Spring Rates

[adaxo]

Cheers Adam, mine will have to go at the top, the spacer doesn't fit over the dust cover thing.

Hopefully get them on he car tomorrow!

Any plans of live streaming??

[BraindG]

Yeah, there is Jo way I can get the helper springs at the bottom, the spacer doesn't even fit over the dust thing - according to google, evo/scooby and some other forums the general consensus seems to be it doesn't matter.... We'll see

No live streaming but I will timelapse the job!

[Davezj]

you are right barry it doesn't matter which end of the spring the helper spring is fitted.

the only reason the helper spring is there is to take up the slack in the spring when the shock extends to it's maximum and the spring on it's own is not long enough to to fill the gap. but the full extention of the spring will only occur when all the weight is taken off the spring, either when you jack the car up or get some air off a jump in the car.
if you fit the springs and find you need the spring compressors to get the top mount on the end of the shock you don't need the helper springs fitted at all. but if you put the spring on and it doesn't touch both top and bottom of the shock mounts it needs the helper springs fitting.

with the helper spring fitted when the weight is put on the spring the helper spring will compress first and act like a solid lump of metal that the actual spring presses up aganst.

i know you didn't ask for this info but i thought i would share.

[BraindG]

Cheers Dave, more info the better

I've got the front shocks done, will fit them to car tomorrow and then put the stronger springs on the rears and get them on the car... finally, a lowered, stiffer car! can't bloody wait.

[adaxo]

R you sure that stiffer spring going on the rear?? usually is other way round, stiffer ratio at the front. Front is much heavier than back, hence higher spring ratio is required to keeps front-rear even.

[BraindG]

no, my bad english there Adam... stonger springs out of the set i have on the front.... but stronger than what the rears are on the back... erm.. ahem... that still doesnt make sense.. but dont worry, out of the new springs i have, the stiffer at at the front!

[adaxo]

That makes a perfect sense, now.

[BraindG]

That makes a perfect sense, now.

In typical Barry fashion!

[BraindG]

I have a question, I would have thought the car would feel more bone rattling post installation. The spring rates are front 10 and rear 8.

If I push down on car it still moves a bit, unlike my first VR4 which had similar ratings, on that car i was unable to move the car when pushing down on it.

Is this due to the helper springs or have I done something wrong during install?

Ta.

[Humpty's Revenge]

I have a question, I would have thought the car would feel more bone rattling post installation. The spring rates are front 10 and rear 8.

If I push down on car it still moves a bit, unlike my first VR4 which had similar ratings, on that car i was unable to move the car when pushing down on it.

Is this due to the helper springs or have I done something wrong during install?

Ta.

Have you taken it for a spin?

[Davezj]

Now car is on the ground the helper springs will be completely crushed so they act like a solid block of metal, so no give in them, only the spring you fitted.
The quality of the damper with resist the push down on to the wing as well as the spring. If you shocks are tired then the springs might bounce more than might think.
Plus rose tinted glasses might be effecting your memory a bit of you old vr4.

[adaxo]

Let it settle down for few miles, ideally you should pump new shocks full up and down few times b4 assembly.

[BraindG]

Alright, thanks guys - I didn't know about the pumping thing - ill leave it for a few days and see if things settle

Thanks again!

[Humpty's Revenge]

Alright, thanks guys - I didn't know about the pumping thing - ill leave it for a few days and see if things settle

Thanks again!

All you got to do Barry is take it for a mile or two spin to bed them in then they will settle down!

[MarkSanne]

Barry, do you know the partnumber for these helper springs? The TEINs on the VR2 tend to bump al the way out when I drive over a bump (actually when I leave a bump I hear a knocking sound).

[BraindG]

Hi Mark,

The parts I have are...

1 x SV100-01225 Front Springs
1 x SQ080-01175 Rear Springs
2 x CR019-01080 Helper Springs
2 x USS01-95585 Spacers

I've not heard any knocking, although saying that i've not being over any bumps yet.

I have noticed that the car (as expected) is much more solid going into, going round and exiting corners, still not what I remember the First VR4 being like but as Dave said, might be a case of rose tinted glasses.

[MarkSanne]

Thanks Barry. So what is the function and placement of the spacer?

[BraindG]

Thanks Barry. So what is the function and placement of the spacer?

The placement is at the top, there was no way to fit them at the bottom as the boot wouldnt allow the spacer to sit over it.

In discussion with TEIN dealer here in UK he replied with the following, which ultimatly concluded in the parts i listed above.

I spoke further to our engineer on clarification on this and he
suggests a higher spring rate is not ideal for use with this
damper.

The damper itself has a lengthy stroke and even with a higher
spring rate, it is possible that springs will contact each other,
before the damper stroke has completed. This is even with the
conservative 7/5kg suggestion.

This means that there is room for noise emissions, and
possibility of earlier than normal, corossion of the spring.

If these risks are OK with you, you may be able to use some
springs from within our range of standard springs.

Not sure if the above is of any relevance, but there you go

[Davezj]

As i understand it the spacer fits between the helper spring and the main spring to ensure the two springs always line up and dont fall off eachother. see barry's picture in post 39. it is the black disk at the bottom of the picture, you will need to open the picture fully to see what it is.
it is one cylinder of the internal diameter of each spring (main and helper) and has a disk round it half way up the cylinder this acts as a stop for each spring.
it fits like this, helper spring at bottom then spacer on top then main spring on top of that. (on my coilovers anyway)
or other way up, on barry's
main spring then on top fit spacer then on top of that fit helper spring.
it locks the two spring together.