owned... it is a hell of a ride haha

boxdup... you should be getting a PM in about 5 minutes haha

Point taken, Dom, but it sounds like the sort of thing best left to experts.

ya... my dad use to do this with all his muscle cars he owned... it is a hell of a ride haha

boxdup... you should be getting a PM in about 5 minutes haha

Ok, i would like to see the outcome and possible pic or 2 on this please...just never heard of such.

Point taken, Dom, but it sounds like the sort of thing best left to experts.


No doubt about that! As with anything, you can't beat a professional at his own game.

There are stories of cracked springs, when it's done wrong. However I have never seen that happen in over 40 years. There is technique to applying the heat, that is incredibly important. It has to do with the color of the metal, wile the heat is being applied, more than time of the heat application or height of the body.

Having seen how it's done in person, several times, I would be reluctant to do it myself. However the OP sounds like he had someone that knows how to perform the task.

On page 2 of the link I posted there is located the formula we use to determine the current spring rate of the car. From that base line we would then calculate the amount of spring rate needed to deliver the desired result. It's too expensive and time consuming a modification to be done in a random fashion. Link to page 2.
(http://www.pagedezigner.com/bluecoil/rate2.htm)
Dom

I have never seen this turn out good. It's always been unsafe. I'm sure the method and the level of proffesion had a lot to do with it. I have seen springs completely slip out of the perch.

my dads friend did it on christmas eve, then we took it back a week later and got the back wheels aligned so there was no len in them...it was only 150 bucks for everything and it looks as if it had springs on it, it is just a little bumpy..

I would get ahold of boxedup and pick up those H&R springs. I had those on my Civic and they handled very nice!

do they really?? ya weve been talkin back and forth and he said only 75 for the springs plus shipping and handling!! i was like SOLD TO THE MAN WITH THE HEATED SPRINGS

Dalton have you ever looked under your "E"? Know what's already low enough for concern? Hummmm... The GAS Tank. I can't believe Honda put the gas tank where it is and so low. The guard around the tank is a joke, other than brush it's not going to do much good.

I don't think you're going to be happy if you drop it by heating the springs.

MIke

Very good, and safe, move on your part. You should be happy with them. Nothing beats coilovers though.

do they really?? ya weve been talkin back and forth and he said only 75 for the springs plus shipping and handling!! i was like SOLD TO THE MAN WITH THE HEATED SPRINGS

what exactly are coilcovers??? i am new to the lowering scene i have always liked my rides either with big rims or mud tires i love the lowrider look now tho:cool: so WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COILCOVERS and LOWERING SPRINGS???

Dalton have you ever looked under your "E"? Know what's already low enough for concern? Hummmm... The GAS Tank. I can't believe Honda put the gas tank where it is and so low. The guard around the tank is a joke, other than brush it's not going to do much good.

I don't think you're going to be happy if you drop it by heating the springs.

MIke

yes, but everyone else who has lowered their E WAY more than just 2 inches has been happy with it no big complaints yet i dont think??

If you do it right, then you won't run into problems.

Coilovers are a full suspension set up. They include the spring, shocks body, and a adjustable spring perch so you can lower to your liking. They cost a bit more but in the long run will save you more money.

Lowering springs are just that, springs. They are engineered to be shorter but also with a stiffer spring rate. This improves the handling characteristics of the vehicle (i.e. less body roll, lower center of gravity) That means not as much stifting weight. You put the lowering springs over either factory or aftermarket shocks. So far no one has produced an aftermarket shock for the Element that will accomadate lowering springs. By that I mean they will wear out just as fast as the factory ones. Shocks generally get about 50,000-75,000 miles from a set. With the lowering springs installed you are lucky to get 20,000 while coilovers can be rebuilt if they wear out. More than likely they will last atleast 100,000 miles of use. If you do all this do it right. That means getting the camber kits, a alignment and fix any rubbing you might have. I can't stress that enough.

i have a ?... on my heated springs now as i said the wheels started to slant in the back, so we went back and got the rear wheels aligned... will i have to do that again with the new springs???

and another ?... is the springs the only thing i need to replace the heated shocks?? just take them and have them changed out with the new ones??

thanks bassplayer!

Dalton

hey... just wanted to let you know if u lower your E 2 much (only if u have a 4wd ride) there is a risk of your rear axles failing.... these are not cheap! i actually raised ,my e up to a safe height because both my rear axles went on me. i got both rear axles rebuilt and now its ok.... but it is very likely if u drop your 4wd e more than 2 inches you will run into some expences to repair e
-Greg

I think the heat lowering is old-school, prior to strut applications, the struts are gas charged and have seals that heat effects adversely.

i have a ?... on my heated springs now as i said the wheels started to slant in the back, so we went back and got the rear wheels aligned... will i have to do that again with the new springs???

and another ?... is the springs the only thing i need to replace the heated shocks?? just take them and have them changed out with the new ones??

thanks bassplayer!

Dalton

Yes, you will have to get an alignment when you install the springs. I'm assuming you got a camber kit for the rear to replace the stock control arms. You should be okay in the front. I installed Eibach springs that dropped about 1.7'' front and back an only had to buy the camber kit for the rear.

Your shocks will probably be okay as long as they didn't apply too much heat to the shock body. How many miles do you have on your Element? If you have more than 75,000 miles you will probably want to replace the shocks.

