My own Infiniti senior tech

[Falkdesigns]

Through networking, I met a senior Infiniti tech (worked at the local dealer since it opened it's doors). He's a racer, and knows my boss from growing up around here racing together at long-gone local tracks. So Saturday, I dropped the car off at his house in the morning to have the valve cover gaskets done. Picked it up at about 3 in the afternoon, and asked how the cams, etc. looked and he said "It looks brand new under the covers, you keep a very clean car.". Needless to say, I'm extremely stoked to have someone who works solely on Infiniti's (and his race cars of course) and is much closer to me than my other buddies shop. The moral of this story is the more people you meet, the better.

Next on the list is to have him cut 1 coil from my springs so I too, can look like I'm driving a Lincoln with broken air.

[AZhitman]

Why not just have proper springs made? It's not that expensive.

If you're gonna cut springs (the antethesis of "VIP" is "ghetto"), at least do it yourself....

Paying someone to cut your springs?

Keep in mind, heat from cutting does unpredictable things to spring steel...

[Jesda]

Wow, nice connection! Its great to have someone you can trust nearby.

[Miyabita_Y33]

Next on the list is to have him cut 1 coil from my springs so I too, can look like I'm driving a Lincoln with broken air.

LMAO... There is so many of those in wichita... ahahhaa

Cool friend

[AZhitman]

Coilovers would be respectable.

Cutting springs = ghetto fabulous.

[maxnix]

Keep in mind, heat from cutting does unpredictable things to spring steel...

Living on the edge vs. over the edge?

Let's have a negative camber contest!

[Falkdesigns]

I'm getting a set of Espelirs to test, but I expect them to be identical to the Teins since drop and rates are almost the same. I don't have anywhere to work on my car at home, so I think the easiest thing to do is have whoever is taking them out and putting them back in to just cut them. Not much heat will be generated, and it will only affect about 1/2" of the spring, at the top where the coils get tight. It's not like the whole spring will get hot from 30 seconds of cutting with a sawzall, if anything, it will get hot in the immediate are being cut.

But I'm sure you guys are right, and coupled with my annual oil changes that leave my engine internals looking new, the car should self detonate any day now.

[Jesda]

But I'm sure you guys are right, and coupled with my annual oil changes that leave my engine internals looking new, the car should self detonate any day now.

Dibs on wheels.

[Q_SHIP]

You guys should know by now that if Kevin has his heart set on somthing, he's gonna do it. No use in trying to talk him out of it.

[AZhitman]

Yeah. I'm ignoring the "coils won't get hot" comment.

I'll stick to talking with people who have actually used tools.

[Falkdesigns]

Oh man, you're mean Greg! I've worked in no less than 4 garages in my time, so yeah, I've actually used tools. I've pulled engines, trannys, rebuilt carbs, done complete brake jobs, changed springs and shocks on my Karmann Ghia, Civic Si, RX7 and the Q (along with another person), complete suspension overhauls on other cars, but yeah, Ok.

And seriously, if you believe that an entire coil spring will get hot to the point of affecting the metallurgy by cutting it, then, uhh, Ok.

You do realize that ALL springs are cut right? How do you think the coils get to the length they are, magic? Springs are wound, cut and powdercoated.

[96Qowner]

Through networking, I met a senior Infiniti tech (worked at the local dealer since it opened it's doors). He's a racer, and knows my boss from growing up around here racing together at long-gone local tracks. So Saturday, I dropped the car off at his house in the morning to have the valve cover gaskets done. Picked it up at about 3 in the afternoon, and asked how the cams, etc. looked and he said "It looks brand new under the covers, you keep a very clean car.". Needless to say, I'm extremely stoked to have someone who works solely on Infiniti's (and his race cars of course) and is much closer to me than my other buddies shop. The moral of this story is the more people you meet, the better.

You lucky Dawg, Falk! There can't be much more than 100 of those guys left.

Don' do the springs like that, sheesh. But I think Q_Ship's right - yer gonna do what yer gonna do.

[Falkdesigns]

This short video shows part of the coil spring manufacturing process. As you see, EVERY spring is CUT. Granted, I don't have a 5 ton cutter to use, but 20-30 seconds on a cutting wheel will NOT heat the entire spring, it will heat about 1" of it, if that.

VID of Spring manufacturing

[AZhitman]

I'm not certain, but I'm hoping the Y33 uses a tangential spring design... I think you'll have to lop from the bottom.

