long or short spring?
05-26-2010, 07:56 AM
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long or short spring?
Given that you are setting up a coilover to a specific height (lets just say for the sake of discussion 14" from center of hub to top of fender lip) and you can either run a 600lb spring that is 7" long with the height adjustment lock ring set way low on the shock body or you could run a 600lb spring that is 6" long with the height adjuster a little higher (1" higher): is there a general preference for the short or longer spring?
Will the longer spring allow more travel before coil bind?
Spring preload should not be any different between the two springs right?
Will the longer spring allow more travel before coil bind?
Spring preload should not be any different between the two springs right?
05-26-2010, 09:42 AM
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The length of the spring is in fact a really big deal and will make a world of a difference in the way the car will handle. The shorter spring obviously will be lighter than the longer one so it has the advantage of less unsprung mass. The shorter spring will also be at the proper spring rate with the weight of your car.
But then again a longer spring has a bigger sweet spot where the spring rate will be dead on. The reason for this is because most springs even though stated linnear will hike in spring rate as springs compress. But the spring rate might need more of a compression before the proper spring rate is reached, so ther eis a chance that the weight of your car is not enough.
In other words the best setup is what you want to do with your car, and how you want it to feel.
From looking at your post it seems like your going with probably a domestic brand of spring. You should try looking into swift springs. The springs feel completely different from the other brands that I've tried. I'm a big believer in them.
http://www.swiftsprings.com/advantage.html
But then again a longer spring has a bigger sweet spot where the spring rate will be dead on. The reason for this is because most springs even though stated linnear will hike in spring rate as springs compress. But the spring rate might need more of a compression before the proper spring rate is reached, so ther eis a chance that the weight of your car is not enough.
In other words the best setup is what you want to do with your car, and how you want it to feel.
From looking at your post it seems like your going with probably a domestic brand of spring. You should try looking into swift springs. The springs feel completely different from the other brands that I've tried. I'm a big believer in them.
http://www.swiftsprings.com/advantage.html
05-26-2010, 09:58 AM
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Originally Posted by cfap2,May 26 2010, 11:42 AM
The length of the spring is in fact a really big deal and will make a world of a difference in the way the car will handle. The shorter spring obviously will be lighter than the longer one so it has the advantage of less unsprung mass. The shorter spring will also be at the proper spring rate with the weight of your car.
But then again a longer spring has a bigger sweet spot where the spring rate will be dead on. The reason for this is because most springs even though stated linnear will hike in spring rate as springs compress. But the spring rate might need more of a compression before the proper spring rate is reached, so ther eis a chance that the weight of your car is not enough.
In other words the best setup is what you want to do with your car, and how you want it to feel.
From looking at your post it seems like your going with probably a domestic brand of spring. You should try looking into swift springs. The springs feel completely different from the other brands that I've tried. I'm a big believer in them.
http://www.swiftsprings.com/advantage.html
But then again a longer spring has a bigger sweet spot where the spring rate will be dead on. The reason for this is because most springs even though stated linnear will hike in spring rate as springs compress. But the spring rate might need more of a compression before the proper spring rate is reached, so ther eis a chance that the weight of your car is not enough.
In other words the best setup is what you want to do with your car, and how you want it to feel.
From looking at your post it seems like your going with probably a domestic brand of spring. You should try looking into swift springs. The springs feel completely different from the other brands that I've tried. I'm a big believer in them.
http://www.swiftsprings.com/advantage.html
05-26-2010, 10:04 AM
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I missed those 2 questions at the end.
Yes the longer spring will allow more travel before coilbind in most cases. Usually a longer spring will not only have more winds but also will use a thicker gauge, so more travel is not always the case.
And yes you can adjust your spring preload so that you can be at the sweet spot of the spring rate. but then again this can really affect the way your car will drive because even though your spring rate will be dead on at, for example 600lbs, at stand still, it's going to take more weight to start compressing the spring from that point. So your car will feel stiffer. "Some" people are under the impression that preloading the spring is for the sake of increasing the spring rate, but that is not the case. It is in fact the same spring rate, the difference is the spring is starting at a different point in its stroke.
