compressing springs while on the car?

[moose.cannon]

I was watching monster garage last night.. lol. and i saw they used a gas torch to heat up the springs on their ride, the ride lowered and when the springs cooled, the ride would stay at that hight.
now i have an old starlet i use as a thrash/paddock car and i wanna lower it and inch or two without having to take the springs out, so it looks sillier and if i happen to get sidways down a bit of a hill there's less change i'll roll the car (again).
I'm trying to thrash this car till it dies (i'll probably die first) and then get rid of it, but the stupid toyota keeps on going lol.
if i do this, i'm curious about how i should go about it. Would you set up two jacks on each side of the car, setting them to the hight you want the car to be, getting the torch and heating the springs so the car lowers to the height of the jacks and then wait for them to cool down? will this even work? is it dangerous? if the car is only lowered an inch or two, will it be very bouncey?


cheers

[JT]

I'd say the roll would be due to driving/ground conditions, not the springs.

If you must, cutting them is safer and easier to do yourself. Jack it up, compress the springs then get the grinder and cut a coil off. If that aint low enough cut another one off, just cable tie them in once you done. Trim the bumpstops if its bottoming out too often.

[Quint]

Yea, as above, heating up a small section of the spring will help it creep, meaning it will plastically deform (perminatly changeing its shape) though this is a form of work hardening and makes that section of the spring more brittle rather than ductile.

You don't really need me to explain what happens if a spring exhibits brittle behaviour

Take it out, cut it, stick it back in, much safer

[RED TOP MR 2]

that heating stuff wont be good for anything else in that area e.g brakes.ild cut them personally

[l1ttle_d3vil]

yea unless you can heat up an entire coil at once to the point it will sag, which I doubt you could do, you would only end up deforming the spring to beyond use.

you can cut springs with a grinder while they are still in the car really easy though.

[Pelo]

That will be your results...

[moose.cannon]

lol ok cool, thanks guys, i think i'll cut em

[repowered]

lol ok cool, thanks guys, i think i'll cut em

i saw that episode of monster garage, i was like dodgy heating the springs!

[bad20v]

Dont heat them...


...get some Makita One Way Adjustables!!!

...cut a coil or two!!!

[bOi]

since it is a paddock/thrash car and you are eventually killing it.. just take out the springs IMO since the car is "dying" anyways