| | | quote | Originally posted by Boostdreamer:
Do the springs ever need to be any stronger that the bare minimum to keep the suspension from bottoming out? I understand that the less travel you have, the stiffer the springs would have to be. So that brings my next question, why would you want to reduce suspension travel by using the short coil-over springs such as the 7 inch ones? If the whole sleeve is threaded, couldn't you use the longer springs set lower on the sleeve and still have the same ride height and also have more suspension travel?
How much sag should the springs have? 1/4 to 1/3 the total travel? If you have a 7 inch spring, you've already lost 1.75 to 2.30 inches of available travel. You will need a REALLY stiff spring to keep from bottoming out on normal pot holes and such.
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The spring rate needs be enough to keep the suspension in a good range of motion (to control camber, toe, etc), and keep the bodywork off the road. The softest rate that achieves those requirements is generally the best rate to run.
I typically choose spring length based on what puts the coilover perch at the point where the spring is just barely compressed at full droop, so that I can avoid using a helper spring if I don't have to.
A good rule of thumb is 2 inches of compression and 2 inches of rebound travel, minimum.
A nice progressive bump stop is also a good idea.
[This message has been edited by Steven Snyder (edited 04-20-2014).]
