Hi List,
I'm changing the semi elliptic leaf springs on my car and have some issues
I'm trying to work out which is proving difficult because I think I have some
gaps in my knowledge. Here's what I have so far and sorry for being rambly.
One 'gap' is that I'm missing a clear reference point to start from and
while I know the poundage of the springs on my car because they are FLAT once
installed, they are either at just about full compression and as such either
very
hard or solid. So,they tell me nothing because as you might have realised a
spring of like poundage, regardless of arch (free camber) will go flat just the
same. But a spring of higher poundage might not go flat.
The 'gap' is to know what spring poundage the car takes up as pre-load.
You'd think it would be a quarter of the weight of car but it isn't. Maybe it
is
a quarter of the sprung weight of the car but I'm guessing it isn't that
either.
So, it looks like I have to fit the new springs I have which I know while
harder than those on the car might turn out to be softer in practice because
they
will not compress to the point of being flat and solid - is this making
sense. Assuming they turn out to be softer the difference in their arch and
the
arch of the springs on the car when measured off the car cannot be readily
compared as on the car measurements because the on the car set are flat - again
is
this making sense? Finally then I have to fit the new springs to the car and
then adjust the ride height either at the front shackle or with a lowering
block to get the ride height I am looking for because there can be no other way
of knowing for certain how much a reduction I need?
Thoughts?
Daniel
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