12k/10k spring rates
11-09-2011, 11:31 AM
#1
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12k/10k spring rates
I'm about to purchase some Fortune Auto 500 Series coilovers and they offer customizable spring rates, so I thought I'd go for some stiffer spring rates since ride quality isn't that big of a deal to me. I have the stock wheels on right now so I have a staggered setup but I'm going to have non staggered wheels and tires in the future which is why I went with the stiffer spring rate up front. Will 12/10 be too stiff? I don't want the fronts to be too stiff and thus increase understeer. This is my first set of coilovers ever so I don't really have any perception of how stiff 12k really is. Any advice is welcome
11-09-2011, 12:20 PM
#2
You'll be fine. Those are pretty good rates if you ask me. Once you go non-staggered it should be the right amount of balance. It will probably be a bit understeery while on the factory stagger.
When I worked with them to get the coils made for the s2000 I got 12k front and rear and I didn't have any problems with thinking they were too stiff.
When I worked with them to get the coils made for the s2000 I got 12k front and rear and I didn't have any problems with thinking they were too stiff.
11-09-2011, 04:56 PM
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12/10k is too stiff especially for a street car. People that don't really know any better will chime in like no dawg I ride all ghetto for 50 gillion miles and my ride is mad tyte cause other kids say so!
I wouldn't go any higher than 10/8K and even then it's going to be harsh. If you are going to go down the same as everyone else road and slam your car and put bulldozer tires in the front and never drive it fast again. Budget for some SPC ball joints they will fix most of the roll center issues you will create and as a bonus you can use much softer springs and still get the same grip but more consistent handling.
I wouldn't go any higher than 10/8K and even then it's going to be harsh. If you are going to go down the same as everyone else road and slam your car and put bulldozer tires in the front and never drive it fast again. Budget for some SPC ball joints they will fix most of the roll center issues you will create and as a bonus you can use much softer springs and still get the same grip but more consistent handling.
11-09-2011, 06:41 PM
#4
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^^^I don't agree. 12/10 is fine, especially with a non-staggered setup. As long as the shocks are valved (and knowing Fortune Auto, they will be) correctly, it will ride fine.
11-09-2011, 07:15 PM
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11-09-2011, 08:39 PM
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I disagree. I'm running these rates on my KW Clubsports and it rides nearly the same as stock on rough roads if not better. A critical aspect to ride quality is the damping quality of the shocks. If you go cheap on the dampers, yes, it can ride like crap with the high spring rates. If you get well engineered dampers, then it will ride fine. As another example, I rode in an Evo 9 on Motons with over double the stock spring rates, and it rode better than my stock Evo 8.
11-10-2011, 06:56 AM
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12/10k is too stiff especially for a street car. People that don't really know any better will chime in like no dawg I ride all ghetto for 50 gillion miles and my ride is mad tyte cause other kids say so!
I wouldn't go any higher than 10/8K and even then it's going to be harsh. If you are going to go down the same as everyone else road and slam your car and put bulldozer tires in the front and never drive it fast again. Budget for some SPC ball joints they will fix most of the roll center issues you will create and as a bonus you can use much softer springs and still get the same grip but more consistent handling.
I wouldn't go any higher than 10/8K and even then it's going to be harsh. If you are going to go down the same as everyone else road and slam your car and put bulldozer tires in the front and never drive it fast again. Budget for some SPC ball joints they will fix most of the roll center issues you will create and as a bonus you can use much softer springs and still get the same grip but more consistent handling.
and depending on how low the op wants to go he might not need to adjust his roll center to keep the suspension geometry in check; as long as he dosent go lower than 2" max
might want to read through some of these articles http://www.motoiq.com/tech/the_ultim..._handling.aspx
i ran tein flex for a while and those rates are 10/12 and personally i thought it was still too soft for what i wanted out of the car.
my next set of coilovers im prolly going to go with 14/14 and 16/14 when i go non-staggered
if u want to get the max out of ur suspension u have to go stiff(just not too stiff) and its not going to be comfortable. i can live with that though.
to answer the op's question 12/10 is not going to be too stiff im almost 100% positive u will love the ride aslong as ur dampening is set right.
p.s. i would either go with 12/12 or 10/10 and order a set of stiffer fronts when u do actually go non staggered. if fortune autos dampers are as good as they say they r they should be able to handle a 2k stiffer spring with no re-valving
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11-10-2011, 07:27 AM
#8
Originally Posted by Duke Togo' timestamp='1320890180' post='21143843
12/10k is too stiff especially for a street car.
11-10-2011, 08:03 AM
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Do you guys think the Fortune 500 coilovers use good quality dampers? MY 02 is my dd, but I also regularly autocross it and am looking forward to taking it out to the track sometime within a year. I'm really wanting to be able to tame the notorious snap oversteer that comes with the ap1's. What effects will the 12k/10k spring rates have on my handling while I'm staggered? Will it create more understeer?
11-10-2011, 09:37 AM
#10
I have been reading a lot here to understand staggered vs non-staggered setup. Someone correct me if I am wrong...
I am not sure I got it down 100% - But, sounds as tho if you went with a non-staggered setup, you get less understeer and possibly more oversteer/rotation which is what the autox guys seem to do. The staggered setup provides more understeer since the contact patch is less in the front and thus less grip compared to rear.
Snap oversteer I believe is caused by the spring rates and overdamped struts or something like that - People say that Koni yellows have helped reduce this snap oversteer issue. Also alignment can help deal with this, I believe. I don't know the specs tho
When you say 12k/10k - Are that F&R rates in that order?
Again, I am no expert. I just read a lot of posts and try to piece it all together, before I post and get yelled at to "Search n00b or GTFO" by the experts here
Best thread on snap oversteer - https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/758622-snap-oversteer/ - Long read, so enjoy!
I am not sure I got it down 100% - But, sounds as tho if you went with a non-staggered setup, you get less understeer and possibly more oversteer/rotation which is what the autox guys seem to do. The staggered setup provides more understeer since the contact patch is less in the front and thus less grip compared to rear.
Snap oversteer I believe is caused by the spring rates and overdamped struts or something like that - People say that Koni yellows have helped reduce this snap oversteer issue. Also alignment can help deal with this, I believe. I don't know the specs tho
When you say 12k/10k - Are that F&R rates in that order?
Again, I am no expert. I just read a lot of posts and try to piece it all together, before I post and get yelled at to "Search n00b or GTFO" by the experts here
Best thread on snap oversteer - https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/758622-snap-oversteer/ - Long read, so enjoy!