How do you choose a spring rate?

How do you choose a spring rate?

The softer rate will generate a smoother ride while the stiffer spring will result in a firmer ride. You need to consider these options when you are selecting the proper spring rate for your application. Springs should typically be compressed 25-30% of the free length when supporting the weight of the vehicle.

What does a higher spring rate do?

Spring Rate refers to the amount of weight it takes to compress a spring a certain distance. The higher the spring rate, the stiffer the spring.

Is higher or lower spring rate better?

As you decrease the spring rate, the suspension is able to conform better to road irregularities, and thus grip improves. You might think the higher spring rate would react faster, but in reality, the lower spring rate will contact the ground first, and thus allows for more grip.

Are front and rear suspension different?

The rear suspension of a vehicle performs the same general function as front suspension, but the specific construction is typically quite different. In vehicles that have rear-wheel drive, the rear suspension usually has more components than the front suspension.

What is a good spring rate for coilovers?

With a typical street car, you’re looking for the weight of the vehicle to compress the springs 25- to 30-percent. For drag cars, you will typically want between 30- and 35-percent of the spring to compress.

What does a stiff spring mean?

The spring constant, k, is representative of how stiff the spring is. Stiffer (more difficult to stretch) springs have higher spring constants. The displacement of an object is a distance measurement that describes that change from the normal, or equilibrium, position.

Are struts in the front or back?

Struts are typically installed in conjunction with the front wheels, but depending on a vehicle’s setup and driveline, they can also be mounted at the rear wheels. Just as there are different types of cars, there are different types of struts.

How do spring rates work?

Spring rate refers to the amount of weight that is needed to compress a spring one inch. per inch spring – it will compress 1″ when a 200 lb. load is placed onto the spring. If another 200 lbs. is put onto the spring, the spring will compress another inch.

How to choose spring rates for your car?

If we find the calculated Spring Rate with a 2.0Hz front and 1.8Hz rear Suspension Frequency yields spring rates that we feel are a bit too high or low, we’ll adjust SF to coincide with our years of experience choosing and testing spring rates on a wide range of track cars and race cars.

Which is more important spring rate or frequency?

The first thing to notice is that the mass is vastly different from the front and rear of the car. This is why frequency is much more valuable than spring rate: it provides a relatively similar ‘feel’ for different corner masses.

What should the spring rate be on a drag race car?

Springs should typically be compressed 25-30% of the free length when supporting the weight of the vehicle. Drag race cars will normally use a lighter rate spring (about 30%) to promote weight transfer while a street car will use a firmer rate spring (about 25%). ASf/ (spring free length x 0.25) = Firmer Spring Rate

How to calculate spring rate for axle suspension?

Spring rate calculations for solid axle suspension are the same as above except the Force Ratio (Fr) = 1.