Stance Thread!
02-12-2009 | 03:24 PM
#201
Senior Member
Joined: 09-25-08
Posts: 5,384
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From: Depew, NY
It's not suppose to be used a helper spring either. It's designed for when you hit hard bump that spring will absorb all of the impact instead of the weak one. This allows for good ride on streets and great bump absorption.
02-12-2009 | 04:19 PM
#203
Thread Starter
New Member
Joined: 10-09-08
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: DE
helper springs fully compress when the car is on the ground..its to help spin your coils up and down when the car is jacked up
02-12-2009 | 04:24 PM
#204
Senior Member
Joined: 09-25-08
Posts: 5,384
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From: Depew, NY
02-12-2009 | 04:29 PM
#205
Thread Starter
New Member
Joined: 10-09-08
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: DE
02-12-2009 | 06:11 PM
#209
The coilover setups shownfor the Cobalt in this thread(and the ones shown period) all have helper springs, none of them are dual-rate spring setups.
They way you can tell is because the smaller "helper" spring is flat, its not a wire coil, so its got virtually no spring rate, its job is take make sure the ride spring stays in contact with the spring seat at all times, if you take out the helper spring when you went over bumps, especially ones that put you into droop the spring would clang around as the strut went into extension.
A dual rate spring setup, which is actually something i have been working on, uses two "real" springs, one softer one and one stiffer one, the softer one is the called the "tender" and the stiffer the "main". When you ride around under normal conditions you ride on a mixture of the two springs together, and you get an effective spring rate which is softer than the actual rate of the tender spring, once suspension travel is sufficient to cause coil bind in the tender spring the main spring becomes fully active and your spring rate is nw equal to only that of the main spring.
So lets say youve got a 150# tender that binds at 2" travel and a 300# main. As you drive around on the two springs active youll have a 100lb effective rate, nice and soft, once you compress the spring 2" inches the tender becomes inactive and the main kicks in and your spring rate "switches" to 300#
This is different than progrssive becuase there is no "curve" there is actually two distinctly different linear spring rates.
Again this is completely different setup than coilover systems that use a flat "no-rate" spring siply to keep things in place from falling out or banging around.
They way you can tell is because the smaller "helper" spring is flat, its not a wire coil, so its got virtually no spring rate, its job is take make sure the ride spring stays in contact with the spring seat at all times, if you take out the helper spring when you went over bumps, especially ones that put you into droop the spring would clang around as the strut went into extension.
A dual rate spring setup, which is actually something i have been working on, uses two "real" springs, one softer one and one stiffer one, the softer one is the called the "tender" and the stiffer the "main". When you ride around under normal conditions you ride on a mixture of the two springs together, and you get an effective spring rate which is softer than the actual rate of the tender spring, once suspension travel is sufficient to cause coil bind in the tender spring the main spring becomes fully active and your spring rate is nw equal to only that of the main spring.
So lets say youve got a 150# tender that binds at 2" travel and a 300# main. As you drive around on the two springs active youll have a 100lb effective rate, nice and soft, once you compress the spring 2" inches the tender becomes inactive and the main kicks in and your spring rate "switches" to 300#
This is different than progrssive becuase there is no "curve" there is actually two distinctly different linear spring rates.
Again this is completely different setup than coilover systems that use a flat "no-rate" spring siply to keep things in place from falling out or banging around.
Last edited by Maven; 02-12-2009 at 06:11 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Gotta show it off,lol...
02-12-2009 | 10:05 PM
#211
Senior Member
Joined: 12-28-05
Posts: 3,443
Likes: 0
From: Birmingham, Alabama
The coilover setups shownfor the Cobalt in this thread(and the ones shown period) all have helper springs, none of them are dual-rate spring setups.
They way you can tell is because the smaller "helper" spring is flat, its not a wire coil, so its got virtually no spring rate, its job is take make sure the ride spring stays in contact with the spring seat at all times, if you take out the helper spring when you went over bumps, especially ones that put you into droop the spring would clang around as the strut went into extension.
A dual rate spring setup, which is actually something i have been working on, uses two "real" springs, one softer one and one stiffer one, the softer one is the called the "tender" and the stiffer the "main". When you ride around under normal conditions you ride on a mixture of the two springs together, and you get an effective spring rate which is softer than the actual rate of the tender spring, once suspension travel is sufficient to cause coil bind in the tender spring the main spring becomes fully active and your spring rate is nw equal to only that of the main spring.
So lets say youve got a 150# tender that binds at 2" travel and a 300# main. As you drive around on the two springs active youll have a 100lb effective rate, nice and soft, once you compress the spring 2" inches the tender becomes inactive and the main kicks in and your spring rate "switches" to 300#
This is different than progrssive becuase there is no "curve" there is actually two distinctly different linear spring rates.
