Spring Rates...

[Khan Klatt <khan@mediaaccess.com>]

At 5:23 PM -0500 2/1/2000, Ng, Kevin (Bank of America Commercial 
Finance) wrote:
>  > -----Original Message-----
>  > From:	Bill Hussey [SMTP:vfrboy@home.net]
>  > Sent:	Tuesday, February 01, 2000 1:48 PM
>  > To:	jettaglx@igtc.com
>  > Subject:	Re: Tires is now Cornering
>  >
>  > The stock springs are not progressive, so by cutting them you are not
>  > increasing
>  > spring rate at all.  This setup does nothing for reducing brake dive?
>  >
>Cutting linear rate springs will increase the spring rate. Look at it this
>way. If you unwind a spring so that it is basically a straight rod, and cut
>that rod in half, it would take much more force to bend than if the rod were
>twice as long.

A linear spring rate means that, the force required per inch to 
compress (or expand) the spring is the same.

A progressive spring rate means that, as the distance of compression 
increases, the resistance increases.

If you cut the stock springs, you do not increase the spring rate. 
You will not reduce brake dive, but you will lower the car. By 
shortening the springs, all you're doing in linear springs is to 
reduce the force required to fully compress the springs.

The best solution is (unless you know exactly what you're doing in 
which case I'm not saying anything new) to get the specific springs 
and shocks you want to solve your particular problem.

I think most of the people on this list are enthusiasts, not avid 
mechanics, which means that for most of us, we're going to buy stuff 
in packages that will not require cutting springs, etc.

-Khan


Khan Klatt                                         khan@mediaaccess.com

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