First off, I know alot of you might allready know all this...but it might help out some people.

There are two types of springs 1. Progressive, and 2. Linear.
The differences between these two it this...the progressive spring will increse its spring rate as is compresses, for exampe the spring rate might start at 100lbs/sq.in., and once you turn hard into a corner it will start to compress and the spring rate might increase to 240lbs/sq.in.. You get a smooth ride and a tight spring all in one. The progressive type spring dosent work smoothly for all cars though (the 00' passat cant use them because the progressive spring makes it unstable), thats whare the Linear spring comes into play.

The Linear spring is really simple.. It has one spring rate all the time. Usually a linear spring will have one higher rate, such as 250lbs/sq.in.

The EF hatchback uses both.. (Eibach Sportline) A linear spring up front at 274.1lbs/sq.in. and a progressive spring in back at 97.1lbs/sq.in. (inital)___228.4lbs/sq.in.(final)

Hope you learned something...if I left anything out, or messed it up...let me know. Thanks

-Jake


[Modified by SuperHatch, 6:52 PM 2/7/2002]

 

TTT

 

what if you put progressive springs up front in the hatch?

 

From what the tech said... "A progressive spring would unbalance the car in the front due to the added weight." Just got off the phone with a tech from H&R and I got their spring rates for the Race spring for a 90 HB...both are linear. front 450lbs/sq.in. and rear 250lbs/sq.in. Quite a bit stiffer than the Eibach springs. He said they were disigned with Auto-Xers and track days in mind. Yummy!

-Jake

 

With those H&R Race springs I suspect there's not going to be a lot of oversteer available since the rears are so much softer than the fronts. With 450 in front I'd want like 330 in the rear.

 

I think the stiffer the rear, the more oversteer... am i wrong?

Ok, n/m, i'm a moron, i read that wrong..


[Modified by carsaregood, 11:18 PM 2/7/2002]

 

Well thats why you throw in a strut tower bar and a lower tie bar in the rear...once you tighten up the back of a hatch, they get nice and tail happy...well...not a ton, but you can 'power off' oversteer pretty easy. Almost every suspension package I looked at has stiffer fronts..mainly due to the weight of an engine, and since the H&R race springs are designed for auto-x I would guess they would be set up with a tendancy to oversteer...but thats just what I'd do if I were a design engineer for a spring company.

 

So what if there is a b16a in the front, about 100 lbs heavier then the stock d16a6. What would a good spring setup for this kind of car with this engine, I have heard that getting the ground control 88-91 crx/civic with integra spring rate springs. Would that work or are they to tall in the civic, I don't know so enlightment me. Also anyone running rear sway bars, like the progessive 23mm rear?

 

Well, Freak... From all the info I've heard, if your really looking for performance you should steer away from non-threaded coil overs. First off if you want the right setup you'll have to take it in to a shop and have it weighed on all corners, so that the spring rates are the same on each side. Then if you adjust them at all( ...if you didnt ..why would you want an 'adjustible' coil over?) you will have to get that whole thing done again. If your just looking for show and really dont care if your suspension is balanced, as long as its lower...go for coil-overs. you can get a really big drop from them. Or if you really dont care and just want a drop for cheap buy some sprint springs (like the guy who owened the car before me did...BAH!) Look at it this way also. I weigh about 140..if a guy that weighed 210 was driving the same car, would he get a different spring setup?? I have 2 friends that weigh above 210+ and they run the same springs I would. I told the guy at H&R that I was doing a swap and he said it wouldnt make a difference.

-Jake

 

Correct me if i'm wrong but ground controls are threaded, and it's not that i am looking for drop, i don't like being very very low, i am a functional person, the reason I asked is because stock gsr springs are alot longer then stock civic 91 springs. So thus maybe needing a coilover to make up for the lengh increase of the integra springs, but gaining a spring meant for a higher front end weight. I suck at explaining things, so if it makes no sense....sorry bout that.

 

when you call up Ground Control and get the Civic/CRX coilovers with "Integra spring rates" that means it's still a CRX/Civic-sized spring but with the spring rates they normally use in their Integra application.

All "coilovers" are threaded...that's how they are adjustable. I think SuperHatch meant coilover sleeves like Ground Control, skunk2, etc.