spring info, lb rating Options

[rhodyguy]

my picture shows 2 setups. the reds came on a parts car i bought. the ones on the kyb's are stock (3 paint marks on each). the ones on the koni's have a smaller gap between the coils at the top and they are approx 5/16" in dia (+), they have a silver paint mark that runs the length of the spring. the coils on the kybs have the same spacing and they are about 1/4 " in dia. are the ones on the reds considered progressives and does anybody have any idea what the lb rating might be?

[Bleyseng]

Remember to fill in your location, dude.
Sorry, I can't help you at all with the spring id.
Geoff (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)

[Mueller]

I just measured my springs last night...first set that was on the car measured 50 in lb.

The second set test came out to be 140 in lb (advertised as 180's, but the 140's are better for me, so no big deal, besides, they came with like new Bilstiens at a killer price)

What I did was take one of my weightlifting bars and weights (which are a trip hazard since they see more use as dust collectors than actual workout parts)
and I placed the bar vertical. I then put the spring over the bar and measured the free length. Weights are placed on top of the spring until it compresses one inch. To ensure that I was doing it correctly, I placed more weight on the spring to move it down anouther inch. So for spring #1, 50#'s compressed it one inch and 100#'s compressed it two inches.

I did the same for spring #2. For your progressive spring, you'll have to measure it as two springs....once the closer coils are in contact with each other, the rate will increase.

I'd venture to say that your KYB springs are 50-70 in lb's and that the Koni springs are 165 progressive.

Mike

[Zeke]

my picture shows 2 setups. the reds came on a parts car i bought. the ones on the kyb's are stock (3 paint marks on each). the ones on the koni's have a smaller gap between the coils at the top and they are approx 5/16" in dia (+), they have a silver paint mark that runs the length of the spring. the coils on the kybs have the same spacing and they are about 1/4 " in dia. are the ones on the reds considered progressives and does anybody have any idea what the lb rating might be?

The top one "looks" stock, 100# or so. teh bottom one is a progressive. No idea what #.

As far as 180s being 140s, are you subtracting the begining fraction of a coil at each end to compensate for "dead coils?" You may be taking off too much. There is very little physical difference between 180# and 140#.

[Mueller]

Zeke wrote:
As far as 180s being 140s, are you subtracting the begining fraction of a coil at each end to compensate for "dead coils?" You may be taking off too much. There is very little physical difference between 180# and 140#.

If that was for me, well, I didn't use "formulas" to figure out the rates...I used known weight values stacked on top of the spring to compress it one inch...I also verified my initial readings by adding twice the amount of weight it took to achieve a 1" reading. (went to 2" to insure a correct rate)

50# spring takes 50#'s to compress one inch and 100#'s to compress 2"'s

my 140 springs took 140 to compress one inch and 280 to compress 2"'s

much more accurate than trying to do the math...which I did try to do, but the numbers never seemed to jive as I thought they should

[rhodyguy]

geoff, under the radar here. i'm the dope in the red jetta from tacoma that can't seem to finnish a car for the a-x. but i'll fix the location issue.

[Bleyseng]

yes Kevin, I knew it was you. Just trying to get everyone to include that tidbit of info. Good to see you at the AX, sorry I didn't get much of a chance to talk. See you at the Breakfast maybe?
I'd slap in the Koni's w/ the progressives....

Geoff (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)