3 Technical questions about springs

crowley

Torque Junkie
Points
52
Location
Grampian
Car
MyBotchedHeap
Q1: Where can you find the spring rates of a set of springs, the cheaper one's that are available don't seem to publish this info.

Q2: Where can you find the maximum load capacity of stock springs?

Q3: Is the maximum load capacity of a spring an indication of its rigidity?
 
Q1 - most cheap spring makers don't have a clue about load or spring rate. If they quoted a figure there would be an expectation that the springs should achieve this.

Q2 - manufacturer handbooks usually quote a maximum load capacity but this has more to do with the whole cars suspension

Q3 - load capacity is the safe rating for the spring before you risk the spring breaking and snapping. There is usually a wide margin for safety here. You can get soft springs with a large rate of travel that have a higher load capacity than firmer springs with limited travel, the two figures are not related.
 
Appreciate the answer.

It is going to be a cheep set though because I'm not spending heap's of cash on an old banger.
Some cheap springs I've had in the past have been spot on.
 
You're not looking to keep the car that long and just want a bit of fun so there is little point spending out a fortune on parts to upgrade it.
 
You won't find any info on cheap springs as two sets from the same supplier will be different.

Quality springs have the relevant info printed on them.

Why the obsession with rigidity?
 
Fair enough. How stiff do you want them? Rigid means no movement and no spring is that stiff as it then wouldn't be a spring :) However it is easy to achieve with any spring by simply welding steel bar along its length.
 
Well, how about fitting extra bump stops on to the damper piston so that they are in contact top and bottom? This will severely restrict movement without making the suspension rigid. You could experiment with their length to give you your desired stiffness.
 

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