Where to get custom length rear springs? Options

[moggy]

I've got a set of 180 rear springs from Pelican Parts on the back of my rally 914. The spring rating is perfect but unfortunaly they aren't long enough. There's too little travel on them, they seem to bind up too much. Unlike most (if not all) of you I am not interested in lowering the car.... quite the opposite, I need to raise the rear, and have more suspension travel than stock. Anyone know were I can go for springs cut to length.

Cheers

moggy

[SirAndy]

I've got a set of 180 rear springs from Pelican Parts on the back of my rally 914. The spring rating is perfect but unfortunaly they aren't long enough. There's too little travel on them, they seem to bind up too much. Unlike most (if not all) of you I am not interested in lowering the car.... quite the opposite, I need to raise the rear, and have more suspension travel than stock. Anyone know were I can go for springs cut to length.

Could you get another set and cut those and add the short pieces onto your existing springs?

All you would need is a way of locating the two springs together so they don't slip ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) Andy

[Joe Ricard]

Oh really. then you will need longer shocks too.
and AFCO and QA-1 make springs in 14" length in what ever rate you think you need. Both 5" dia and 2 1/2" dia.

[TravisNeff]

what rear shocks are you using? If they are bilstein or Koni they have 3-5 grooves machined in to the shock body where a c-clip goes that holds up the lower perch - which in turn changes your ride height

[SirAndy]

Oh really. then you will need longer shocks too.

On my shocks, when uncompressed, there's plenty of room for more coils on the spring ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) Andy

[Brett W]

Your in Luck. I happen to have a set of 180lb 2.5in diameter springs. I think they are 14in long. If that won't work for you, then you should call Landrum Spring service. They are on the web.

[moggy]

Your in Luck. I happen to have a set of 180lb 2.5in diameter springs. I think they are 14in long. If that won't work for you, then you should call Landrum Spring service. They are on the web.

Thanks Brett but those are the exact ones I presently have on the car. When I mount them on the top perch of the shock mount to get the car back up to stock height they are so tightly compressed that they bind on some of the jump landings and when I hit rocks etc. Basically I need same amount of suspension travel as stock but stiffer springs. Most of the stiffer springs availble are shorter than stock ones as they're designed to also lower the car. Looks like I'm going to have to have some customer length 180's made up for me.

Cheers

Moggy

[Todd Enlund]

I've got a set of 180 rear springs from Pelican Parts on the back of my rally 914. The spring rating is perfect but unfortunaly they aren't long enough. There's too little travel on them, they seem to bind up too much. Unlike most (if not all) of you I am not interested in lowering the car.... quite the opposite, I need to raise the rear, and have more suspension travel than stock. Anyone know were I can go for springs cut to length.

Could you get another set and cut those and add the short pieces onto your existing springs?

All you would need is a way of locating the two springs together so they don't slip ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif) Andy

Making the springs longer will lower the spring rate...

[Brett W]

Only if the spring isn't designed to give the proper rate in the beginning. Moggy, eliminate the spring shock combo and build a pushrod rocker arm setup. Then you can setup any motion ratio you want on the shock spring end. Plus you may be able to change the motion ratio as well.

Another option would be a different shock location. Maybe build a custom rear shock mount lower than the stock mount? One problem you may run into is the limit of shock travel. Keep that in mind that you may end up topping the shocks out. You could also try stacking two springs together with an intermediate centering perch. Run a softer rate on the low end and the heavy spring up top.

[Todd Enlund]

Only if the spring isn't designed to give the proper rate in the beginning.

In context, I was talking about Andy's suggestion to lengthen the 180# springs. If you were to do so, it would lower the spring rate. This also doesn't consider the the quality of the weld, and the heat soak to the spring during welding.

A longer 180# spring would of course be made with thicker metal to compensate.