Again this is completely different setup than coilover systems that use a flat "no-rate" spring siply to keep things in place from falling out or banging around.
They way you can tell is because the smaller "helper" spring is flat, its not a wire coil, so its got virtually no spring rate, its job is take make sure the ride spring stays in contact with the spring seat at all times, if you take out the helper spring when you went over bumps, especially ones that put you into droop the spring would clang around as the strut went into extension.
A dual rate spring setup, which is actually something i have been working on, uses two "real" springs, one softer one and one stiffer one, the softer one is the called the "tender" and the stiffer the "main". When you ride around under normal conditions you ride on a mixture of the two springs together, and you get an effective spring rate which is softer than the actual rate of the tender spring, once suspension travel is sufficient to cause coil bind in the tender spring the main spring becomes fully active and your spring rate is nw equal to only that of the main spring.
So lets say youve got a 150# tender that binds at 2" travel and a 300# main. As you drive around on the two springs active youll have a 100lb effective rate, nice and soft, once you compress the spring 2" inches the tender becomes inactive and the main kicks in and your spring rate "switches" to 300#
This is different than progrssive becuase there is no "curve" there is actually two distinctly different linear spring rates.
Again this is completely different setup than coilover systems that use a flat "no-rate" spring siply to keep things in place from falling out or banging around.
i didnt think any of the coilovers for the cobalt used helper springs....i thought they were all one single spring with a progressive or static rate...
02-12-2009 | 10:19 PM
#213
Member
Joined: 12-17-08
Posts: 268
Likes: 0
From: Colonia, NJ
02-13-2009 | 12:42 AM
#215
Haz l33t wheelz.
Joined: 09-14-07
Posts: 18,891
Likes: 3
From: Costa Mesa CA
The coilover setups shownfor the Cobalt in this thread(and the ones shown period) all have helper springs, none of them are dual-rate spring setups.
They way you can tell is because the smaller "helper" spring is flat, its not a wire coil, so its got virtually no spring rate, its job is take make sure the ride spring stays in contact with the spring seat at all times, if you take out the helper spring when you went over bumps, especially ones that put you into droop the spring would clang around as the strut went into extension.
A dual rate spring setup, which is actually something i have been working on, uses two "real" springs, one softer one and one stiffer one, the softer one is the called the "tender" and the stiffer the "main". When you ride around under normal conditions you ride on a mixture of the two springs together, and you get an effective spring rate which is softer than the actual rate of the tender spring, once suspension travel is sufficient to cause coil bind in the tender spring the main spring becomes fully active and your spring rate is nw equal to only that of the main spring.
So lets say youve got a 150# tender that binds at 2" travel and a 300# main. As you drive around on the two springs active youll have a 100lb effective rate, nice and soft, once you compress the spring 2" inches the tender becomes inactive and the main kicks in and your spring rate "switches" to 300#
This is different than progrssive becuase there is no "curve" there is actually two distinctly different linear spring rates.
Again this is completely different setup than coilover systems that use a flat "no-rate" spring siply to keep things in place from falling out or banging around.
They way you can tell is because the smaller "helper" spring is flat, its not a wire coil, so its got virtually no spring rate, its job is take make sure the ride spring stays in contact with the spring seat at all times, if you take out the helper spring when you went over bumps, especially ones that put you into droop the spring would clang around as the strut went into extension.
A dual rate spring setup, which is actually something i have been working on, uses two "real" springs, one softer one and one stiffer one, the softer one is the called the "tender" and the stiffer the "main". When you ride around under normal conditions you ride on a mixture of the two springs together, and you get an effective spring rate which is softer than the actual rate of the tender spring, once suspension travel is sufficient to cause coil bind in the tender spring the main spring becomes fully active and your spring rate is nw equal to only that of the main spring.
So lets say youve got a 150# tender that binds at 2" travel and a 300# main. As you drive around on the two springs active youll have a 100lb effective rate, nice and soft, once you compress the spring 2" inches the tender becomes inactive and the main kicks in and your spring rate "switches" to 300#
This is different than progrssive becuase there is no "curve" there is actually two distinctly different linear spring rates.
Again this is completely different setup than coilover systems that use a flat "no-rate" spring siply to keep things in place from falling out or banging around.
jk mine suck and i know it, i just like adjustable ride height too much.
02-13-2009 | 12:54 AM
#216
Senior Member
Joined: 01-19-07
Posts: 2,511
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio TX
02-13-2009 | 05:57 PM
#218
