What to do about a broken coil over spring?

I got my daily driver 2004 Mazda 3s hatch at 112k miles with a full tein coilover kit on it. The car now has 195k miles on her along with some rust and I found that thanks to a giant pothole, one of the front coils is broken. The ride is rough/stiff and has been for a while so I'm thinking the struts are getting tired. I'm still driving it with the front left sitting a little lower and a clunk at low speeds. I can pick up 2 new tein coils for $280, I can get used stock springs/struts for $150 off Craigslist and ditch the low ride, or I can go the cheap route...

My question is this- how would the car ride if I were to cut the other coil spring to match the broken one and then adjust the perches up to take up the loss in spring height. I would lose about a coil on each side but I want the car to sit even- right now the left front wheel is tucked in the fender which I don't like.

Am leaning towards cutting or just ditching the coilovers for a stock smoother ride.

Anytime you remove coils you increase the spring rate.

You should be able to find coilover springs for half that price. I'm pretty sure I only paid $75 per spring when I changed out the Swift springs that came on my Ohlins coilovers.

Just need to figure out what height and diameter they need to be and then you can pick what spring rate you want.

http://www.swiftsprings.net/products/universal/metric-coilover-springs.html

I'm sure there are plenty of other manufacturers to choose from too.

Cutting the spring to match would raise the spring rate and make the ride worse.

I would look at replacing the springs with eibach or QA1 springs of the same diameter in the same free length and perhaps 50 to 100lbs/in in less spring rate to see if that will improve the ride without sacrificing handling or causing the car to bottom out.

Otherwise, put the stock or slightly improved stock (Koni/Bilstein shocks/struts and Lowering springs) parts back on the car and hold onto the tein's in case you can use them again later (replace the springs with the same length and rate, they don't have to be tein springs).

thanks for the input guys... I'm hoping for the cheapest route as the car isn't worth that much. My STI is the weekend toy now.

I'll have to look into the dimensions of the Tein spring. If the Teins come off they will be sold- they won't go back on the car.

I haven't cut a ton of springs, but in the ones I have, I've found they don't get appreciably stiffer to make up for the amount of drop they end up giving you.

Spring rate (stiffness) and free length will both be proportional to number of coils removed.

So now to share my favorite place for low buck springs. Speedway motors clearance section

Make sure that the springs are not progressive. Not all springs have the same properties for their entire length and cutting off one end can dramatically change the performance of the spring.

Also, make sure that the spring sits in it's perches properly. Most unless you cut EXACTLY one coil, the end of the spring may not sit in the perch properly and make noise as it shifts around.

I would never want to drive on a broken spring, I'd want to replace it.

Coilover springs almost always have ground closed ends, which makes them tough to cut.

Look for numbers on the Tein spring. Chances are they're a metric one, so you'll see a number that's either below 10 (kg/mm) or between 40 and 100 (kg/cm). Diameter is most likely 2.5" ID, and that may also be printed on the spring.

Then get some AFCO/QC/Eibach/whatever generic springs. If there are circle track racers locally, that's a good source.