rear end lowered

[JDW1]

I went with the OP's measurement plus about 1/2" more of coil.

[92BlackGT]

so, my car has been riding on the cut springs for about 6 months now with two 1500+ mile road trips and everything is still great. it still rides like stock, it has never bottomed out, the shocks still control the ride just fine.
for the others that have cut their springs, how is everything going for you?

[Vortech347]

Once weather gets nice I can't wait to get this done.  The more I look at my car in parking lots the more I cringe seeing that huge ass up fender gap.

[FoMoCoSHO]

I would like to do this but I'm a little worried about getting the stance correct.

I think OP's car looks perfect.....dropped that ass end down while retaining a bit of the rake, which I like.

[Scott4957]

I would also love to do this to the MKS, lots of extra gap on the rear wheels!

[FoMoCoSHO]

Anybody notice the company mentioned in OP makes custom springs?

https://www.eatondetroitspring.com/products/vehicle-types/oe-replacement-springs/

[Vortech347]

Just did this Saturday.

Holy sheeet it was easy.  It took longer to jack up and lower the car than do the actual work.  The total difference in front/rear fender gap between the wheel and fender was a massive 1.25"

Step 1.  Jack it up, make sure not to be a dumb ass and use actual jackstands.
Step 2.  Remove the wheels.
Step 3.  Using a 15mm deep socket and 17mm box wrench remove the swaybar end links from the knuckle.
Step 4.  Using your jack under the control arm to take the tension off the bolt, remove control arm to subframe bolt. (It helps to put some PB blaster on the exposed threads)
Step 5.  Lower control arm with jack and remove spring.
Step 6.  Drink some coke and watch a few minutes of Top Gear. (I'm a spoiled bastard with a flat screen in the garage.)
Step 7.  With the spring secured in a vice I used a piece of wire and measured 5 inches of length then wrapped it around the outside of the coil then marked it.  Then cut with an electric grinder, once cut spray exposed metal with gratuitous coatings of paint to prevent rust.
Step 8.  Drink some more coke and play with the daughter for a little bit.  Also go inside for pee break.
Step 9.  Reinstall....  place the bottom end of the coil correctly oriented with the pigtail stop.  Then raise the control arm/spring assembly slowly with the jack.  Using a rubber mallet to "massage and direct" the control arm to going in.
Step 10. Go to daughter's play house in the back yard to retrieve the lower control arm bolt and Dewalt impact driver.
Step 11. Use a large diameter punch or steel stock to center the bushing so the bolt threads do not get FUBAR'd.
Step 12. Install said bolt and torque to 159ft-lbs.  (I also used some red locktite as I noticed there was locking factory locking compound on it.
Step 13. Reinstall sway bar end link to knuckle, torque to 41ft-lbs.
Step 14. Reinstall wheels (torque lugs to 100ft-lbs) and laugh about how easy it was.

Taking 5" measured length of the coil worked PERFECT.  Initially after driving around the block the car was then only 3/8ths higher in the rear.  However after driving it around yesterday with a trunk full of guns and another person it settled a bit more.  I'll go remeasure later but visually it looks dead nuts even maybe 1/4" higher in the rear.

Should have done this second day I had the car.

Ride quality is completely unaffected. 

The picture in half the sun was after about 200 miles of driving.  The other was right after I finished.

[Brucelinc]

Step 8 makes sense except for one thing.  Anyone with a TV in the garage should also have a bathroom there.

[Vortech347]

Step 8 makes sense except for one thing.  Anyone with a TV in the garage should also have a bathroom there.

Its variable, if its a late night session the yard is always an option.

[92BlackGT]

very nice!

[Vortech347]

Update, I've had multiple friends tell me it looks 10 times better and asked if I lowered it. 

Nailed it!  Thanks for the original write up.

[BlueSHO]

Update, I've had multiple friends tell me it looks 10 times better and asked if I lowered it. 

Nailed it!  Thanks for the original write up.

Did you get a realignment? How much did the 5" coil removal lower the rear?

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Tapatalk

[92BlackGT]

Getting an alignment is recommended. The amount of coil I removed lowered the rear about an inch.

[Vortech347]

I lowered mine about 3/4"  The back end is still 3/4" higher than the front.  Should give me enough "give" for when I have rear passengers or a trunk full of stuff for a road trip.

If you don't plan on any weight in the back. I think a full half coil would be better.

I took it to my friend's tire shop and he threw the car on the rack, mine was still in spec so we didn't make any changes.

[coop6]

Does the 5" take basically half a coil out? I'm considering this for sure. Let me know! I keep about 50-100 lbs in the trunk with gear. /9 3/4" lower is the rear is perfect. Thanks for this thread!