Greg is absolutly right, don't go too low w/ a AWD E. I think the recommended lowest to go is 2.4''-2.6'' in the rear. The front doesn't usually give people as much trouble. The issues you will run into up front would be rubbing issues, not issues with componenets.

hey... just wanted to let you know if u lower your E 2 much (only if u have a 4wd ride) there is a risk of your rear axles failing.... these are not cheap! i actually raised ,my e up to a safe height because both my rear axles went on me. i got both rear axles rebuilt and now its ok.... but it is very likely if u drop your 4wd e more than 2 inches you will run into some expences to repair e
-Greg

Greg, how low are you from stock?

now i have the tein coilover kit... and i have the rear .75 inch from the top and the front 4 inches from the bottom... here is a blurry pic... sorry... phone is broke... i had it on lowest settings before that

pics...here they are

What size are those rims and the tires? I think I remember you saying they were 17's maybe. They look smaller than the stock overall diameter.

Yes, you will have to get an alignment when you install the springs. I'm assuming you got a camber kit for the rear to replace the stock control arms. You should be okay in the front. I installed Eibach springs that dropped about 1.7'' front and back an only had to buy the camber kit for the rear.

Your shocks will probably be okay as long as they didn't apply too much heat to the shock body. How many miles do you have on your Element? If you have more than 75,000 miles you will probably want to replace the shocks.

Greg is absolutly right, don't go too low w/ a AWD E. I think the recommended lowest to go is 2.4''-2.6'' in the rear. The front doesn't usually give people as much trouble. The issues you will run into up front would be rubbing issues, not issues with componenets.

i was wondering how hard it would be to put these springs on myself?? did you install your springs yourself??? the labor is about 300.00 to get these bad boys put on, soid much rther take the time myself and do it... thanks

Dalton

hey... just wanted to let you know if u lower your E 2 much (only if u have a 4wd ride) there is a risk of your rear axles failing.... these are not cheap! i actually raised ,my e up to a safe height because both my rear axles went on me. i got both rear axles rebuilt and now its ok.... but it is very likely if u drop your 4wd e more than 2 inches you will run into some expences to repair e
-Greg
o ya... my E is only 2wd:D so i can drop it down low and put the E on the flo lol

Sorry but I just don't see the point of lowering an E. Why remove the little ride height and comfort it has? It isn't a race car after all.

Sorry but I just don't see the point of lowering an E. Why remove the little ride height and comfort it has? It isn't a race car after all.

This is totally depressing :shock:

My friend actually hired somebody to do this to lower his civic. When he finally got sick of his terrible ride and handling I helped him remove the springs and they weren't even circular. I think under no circumstances anybody should heat up a spring. It loses it's temper and you will end up dammaging other suspension parts.

Elemental UM fan, save your money and do it yourself. It's fairly simple and shouldn't take a long time doing it yourself. I highly recommend you have a friend with some knowledge of suspensions help you. Make sure you buy or rent a spring compressor, it will make the job easier and safer.

Sorry but I just don't see the point of lowering an E. Why remove the little ride height and comfort it has? It isn't a race car after all.
dont talk... you bought an Xterra...

Elemental UM fan, save your money and do it yourself. It's fairly simple and shouldn't take a long time doing it yourself. I highly recommend you have a friend with some knowledge of suspensions help you. Make sure you buy or rent a spring compressor, it will make the job easier and safer.

thats what i think im going to do... i wonder if there is a thread or something on this forum with instructions?? i mean do you just put it on a lift and take the old springs off and slap the new ones on??

thats what i think im going to do... i wonder if there is a thread or something on this forum with instructions?? i mean do you just put it on a lift and take the old springs off and slap the new ones on??


Step 1 before you take anything apart....but or borrow a service manual and see exactly what you are getting into. Take apart coil springs without being fully aware of what you are doing can be deadly.

thats what i think im going to do... i wonder if there is a thread or something on this forum with instructions?? i mean do you just put it on a lift and take the old springs off and slap the new ones on??

i thought i share this pic, these are the completed Strut Assembly, What ur looking at is the factory Strut Assembly with Eibach Springs mounted already, these are all ready to swap/bolt and replaced ur stock ones. I hope this helps a bit..

what are those the front and rear shocks?? i dont know a thing about suspension... so do you just use the coil sompressor to put them on the struts??

You use the spring compressor to remove the springs. The springs are loaded from being on the vehicle. So, if you compress them, that releives the pressure they are producing and that allows you to remove the top hats. You then slip the new spring onto the spring perk and reinstall the top hat.

I highly recommend you have a friend with some knowledge of suspensions help you.

Step 1 before you take anything apart....but or borrow a service manual and see exactly what you are getting into. Take apart coil springs without being fully aware of what you are doing can be deadly.

Done right, not too hard of a job. Done wrong, you get maimed or killed. Maybe best to leave this one to an expert.

has anybody done this to your E?? .... "Heating springs for lowering"

You mean RUINING your springs and making them limps of iron?

Just so every one know, he HAS heated the springs, BUT is putting on lowering springs instead.

Just so every one know, he HAS heated the springs, BUT is putting on lowering springs instead.
THANK YOU holy hell i wasnt expecting to get thrashed with this thread yes i had my springs heated and yes it was a mistake but before prings were even invented they use to lower muscle cars this way so its not like i walked out into my driveway with a match and set a fire under my damn car

Done right, not too hard of a job. Done wrong, you get maimed or killed. Maybe best to leave this one to an expert.
you think so?? im pretty good with cars but not that good with suspension... so you dont think i could study up on it and take a day and do it myself??

you think so?? im pretty good with cars but not that good with suspension... so you dont think i could study up on it and take a day and do it myself??
It depends on your level of experience and comfort with risk. It's not rocket surgery; it's just that the penalty for error can be great indeed. Like working with dynamite: no room for "Oops!" Also be sure you have the correct tools, and ideally the Honda service manual.

you think so?? im pretty good with cars but not that good with suspension... so you dont think i could study up on it and take a day and do it myself??

If you don't have the proper tools it'll take forever and a big hassle.
You will need an extra person to help you if you decide to do it alone.

Let the experts handle it, and enjoy the ride...