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Have anyone done this before, successfully? I am so tempted to heat my springs because i just had my kit and rims installed and my car is screaming to be lowered. also i dont have the money to buy coilovers at the moment. There is like a 4.5in-5in gap in the front wheel well and 3.5in-4in the back.
heating springs is one of the worst things you can do.. short of taking them completely out lol.
Anyways, heating springs hurts the integrity of the spring opening up the opportunity for spring failure. If the spring breaks while you're driving and the strut bottoms out it can cause you to lose control of the vehicle... this would be bad.
Plus, heating springs gives you the "never ending drop" which is because of the same reason I stated above. The spring's integrity is compromised which means it'll continue to sag more and more each year with the changing of outside temperatures...
Overall a bad idea. Just deal with it for a while and get some coilovers or drop springs later. I drove for a year with nothing done to my Camry at all before I did anything. Patience, my friend, is a good thing.
Yeah, heating the springs takes the temper out of teh metal, so they will just sag forever. I suppose if you really wanted to you could cut off some of teh stock spring, but use a hacksaw/ sawzall, not a torch. It's not a very good way to lower your car, but it does work, although I don't know how this will affect a fwd car, I've only seen it done with rwd...
On that note I have 18 inch motegis and they STILL look small, and mines even a 2 door. Camry has big features, requires bigger rims and all depends on what look your going for and the type of 17 your putting on. Some rim designs look smaller than others (kinda wierd) but on my 2 door my 18s look small so im in process right now of purchasing some 20" ICW's with 35 series tire (you wouldent believe it fits but its a TIGHT squeeze) my friend had some 17's on his two door and shit looked SMALL. I would advise checking local rim shops for some pre-used 18's. Here where I live Mitchem had a set of 18" Tenzo Racing rims with 40 series tires for only 700$
On the note of heating your springs....horrible idea!!! What you would need is an oven hot enuff to heat all springs to the same temp. so you get CLOSE to the same heat put into each spring. If you over heat one and the other not enuff your rides gonna sit catywompas as FUCK! If you want a croocked ride go for it. That and like whats his name before said, you can kiss the integrity of the spring goodbye. just chop em a little (still run into potential uneven springs) or save 350$, thats springs and intall total.
__________________ Friends Dont Let Friends Drive Stock.........
like everyone else has said, heating the springs is a horrible idea, if your wanna do a ghetto drop you would be better off cutting your springs. Why not just get a set of lowering springs? Im sure you could find some on ebay for a couple hundred bucks, instead of the 1000+ for coilovers
theres no rule that says you have to, but it will certainly look a whole lot better, and plus it will make your rims look bigger as well. I lowered my car almost a year before I got rims, it even makes a big difference on the stock look of the car
This makes for the WORST ride EVER. You ever see those stupid little civics around that have to drive over the tiniest bump 1.2mph or the will bounce like crazy? Thats cause they cut their springs to lower it. The ONLY thing you should do for lowering is a coil over system or some NEW lowering springs.
If you heat your springs, just like everyone is saying, itll sag... when it sags, that one day youll go over a bump, and SLAM! your whole bottom end has now kissed the pavement.
like everyone else has said, heating the springs is a horrible idea, if your wanna do a ghetto drop you would be better off cutting your springs. Why not just get a set of lowering springs? Im sure you could find some on ebay for a couple hundred bucks, instead of the 1000+ for coilovers
The only company I found that makes coilovers for the gen 3 is D2 and thats a 1200$ kit, struts included. Im not sure what year yours is but many comanies make drop springs. I have some B&G springs, ran me about 150$ brand new and it dropped the front almost 1.8" and the back around the same. Looks good and rides like it was still stock. I installed my own springs but install would probally only run about 150$ at your local ma and pops brake/ehaust/suspension shop. trust me save the time and hassel and do it the right way. You wont regret it, cut em or heat em, you definaly will reget it tryin to save 100 maybe 200 dollars.
__________________ Friends Dont Let Friends Drive Stock.........
I have 17" Konig Trouble Rims on Black cam with TRD Kit. Pics will come soon once its sunny again.
Heating my springs can't be that much of a trouble... All my struts are already shot so im not worried about those. And heating the springs to a certain degree is definately not a problem. I got access acetylene and oxygen tanks at my friends garage.
Cutting the springs would make the ride a lot stiffer. Obviously cause there are less coils on the springs.
Im not planning to buy True coilovers that comes with struts, too expensive for my taste. Just cheap Ground Control coilovers with Tokitos (sp?) HPs.
After dropping the car, it will make my rims look soo much better and bigger. Stupid wheel gaps.
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Heating Springs to Lower Car...?
There is like a 4.5in-5in gap in the front wheel well and 3.5in-4in the back.
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