What is spring rate in suspension?
What is spring rate in suspension?
In simple terms, a spring’s rate is the amount of weight required to compress itself a single inch. It’s a universal measurement, it applies to everything from lowering springs to valve springs, and it’ll look something like this: 500 lbs/in. The bigger the number, the stiffer the spring.
How do I choose suspension spring rate?
When attempting to determine the correct spring rate for a car, the trick is to set the ride height so the chassis rests in the shocks’ sweet spot within this small 3- to 4-inch window. A solid-axle rear suspension, on the other hand, is a bit more forgiving.
What is a good coilover spring rate?
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.
How does spring rate affect ride quality?
The advantage of a progressive spring is that it can provide a variable ride quality-softer when the suspension is at a normal ride height, and stiffer as the spring is compressed, such as when the suspension is being pushed hard through a corner.
What’s better soft or stiff suspension?
The purpose of a suspension is to keep your tires on the ground. A softer suspension will offer more mechanical grip as it will do a better job of keeping the tires on the ground vs a stiff suspension when it comes to depressions, bumps, and surface irregularities in the road.
Does spring rate affect ride height?
The spring rate and ride height depends on the vehicle’s weight. For example, if you have a lever ratio: 1.5, load at spring: 300kg and use 10k springs or 6k springs. The difference in ride height will be 30mm. Even if the lever ratio was 1.0, the difference will be 20mm.
Is higher spring rate stiffer or softer?
Higher spring rates will give you a firmer feel, and many racecar drivers tend to prefer stiffer springs to reduce body roll and body lean. They also want low ground clearance to maintain a low center of gravity. On smooth tracks, they don’t need to worry about bottoming out and damaging the chassis.
What is the smoothest type of suspension?
Twin-tube shocks are the best choice if you are looking to equip your vehicle for comfortable daily driving. The twin-tube design is the most common suspension design found in cars, light trucks, vans, and SUVs. Its technology focuses on improved handling and control characteristics.