I've been looking at a couple of Japanese brand web sites and noticed something strange. The "out of the box" spring rates for the new Civic and Integra Type R's are higher rear rates!! For example the spring rates on the Buddy Club racing spec dampers for the DC2 are 12k front and 8k rear, but for the DC5 they list 10k front and 16k rear, same goes for the new CTR. I even checked Tein and they are also going with higher rear rates. Are the Japanese companies following in the "American" racers footsteps? Or are the new body styles just that much different that they needed to rethink the settings?

 

i've noticed this also, but also on cars w/ Mac strut sus

 

.....probably has something to do with the front macpherson strut setups.

 

That, and stiff rear helps to get rid of the incessant understeer of Honda products .... to a point, then you start roasting your rear tires as they slide around so much ....

 

It is due to the mac struts on the new generation cars

don't get too excited

 

The rear is a totally different suspension geometry.

If you also notice, you will see that the shocks are closer to the center of the car, meaning the LCA's have more leverage on the shock, and hence the higher spring rate to compensate.

It is still a front stiff setup.

 

Thought I was onto something oh well

Chris- who did not realize even the rear suspension design was also changed.


[Modified by 6ghatch, 6:46 PM 9/12/2002]

 

Everyone was right here. Spring on a front strut geometry is more effective (further out to the wheel) so the rate doesn't have to be as high.

I haven't looked into too many DC5R setups. But for the DC2R, even with stiffer front springs and thicker front sway bar, it doesn't mean that the front roll stiffness would be dramatically higher than the rear because of the less effective front spring rates and longer leverage of the sway bar.