Stacked 171+343lbs springs

[fporro]

- Current H&R coil over setup, 60mm springs, progressive type as far as i know.

Front main springs: 150-60 = 343lbs / 6"
Front tender springs: 70-60-16.5 = 95lbs
Rears springs: 29 577 HA = 575lbs

- Issue: 6 inch main springs are not long enough after upgrading from K-Mac to GC's c/c plates., adjusters are toped out., pics here ... http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/album.php?albumid=7028

- Possible solutions:

a) longer, same rate as now (343lbs) springs to fill in space.
b) swapping 95lbs tenders for longer 171lbs tenders., this should lessen harshness on daily rides and bring back height adjustability.
c) your bitching about second top (.5"+) and non H&R (IE's+1") springs am using to fill up space.
d) your knowledgeable input.

Aloha,
Frank

[blasphemy101]

I'm assuming your problem is that the springs do not seat correctly when the car is let down onto the ground?

If so, it sounds like you have some solutions worked out fine. Are there thicker spacers you can use between the two springs?

You mentioned the higher rate tender springs should help ride quality. If your setup is over-damped, I'd go with this and fix two problems at once.

[Liquidity]

Those aren't tender springs, those are helper springs. They are compressed fully when the car is at ride height and have no function whatsoever other than prevent spring droop when the car is in the air. Tender springs are much thicker than that.

[Cabriolet]

fporro, on my blue car i tried a new setup and love it.
full rubber mounts/bushings
GC inserts 415/625
15x7 euroweaves
koni yellow SA sports

it feels amazing, soft enough for bad roads but firm enough to have fun. the rubber top hats make a huge difference

i know that some of the road (island dependent) can be dirt or really bad. i would easily use this setup there.

[Liquidity]

Oh, and you're figuring your spring rates wrong. A 343lb spring + a 171lb spring does not make a 514lb spring. You actually end up with a softer spring than your tender until the tender is compressed fully, and then you'll be left with the very soft 343. But being as the 343 is so soft already, you very well may never even end up compressing the tender fully. You actually need a STIFFER main spring than the 575 you started out with.

Seeing as you're not familiar with how any of this works, I think it best you just get yourself a longer helper spring and stop trying to figure out spring rates using a tender.

[blasphemy101]

Oh, and you're figuring your spring rates wrong. A 343lb spring + a 171lb spring does not make a 514lb spring. You actually end up with a softer spring than your tender until the tender is compressed fully, and then you'll be left with the very soft 343. But being as the 343 is so soft already, you very well may never even end up compressing the tender fully. You actually need a STIFFER main spring than the 575 you started out with.

Seeing as you're not familiar with how any of this works, I think it best you just get yourself a longer helper spring and stop trying to figure out spring rates using a tender.

What? No one is talking about 514 lb springs... His REAR springs are 575 lb... The OP may know EXACTLY what he's talking about - the only thing that seems questionable about his level of knowledge is where it looks like he may have been using tender springs as helper springs, given the spring rate and the picture of the way his old setup was put together (tender spring almost completely compressed).

According to the OP, he has 95 lb. tender springs right now. A higher rate tender spring WILL increase his spring rate, but you're right - it will still be lower than 171 lb. (~114 lb.) in an uncompressed state increasing as the tender spring is compressed up to the 343 lb rate *if* the tender is fully compressed.

Bottom line: get a longer, true helper spring with a very low rate to get a linear 343 lb spring rate or get appropriate length and rate tender/main springs for the progressive rate/range you want.

[acolella76]

Kind of confusing. You say the springs are not long enough but in your pictures the slinky is completely compressed at full droop, which tells me that your main spring is too long. Maybe I'm misinterpreting what you're trying to achieve, but I think you should go with a shorter main spring and a stiffer helper spring. Also, the tender/helper should be on the bottom