Spring thickness vs ride

[TEG61E]

Ok, i've got 2 sets of King Springs that are exactly the same height when freestanding (i.e. sittin on the floor of my garage). The only difference is that one is made of a thicker steel than the other. Am I right to assume:

1. The thinner one will have a lower ride height
2. The thicker one will have a stiffer and rougher ride

thanks in advance for ur input guys...

[T-onedc2]

Yes the thinner has a lower spring rate and the thicker (heavier) spring has a higher spring rate, eg XX amount of kg's required to compress spring 1mm, therefore spring rate will be different for both.

[BlitZ]

+ spring composition..
difference composition and number of coils change spring rates too

[TEG61E]

+ spring composition..
difference composition and number of coils change spring rates too

They're both king springs, so i'm assuming they're made of the same steel. They also have the same number of coils, so the only difference would really be the steel thickness....

[SiReal]

so is it correct to assume that the thicker one will give greater longetivity to the stock shocks, since it "bounces" less?

[TEG61E]

so is it correct to assume that the thicker one will give greater longetivity to the stock shocks, since it "bounces" less?
I was actually thinking the same thing. Thats why i've got the the thicker one's on now (btw, not stock shocks - running koni yellows). I've got them sitting on the lowest perch and its still not low enough. Thats the why i wanna change to the thinner one - to make it sit a lil lower, but i wanted to know what else to expect from it...

[BlitZ]

not neccesary.......
shock contorl the bumps...

Also... havent u noticed with hard springs its more bumpier...

The bumpier the more the shock will try to absorb it making it boucnce slower.

Blowing shocks are mostly caused by incorrect heigh causeing incorrect travel..
correct me if u think im wrong..

[BlitZ]

They're both king springs, so i'm assuming they're made of the same steel. They also have the same number of coils, so the only difference would really be the steel thickness....


all parts with the same number should have same height and spring rate.

Based on that principle your height shouldnt change.. hehehehe

[TEG61E]

not neccesary.......
shock contorl the bumps...
...
The bumpier the more the shock will try to absorb it making it boucnce slower.

I used to think the same thing, where shocks were the only factor in ride comfort, but i'm pretty sure thats not neccessarily the case.

The stiffer the spring, the more work required to compress it. Therefore, with stiff springs, both the spring and the shock are resisting the movement. Thats why you FEEL more bumps - because ur suspension isnt absorbing the impact as much. Essentialy is IS bouncing less with the stiffer spring (the suspension i mean, not the car - the car will be bouncing more)...make sense? it sorta does to me, but then again it is 5:38am. I need a life lol :cool: hehe...

[TEG61E]

all parts with the same number should have same height and spring rate.

Based on that principle your height shouldnt change.. hehehehe

I'm pretty sure the same number of coils doesnt mean same height and spring rate - you need to consider thickness too!!

For example, a thin steel rod vs a thick rod of the same length:
When subject to equal forces, the thin rod will obviously bend more. Now with thin springs vs thick springs, this same principle should apply and the thin one should sag more. This is pretty much how the different swaybar sizes work...

Also the thicker one should have a higher spring rate because it has more resistance against movement and will therefore return to equilibrium at a quicker rate.

[Domokun SPL]

Spring rates are not just a matter of thinness and thickness of the metal coil

Its a matter of spring material, number of coils, internal diameter, external diamiter and other factors.

Best to make a post in this thread on SAU asking SK to work our your spring rates for you. Then you can compare.

http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=79157

[BlitZ]

I used to think the same thing, where shocks were the only factor in ride comfort, but i'm pretty sure thats not neccessarily the case.

The stiffer the spring, the more work required to compress it. Therefore, with stiff springs, both the spring and the shock are resisting the movement. Thats why you FEEL more bumps - because ur suspension isnt absorbing the impact as much. Essentialy is IS bouncing less with the stiffer spring (the suspension i mean, not the car - the car will be bouncing more)...make sense? it sorta does to me, but then again it is 5:38am. I need a life lol :cool: hehe...


i dont believe shocks are the deciding factor for comfort at all..
However i believe they are to reduce unsprung mass which will increase your road contactivity.

i understand what your saying... but a hard spring would vibrate more... it would pulse quickly.. the pulses would be directly placed back to the shock..

Although the shock and spring movement is alot less it might not be working less... It will pulsate alot quicker... The pulsation is still wearing out the shocks....