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coilover spring rate?

MattB

MattB

every tool box needs raisin wipes!
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This is the first set of coilovers I've run and I'm trying to calculate spring rates with sway-a-way's online calculator and I don't know if I'm punching the numbers in the wrong spot or what but the rate's seem bad low to me. I was wondering if anyone could help.

total buggy weight: 4260
front left corner
total corner weight: 1160
unsprung weight: 740
sprung weight: 420
droop: 55%
distance to pivot point from shock the same as distance from centerline of wheel: 48in
angle: 24 degrees
it comes out main spring rate: 135 tender spring rate: 90 :dunno:
sounds way to low to me, am i punching the wrong numbers in or what?
 
on our buggys we use a 200 lb lower spring front and rear and around 150lb uppers front and 120lb on the rear uppers.hope this helps Tommy
 
TOMMY RAINS said:
on our buggys we use a 200 lb lower spring front and rear and around 150lb uppers front and 120lb on the rear uppers.hope this helps Tommy
Click to expand...

You use the same lowers on ALL the buggies you build???

What lowers are others running? I've seen multiple builds online where people order their lower springs at the same time as their c/o's and wait til later to do the uppers. I've always wondered how this was possible as I thought choosing was pretty specific to the vehicle. I'm working with my first set of c/o's now though, just haven't gotten to the point of choosing springs yet.

J. J.
 
I appreciate the help. I got with keith at ORC yesterday and he let me borrow a couple of springs to check the compression they had and he figured out my rates for me. :dblthumb:
 
all but 4 seater big block trucks they get like 250 lb lowers.thats just what we use you may want yours softer or more stiff .
 
MattB said:
I appreciate the help. I got with keith at ORC yesterday and he let me borrow a couple of springs to check the compression they had and he figured out my rates for me. :dblthumb:
Click to expand...

What numbers did you end up with?
 
He's letting me know tuesday when I take him the other springs back. I'll let you know.
 
MattB said:
He's letting me know tuesday when I take him the other springs back. I'll let you know.
Click to expand...

Ok. Just wondering cause I figure mine will be in the ballpark of yours. A little higher I am sure, but closs.
 
A lot depends on your uses and what you are looking for performance wise. On a rig with that weight I would run 300-400 lowers in the front and 100-200 uppers. In the rear you should be able to drop the rate down some. Wood's buggy is about the same weight and I set up the springs for Joe. It rides really nice IMO
 
In fact, after looking over your build thread again, I'm just going to call it ... that weight isn't accurate. My last buggy weighed 4300 with the same drivetrain, smaller chassis, one less seat, lighter aftermarket hubs, and smaller and much lighter tires. There wasn't an unnecessary tube on it. No storage space to speak of. basically an engine with 2 plastic seats bolted to it.

Did you pressurize the chassis and tires with helium?

J. J.
 
believe what u want but i know for a fact its right, he weighted it at his work on a set of scales and them scales has to be right for what they do
hell look at the buggy its bare bones and it also has no skids yet either, but on the rest of everything it is as little as possable on interior and skins he didn't want no fancy bullshit all over it :flipoff1:
 
lay said:
believe what u want but i know for a fact its right, he weighted it at his work on a set of scales and them scales has to be right for what they do
hell look at the buggy its bare bones and it also has no skids yet either, but on the rest of everything it is as little as possable on interior and skins he didn't want no fancy bullshit all over it :flipoff1:
Click to expand...

X2 on the scales being acccurate. They probably check them weekly.
 
A scale can be as accurate as God himself but if you have an idiot using it you won't get an accurate reading. :flipgotcha:

Really though, not saying you're an idiot. Just that that number is so far off from EVERY other rockwell buggy out there that something has to be wrong. Like maybe part of one of the tires was sitting on the edge of the scale and preventing all the weight from being transfered or SOMETHING. Or maybe it was zeroed with a few hundred pounds? How many feet of tubing are in the chassis?

J. J.
 
Somescales only go to #5000. When I weighed my scout for the first time, It was weighed with the frame welded to the axles(no way to support with out coilovers). The weight came out less than above. Once I got the coilovers mounted it weighed alot more because the weight was actually being transfered to the scales equally. So if the scales max out to to a certain weight on one wheel it want read accurately. I would weigh it on a truck scale and get the entire vehical weight, then go back and adjust it with the coilovers on an indivisual tire type scale. My buggy with no skids and bare bones with 60's weighed just over #3800.
 
I don't care if it weighs 10'000lbs!! I was just trying to figure out some rates. I weighed it at work on some d.o.t. scales and even an idiot like you (patooyee) can read the numbers. Really though not saying your an idiot, just watch the idiot talk.
 
I ran 300 over 500 on my Orange YJ with Rockwells. I liked it stiffer in the front so I could hit the obstacles harder and keep it from bottoming out. It weighed 5400lbs though
 

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