Yes the longer spring will allow more travel before coilbind in most cases. Usually a longer spring will not only have more winds but also will use a thicker gauge, so more travel is not always the case.
And yes you can adjust your spring preload so that you can be at the sweet spot of the spring rate. but then again this can really affect the way your car will drive because even though your spring rate will be dead on at, for example 600lbs, at stand still, it's going to take more weight to start compressing the spring from that point. So your car will feel stiffer. "Some" people are under the impression that preloading the spring is for the sake of increasing the spring rate, but that is not the case. It is in fact the same spring rate, the difference is the spring is starting at a different point in its stroke.
05-26-2010, 10:20 AM
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Originally Posted by cfap2,May 26 2010, 12:04 PM
I missed those 2 questions at the end.
Yes the longer spring will allow more travel before coilbind in most cases. Usually a longer spring will not only have more winds but also will use a thicker gauge, so more travel is not always the case.
And yes you can adjust your spring preload so that you can be at the sweet spot of the spring rate. but then again this can really affect the way your car will drive because even though your spring rate will be dead on at, for example 600lbs, at stand still, it's going to take more weight to start compressing the spring from that point. So your car will feel stiffer. "Some" people are under the impression that preloading the spring is for the sake of increasing the spring rate, but that is not the case. It is in fact the same spring rate, the difference is the spring is starting at a different point in its stroke.
Yes the longer spring will allow more travel before coilbind in most cases. Usually a longer spring will not only have more winds but also will use a thicker gauge, so more travel is not always the case.
And yes you can adjust your spring preload so that you can be at the sweet spot of the spring rate. but then again this can really affect the way your car will drive because even though your spring rate will be dead on at, for example 600lbs, at stand still, it's going to take more weight to start compressing the spring from that point. So your car will feel stiffer. "Some" people are under the impression that preloading the spring is for the sake of increasing the spring rate, but that is not the case. It is in fact the same spring rate, the difference is the spring is starting at a different point in its stroke.
I think because the spring rates are the same, the overall preload will remain the same. It really just comes down to which would be better:
Short spring has:
1) less unsprung weight
Long spring has:
1) more travel
2) greater unsprung weight
It sounds like being unsure about this, the longer spring is a safer bet?
05-26-2010, 10:20 AM
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What car is it for? and what are you trying to do with it. Because for example a subaru would have macpherson suspension all around which has a motion ratio close to one to one so in other words travel would be needed. But then again if it's a roadrace only car then a short spring would be fine.
05-26-2010, 10:32 AM
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Don't know if this info applies here but it's a good read if your looking for a Swift coilover springs.
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forum...ngs-dynoed.html
cfap2- Your confusing him, hell! your confusing me.... but it after reading it a few times it is good info.
Thanks
http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forum...ngs-dynoed.html
cfap2- Your confusing him, hell! your confusing me.... but it after reading it a few times it is good info.
Thanks
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05-26-2010, 10:43 AM
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Originally Posted by cfap2,May 26 2010, 12:20 PM
What car is it for? and what are you trying to do with it. Because for example a subaru would have macpherson suspension all around which has a motion ratio close to one to one so in other words travel would be needed. But then again if it's a roadrace only car then a short spring would be fine.
I am thinking the longer spring set on a spring perch adjusted lower will be better than a shorter spring on a perch set higher in this application.
It is my wife's car and sees a full season of autoX and 8-10 HPDe per year as well as being a daily driver.
05-29-2010, 12:45 AM
#10
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Preload only changes the resting point of the piston and has nothing to do with any kind of spring sweet spot. The sweet spot is in regards to where the piston is in relation to bump and droop travel.
http://www.afcoracing.com/tech_pages/spring.shtml
http://www.afcoracing.com/tech_pages/spring.shtml