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Cheap way to lower mk1



  MK1 Clio
Im looking at lowering by about my mk1 and I want to do it on the cheap as funds are low. Im just wondering if anyone can recomment the best springs or some cheapy coilovers? cheers
 

Daniel

ClioSport Moderator
  Whichever has fuel
Set of Apex 60mm lowering springs from K-tec racing, then lower the torsion bar on the back. Will cost you less than £100 all in.
 
  MK1 Clio
nice one, im guessing the ride will be sh** but im not too bothered until i have enough money to go all out on a set of coilies
 
  MK1 Clio
Set of Apex 60mm lowering springs from K-tec racing, then lower the torsion bar on the back. Will cost you less than £100 all in.
just looked at the set of apexs and they are for the 16v and the williams will they fit my RT? cheers
 
  ITB'd MK1
I dislike Apex springs, but you can get similar for similar money. I favour PI for lowering springs as i've used them for years on my own vehicles so i trust them, and I know they work
 
  145db Euro'd clio
if they are a progressive spring ie. the coils get smaller on one end then make sure you heat the spring up and bend it round. It will also not pass the mot with cut springs when they go loose. In this case, drill a small hole in the bottom platform of the strut and slip a jubilee clip through. This will hold it in place and will pass the mot like this. just splash some black paint over the cut end of the spring. Also only cut full coils off, never a half coil otherwise it wont sit properly. I ran on cut springs on the front for quite some time. The ride was firm but not too bad. they passed an mot with them too.

No matter what people say, when springs are cut correctly, they are perfectly safe.
 

Ali

  V6, Trackhawk, GTS
Pi have to be about the worst springs i've ever had. Had -60mm on the 1.2 lol. BUMP! OOUCH BUMP OOUCHH!
 
  145db Euro'd clio
Just no. Don't even try to justify it.

I probably wouldnt go back to them because of the ride quality compared to my coilovers but i ran them for roughly 9 months, did 10k miles on them and when i took them off they were still like brand new. to be fair, i cut 35mm lowering springs, not oem ones, which would probably give an even worse ride, but i know plenty of people that have done it in the past, the only problem any of them got was rubbing and obviously once you've cut them there is no putting them back on, so he had to settle for coilovers shortly afterwards.

I knew i'd get stick for saying it the second i started writing it but i continued to anyway, because in my experience and others i know, they have always been faultless.


As for JJBROWN, get over to stanceworks, alot of guys over there cut springs and may be able to enlighten you on any further queries.
 
  145db Euro'd clio
Pi have to be about the worst springs i've ever had. Had -60mm on the 1.2 lol. BUMP! OOUCH BUMP OOUCHH!


had them on the rear of mine and i can say that the apex ones i had were 10000x better. the PI ones seemed to make the back end seem incredibly light and skittish. the car never quite felt firmly planted.
 

Ali

  V6, Trackhawk, GTS
We're all been there. £60 springs for the old 1.2! Never going to be good. I've had APEX on the willy and on the 172...Harsh and not that good, but better than Pi for sure.
 
  182
No matter what people say, when springs are cut correctly, they are perfectly safe.

lol. iirc. springs are made to a certain compression ratio cutting a coil off them yes makes your ride height lower but can be deadly on the road especialy if the spring dis lodges and jams up your wheels on the motorway!!! and as for a jubilee clip holding it in place is shocking and if i was an mot tester i would give you a slap! this will also cause very bad handling and there is innocent people on the road who could be injured or even killed because you you are a tight fisted bum!!!!. the stock dampers are also made/matched to the spring length to allow enough bump and rebound cutting springs can cause the dampers to bottom out, thats why aftermarket suspension kits have shortened piston rods to match the lowering springs. cutting springs is the way scruffy chavs lower there un insured no mot'd cars they stole or bought for £50 . if you don't fall in that catagorie of people then you are just an up tight, stingy person as you can get decent lowering springs for sub £80, or if you save your dole money for a couple of months you can buy a proper suspension kit!!!!

RANT OVER:evil:

back to the op btter off getting something like these, k-tec have them on ebay and you could get yourself a right bargain just check your space between the two strut bolts are 54mm. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FK-Renault-Cl...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item19c1cb1883

£99 startin bid! bargain :D
 
  phase 1 flamer 172
A spring with a coil cut of and the end reformed is not going to discolate anymore than a similiar length apex/eibach or any other spring, common sense is the name of the game by not cutting of too many coils.
 
  145db Euro'd clio
A spring with a coil cut of and the end reformed is not going to discolate anymore than a similiar length apex/eibach or any other spring, common sense is the name of the game by not cutting of too many coils.

exactly my point.
and for your information martinsarah, im not on the dole. i work very hard at my job, the lowering springs i had at the time weren't low enough for my liking, and i was saving for a decent set of coilovers, therefore i cut a coil off just so it would sit a little nicer. Im not un-insured or anything you've said in the above. im totally legit, and like to stay within the law. my car never bottomed out and handled absolutely fine. As said previously, when done properly, they are fine. I would advise to use proper lowering springs or coilovers as apposed to cutting the springs but if you really are strapped for cash, and you do the job properly, i cant see the problem, especially if its an old sh*tter of a car that you dont want to spend a ton on money on. Not saying that the OP's car is sh*t, just trying to put things into perspective.
 
  182
exactly my point.
and for your information martinsarah, im not on the dole. i work very hard at my job, the lowering springs i had at the time weren't low enough for my liking, and i was saving for a decent set of coilovers, therefore i cut a coil off just so it would sit a little nicer. Im not un-insured or anything you've said in the above. im totally legit, and like to stay within the law. my car never bottomed out and handled absolutely fine. As said previously, when done properly, they are fine. I would advise to use proper lowering springs or coilovers as apposed to cutting the springs but if you really are strapped for cash, and you do the job properly, i cant see the problem, especially if its an old sh*tter of a car that you dont want to spend a ton on money on. Not saying that the OP's car is sh*t, just trying to put things into perspective.

never actually said you was on the dole mate nice to hear that you work hard too ;)
 
  Disastra Coupe
Amazes me how many people on here cut springs... Saxo's are meant to be the king of chav, yet i don't know of a single member on SaxP who has cut springs!

As said, even if you wanted to cut your springs, lowering spring's are so cheap it's not really worth the hassle of cutting your originals. Just do it properly :)
 


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