Coilover question.
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Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Oct 2006
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Coilover question.
This may seem like a dumb question, but I'm going to ask it anyway because I want to be a little more knowledgeable before I purchase a set. My question is this: when you slam your car with on a set up of say GC/Koni are your coils loose when you jack your car up? The reason I ask this is because for VA state inspection coils cannot be loose or else you fail inspection, and I don't want to have to spin the coils up all the way so they're not loose.
So when you slam your car and jack it up are your coils loose? or does the strut stay compressed so your coils don't become loose and move all around. Thanks for the help!
So when you slam your car and jack it up are your coils loose? or does the strut stay compressed so your coils don't become loose and move all around. Thanks for the help!
Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Helpers are springs with a decent length but a low rate so when the car is jacked up they provide the length and spring pressure required to keep the main springs seated, and when the car is on the ground they are fully compressed.
They look like this:
They look like this:
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 30,069
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From: Nowhere and Everywhere
I believe "helper" springs have something like 100 or 150 lb/in rate to give a linear coilover spring of a higher rate more of a "progressive" feel. "tender" springs on the other hand have just a minimal rate of say 25 lb/in, and their only purpose is to keep things seated when the suspension is unloaded.
I think GC sells some of these, but you need something in between the springs to keep everything aligned, usually some type of plastic or machined aluminum piece.
And yes, the springs will be loose on a GC/Koni setup when the car is lowered substantially. The only way to keep this from happening is to go with a longer spring of a lower spring rate, more similar to the stock springs.
I think GC sells some of these, but you need something in between the springs to keep everything aligned, usually some type of plastic or machined aluminum piece.
And yes, the springs will be loose on a GC/Koni setup when the car is lowered substantially. The only way to keep this from happening is to go with a longer spring of a lower spring rate, more similar to the stock springs.
be professional
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 14,842
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From: Pittsburgh, PA
Buy a set of four 2.5" inner diameter helper springs (here)and a set of four 2.5" inner diameter spring couplers (here). Install. Problem resolved.
You've actually got the terminology backwards. The helper springs have minimal rate and keep the main springs in place. Tender springs have higher rates and are used to create a two-spring progressive setup.
I believe "helper" springs have something like 100 or 150 lb/in rate to give a linear coilover spring of a higher rate more of a "progressive" feel. "tender" springs on the other hand have just a minimal rate of say 25 lb/in, and their only purpose is to keep things seated when the suspension is unloaded.
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