i know that running aftermarket springs will inevitably shorten the life of the stock shock. my question is, will a higher or lower spring rate be best for it? in other words, would a stiff spring make my shocks work less, or would a loose spring make lighten the load? thanks in advance

i posted this in the newbie section since i know its a simple and probably stupid question but nobody answered

 

Well, I lower spring rate (less stiff) will be a little easier on your shocks but I wouldn't recommend putting on springs without shocks. If you do the work yourself then maybe you could put on springs and then upgrade the shocks soon after when you have the cash, but if you're not going to do it yourself then you'd have to pay twice for labour. If you're looking to make your car handle better, upgrade your tires or buy a thicker rear anti-sway bar. If you're looking just to lower your car for looks, wait until you can afford new shocks. If your not huge into performance, some koni reds or tokico blues should be fine, and they're not real expenive.

-Chris

 

the stiffer the spring rate the more rebound you are gonna get. Meaning that every time your spring gets compresed while driving it is gonna want to uncompress hard and fast. ever see some ghetto/rice civic bouncing down the street? thats their problem. the shocks keep that motion in control. the harder the spring, the more damper you need. do it right the first time, it saves money and time. plus, under damped over sprung ride is dangerous. it makes for unpredictible handeling/braking.