Thread: Coilovers

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Hey Guys What is the best lenght for coilover shocks for a 32 ford hiboy coupe? I will be mounting them at 20 degrees. Also what spring rate works the best. Thanks

Some of us use this chart, fairly accurate. I like a bit softer ride, so usually go down 25 pounds on the spring from the charts recomendation....

Dave, How do you determine the coil-over "spring rate" on a spring that is not marked. I have some springs on my car now that "I think" are too soft when the car is loaded.

I was going to remove the spring and place it in my hydralic press, on top of a bathroom scale. Measure the scale at 1" and 2" compression and see what I've got. Do you think this method will give me an accurate spring rate measurement?

I contacted Aldan Shocks to get help deciding on which coil springs to buy for my car and they told me the correct weight of spring for a car is when you have the spring loaded with the weight of the car it should compress one inch compared to the unloaded length of the spring. They said that works favorably for about every car they have worked on and you can fine tune up or down from there but said a softer ride should be brought on by softer shock, not softer spring.

fairly simple formula. google 'coil spring rate formula' ...............

Kitz

20 degrees---Now what does the rear half of the car weigh???are the springs in front, over, or behind the axle???how much???
Assuming the high boy has solid front axle with cross spring?????

Originally Posted by John Palmer

Dave, How do you determine the coil-over "spring rate" on a spring that is not marked. I have some springs on my car now that "I think" are too soft when the car is loaded.

I was going to remove the spring and place it in my hydralic press, on top of a bathroom scale. Measure the scale at 1" and 2" compression and see what I've got. Do you think this method will give me an accurate spring rate measurement?

I cheat, John..., Still have my old coil spring checker from the circle burner days!!! Most dirt track supply stores have one, I check the coilovers on the drag cars, too.... When we have the Comet bars wrong and it does big wheelies must put a bit of extra wear on the springs, had to replace them this year! Right front was 22 pounds light, left front was 28!!!! Went to AFCO springs this time, they held up good on the late model, should work well on a drag car, too.

FWIW, my '32 highboy came Outlaw with Aldan shocks fitted with 250 lb. springs. Works for me.

Originally Posted by rumrumm

FWIW, my '32 highboy came Outlaw with Aldan shocks fitted with 250 lb. springs. Works for me.

Thanks Lynn,
Mine is also with Aldan coilovers and I cranked some more pre-load into them and they might be OK? They are probably fine for the car weight as is, but I'm pulling a 4' by 8' tear drop trailer and when connected, with two people, and "a full tank of gas" it bottoms my differential against the body on hard bumps.

I'm off to the March Meet in the morning so we will see how it works. I'm more concerned about freezing in an "open roadster" right now than the spring rates. LOL. My son towed up his race car this morning and it was 32 degrees and snowing while going over The Grapevine!

use progressive rate springs----

Get yourself some progressive springs, they get stiffer before full travel, I use them as i also tow a teardrop and they work great.

Originally Posted by John Palmer

Thanks Lynn,
Mine is also with Aldan coilovers and I cranked some more pre-load into them and they might be OK? They are probably fine for the car weight as is, but I'm pulling a 4' by 8' tear drop trailer and when connected, with two people, and "a full tank of gas" it bottoms my differential against the body on hard bumps.

I'm off to the March Meet in the morning so we will see how it works. I'm more concerned about freezing in an "open roadster" right now than the spring rates. LOL. My son towed up his race car this morning and it was 32 degrees and snowing while going over The Grapevine!