Spring Rates

[AtlantaSteve]

Is there any way to tell what lb rating springs I have?

I bought a set of 1" dropped front coils from a guy a while back. I took a caliper to them this weekend and they are .700" in diameter.

I also have a set of "Repro-stock" uncut coils that I took off the car.

SO my 3 choices are:

1) Go with the beefy dropped coils
2) Cut the "stock style" ones and go with them
3) Buy something else.

Car's gonna be a mostly weekend warrior.  I want it to be able to corner really well, and am not putting too much premium on "comfort" but I also don't want to ride around with my teeth chattering out of my head.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

[stangg]

You can figure out the spring rate pretty easily with this calculator.
http://www.proshocks.com/calcs/index.htm

[lethal289]

go with the drop springs and go from there.  You never know if stockers will give you that 4x4 look mark likes so much.

[gotstang]

Votaré por la opción número uno también. :lol

I hope you're planning on some roller perches and decent shocks though, those suckers look like no-chit 650-700# springs, as opposed to the "fake" 620s that seem pretty common.

[AtlantaSteve]

You can figure out the spring rate pretty easily with this calculator.

Sweet thanks!  I'll plug in the numbers when I get home.

Jake, I'd cut the springs before I even put them in.  I KNOW they were too tall for what I want before I yanked them out.

Kyle, got me a set of the ORP Rollers and some Edelbrock IAS shocks for all 4 corners.

[silverblueBP]

go with the drop springs and go from there.  You never know if stockers will give you that 4x4 look mark likes so much.

Wasn't me that had that "lifted look"

You wouldn't catch me dead, lett'n my car look like that  :craz

[lethal289]

Well, its not like i ever drove it much that way!  :lol

[AtlantaSteve]

Probably because you got tired of dragging the ladder down every time you wanted to go for a ride

[silverblueBP]

Probably because you got tired of dragging the ladder down every time you wanted to go for a ride

 :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

[lethal289]

 :lol :lol :lol  Good one steve!

[AtlantaSteve]

Well, the calculator says I am at around 650lbs, like kyle said.

I dunno, that's probably gonna be pretty darn stiff...There's a part of me that wonders if the best move is to cut down my stock coils a half coil at a time to get the desired ride height and seeing if those are stiff enough for me.  I do not want the ride to suck.

My guess is they must be some sort of performance spring for Big Block cars.   The guy I bought them from was running them in a '66 with a small block, and sold them because he decided to go Air-Ride.   But I dunno if they're gonna be too stiff for me or not.

Oh well, Guess I'll have to wait til I can drive the car and figure it out.  Thankfully, changing dropped springs is almost trivial.

Thanks for the input, everyone.

[SELLERSRODSHOP]

ttry the heavy ones first. i've got 720# springs in mine with 3/4 coil cut right now & they aren't too stiff for me. let us know how you like the edelbrock shocks. i looked at those before i bought the koni's.

[Sluggo]

Put em in.

Don't be scared. Spend a little more money on shocks. DO NOT PUT KYBs ON WITH THOSE SPRINGS!

[FordDude]

Since we are talking about spring rates and such I thought that I would ask this question. Does anyone know what rate is on a factory spring? That would be a 69 big block factory spring, that is before I cut one coil out of it and installed in my 67 with 289 in it. When the time comes and I do decide on the suspension I know that I will be getting new springs. Just wondering what I have now is all. fd

[AtlantaSteve]

Put em in.

Don't be scared. Spend a little more money on shocks. DO NOT PUT KYBs ON WITH THOSE SPRINGS!

Got the Edelbrock shocks.  They should do pretty good.  Couldn't argue with the price!

[monkeystash]

Steve, I have 2 sets of new springs that you are welcome to try.  The first set are 620# 1" drop, and the second are 480# 1" drop that I plan to use, courtesy of Dave S.  Feel free to use them both for as long as you need to make your mind up. 

[AtlantaSteve]

Sweet, thanks Ryan.  Of course I won't need them til I get the car back on pavement, but it'd be cool to have a couple options to try out and see what I like best.

Steve

[Jonk67]

Steve, I'm not home to measure the thickness of my 550's but I think they were ~.550 but now I can check them this weekend with the caliper thanks to you. If they are are all 1" drop springs they should slip in and out easily w/o a spring compressor with the suspension at full droop and the shocks out, check their unsprung height.

Here's a pic of my stock springs (16" tall) next to my 1" drop 550's (12" tall):


Jon