Thread: mII spring rate.

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according to the paperwork provided, i believe it said heidts. i called heidts with the same question im asking here, and they say they dont make a kit for that car. will check my paperwork again as its out in the unheated garage, and its like 15 degrees here now. might have to wait til tomorrow when it warms to 35. yee ha

If the lower control arms are level, and the ride quality is good, I would not change the spring, are you bottoming out on bumps? I would start with a sway bar, then if it does not improve, suggest an alternate wheel offset to remidy the wheel rub problem. The geometry of a MII is compromised if you have the lower control arms slanting downward due to too much spring height or too high of a spring rate, and ride quality will suffer!

spring rate doesn't effect ride height----

"spring rate doesn't effect ride height----" Well. You may want to clarify that one. Think spring free height. Two springs with the same spring free height, but a different spring rate will have a different ride height when installed. Thank goodness for "jack bolts" and adjustable coilovers.

Amen to that!! I've had customer cars with the wrong spring rate in the front end, and the weight of the car isn't sufficient enough to compress the springs to get the lower control arms level, and they wanted to install dropped spidles to get the car down!!!

spring rate in itself is just a varible---you need a free length and compressed length to come up with anything--and the spring rate isn't what the wheel sees-----

Dwaynerz - The last post by "streetrodderbn" is very good advise.

Let's break this down to coil overs/non coil overs

Non coilover(stock oem type coil spring--what is the measurement of spring pocket at lower arm level(preferred ride ht) position--now take a spring with a known rate and free length--install and see where it settles---make adjustments from that point with either free length at the same rate or new rate at same free length or combo of both

Coil-over--check total suspension travel from bump stop to full extend to determine the length of coil over shock to give lower arms level at midpoint of shock travel--
Pick a reasonable length/rate spring and install and let suspension travel settle--adjust the spring for the suspension ht you want---spring should not coil bind at bottom out or be loose at full travel---adjust from there for the ride and shock valving---expect to go thru a lot of springs to get the best ride/handling

Originally Posted by jerry clayton

---expect to go thru a lot of springs to get the best ride/handling

Dang it Jerry - I wish you hadn't said that

remember I said BEST ride---springs will be all over the place as to actual rates but fairly close on free length( guess they can measure)
On my rear coil overs for my avator car--longggggg story--but I finally bought a pair of every rate spring in the Chicago area--after actually getting the actual rates with amy press and a scale, it made it faIRLY STRAIGHT FORWARD as to where to go to next---of course when I did find the right rate the installed length was doing something weird so I then went to shorter free lengths and higher rates---got it good finally and have had very good results ever since chasing down spring/shock combos---(coil-over)

The only company I've found that has coil over springs that actually check close to the advertised rate is AFCO...and their batting average isn't perfect!!!! As an old dirt burner, I still have a spring tester around....some of the spring rates are real laughers---recently checked a brand new pair that were rated at 200 lb. non-progressive springs. One checked at 185, the other was 205---would have been fun getting that one to ride good!!!!!

If there's a dirt track or road race shop anywhere in town it's well worth your time to get the spring rates checked before you go batty trying to make a non-matched pair work... Don't know how it transfers to street or drag use, but on our last circle burner the AFCO's and Tru-coils were the only brands who held the rating after some use....

theres a reason that there is a spring and shock dyno/tester in about every racers trailer

the lower control arms are level and the ride is decent. its not by any means new car decent, but its not loosy goosy either. it does bottom out (rub) when going over some bumps, or when road curves/bends to the left. it seems it is only the right side that is effected. tha battery is on that side, but it doesnt weigh as much as i do sitting on the other side. maybe it does and im thinner than i thought will look into sway bars now that the holidays are over. hope all had a merry christmas.