The only type of coil springs that can be safely cut are those with "tangential" ends.

Tangential ends look as though they just twist off into space. The spring would fall over if you tried to stand the spring up. Tapered and flattened-end coils can not be cut because the finished product will not mount correctly in the suspension.

Yeah, you're probably right on the heat issue... Come to think of it, I'm thinking back to the old "hacksaw" days... Use a good reinforced cutoff wheel and wrap a wet rag around the next coil down.

Coilovers still make more sense, as the resultant spring rate will be a mystery.

[Falkdesigns]

Coilovers definitely make more sense, I'm just willing to play around since I'll have an extra set basically. I'm going to be in Japan in September, and if I can find a set of C/O's to bring back, I definitely will do so.

[AZhitman]

That set that was FS here on the NICO classifieds was awesome but sold fast... The ones from the silver VIP Y33.

[Falkdesigns]

Yeah, a good deal, locally for me too. I really want Insurance ones though if I can have my pick.

[Q_SHIP]

Keep an eye out for a roof spoiler in japan.

[rbaze]

I live in Ventura Co. and have had trouble finding a REAL infiniti senior tech.

Where is the one your found? I may have to see him. Wouldn't mind the

drive if he's good.

Rich

[Towely]

With one deadly blow, Bill could cut those springs with one of your Hitachi-tori Handsom swords. This might save you time and money.



When I first lowered my Ranchero, I just filled the bed with logs. It worked, improved my drifting points and gained me originality.(then I cut the springs)

[Ozzie]

Oh man, you're mean Greg! I've worked in no less than 4 garages in my time, so yeah, I've actually used tools. I've pulled engines, trannys, rebuilt carbs, done complete brake jobs, changed springs and shocks on my Karmann Ghia, Civic Si, RX7 and the Q (along with another person), complete suspension overhauls on other cars, but yeah, Ok.

And seriously, if you believe that an entire coil spring will get hot to the point of affecting the metallurgy by cutting it, then, uhh, Ok.

You do realize that ALL springs are cut right? How do you think the coils get to the length they are, magic? Springs are wound, cut and powdercoated.

Wow, all that experience, and you still think cutting your springs is a good idea...

Why don't I just cut my existing springs?

1. Many aftermarket lowered springs are designed to be just captive (held in place) with the wheel at full droop. This is a legal requirement throughout Australia. Cutting off a portion of the coil will reduce the free height (length of the spring out of the car), possibly to the point making the spring loose at droop. This can also happen with OEM springs but is more often a problem with aftermarket product.

2.Most springs are designed to a fairly tight tolerance of material volume to load carrying capacity. That is, the amount of steel used in the spring is hopefully just enough to hold up the car over the life of the vehicle with normal use. Chop off some coils and you've dramatically reduced the amount of material, which almost always will lead to an overstressed coil that will sag prematurely.

3.A reduction in ride height is normally coupled with a proportionate increase in rate to offset the reduced bump travel. We need to slow down the compression of the spring enough to make sure we don't punch through to the shock at high velocity. A properly designed lowered spring will have a rate increase sufficient to offset this bump travel reduction.

4.The cutting method can also be a problem. Generating heat is not so much a problem as reduction in the heat afterwards. That is, heating the material beyond its temper and then rapidly cooling it will affect the composition of the material. A hack saw would be preferable BUT, irrespective of what tools you use, its not good practice overall.

http://www.whiteline.com.au/de...s.htm

I'll take the advice from a suspension specialist over someone trying to be cheap anyday...

After all the money you have spent on your car, you actually want to cut corners on the suspension? That's crazy talk....

[db_autotek]

Those are some very good points ozzie. On top of that, what comes to my mind is: why would you do a $50 spring cut job on a $5k-$10k-$15000 car? It would be a more realistic idea to go to a Ferrari dealership and try to order parts for a Geo metro. If you really cut the springs on your Q, I will be happy to mail you a set of Honda Civic emblems for you to replace all your Infinity emblems with.

[qship96]

hey whats wrong with those curtains on that q41-we had similar curtains on our 1978 chevy custom van in 1978! must have been early VIP ?

[superuber]

Isn't all this talk pointless since Falk has left......or is left?

I do like his car.........even though the nut behind the wheel is loose!

(sorry Falk, if your watching )