How High-Quality Springs Help Your Car's Performance
Spring rates are a vital part of car setup. Do you know what they really do? Let’s take a look at some things you might not know about this common modification.
Determine Wheel Rate
Experience has taught me that if you want to compare spring rates to another ca,r you can’t simply use the lb/in. rating provided by the manufacturer. All cars have suspension systems that work springs differently. This is where wheel rate comes in. By dividing the spring rate by something called motion ratio, you can come up with a way to universally compare spring values across various automotive platforms.
Balance The Car
Springs actually balance the handling characteristics of a car. If you jack up spring rate in the rear you may begin to induce oversteer where the car was previously settled. Conversely, a car that is under-sprung will handle like a boat and can be downright dangerous. As your tire grip goes up, so does the suspension system's demand for the spring rate to keep the same balance. It’s always changing depending on grip.
>>Join the conversation about the significance of springs in tuning right here in the forums.
Work in Tandem With Shocks
Springs and shocks go hand in hand. While a spring's job is to soak up bumps, the shock's job is to return it back to its original state neither too quickly, nor too slowly. Once reasonable spring rates are determined, you will want to use sway bars to fine-tune your setup. Over-springing a car without upgrading the shocks is a recipe for disaster as well. By properly valving a shock, you can actually get away with running stiffer springs that don’t sacrifice handling.
>>Join the conversation about the significance of springs in tuning right here in the forums.
Help with Aerodynamics
Race cars have super stiff springs to keep the car level for aerodynamic purposes. When a car experiences body roll in the turns, one side will go up higher than the other, causing air to escape from beneath the underbody. This escaping air radically reduces downforce and can be detrimental in the middle of a corner. This is another way springs do more than what they get credit for.
>>Join the conversation about the significance of springs in tuning right here in the forums.
In Closing
Springs do way more than just keep a car flat in the corners, or lowering a car for a better center of gravity. These are dynamic instruments that make up one piece of the tuning puzzle. Understanding the principles of what makes a car fast—sticky tires, aerodynamics, good balance, etc.—will ultimately determine what direction your mods need to go in.
>>Join the conversation about the significance of springs in tuning right here in the forums.
For information on maintenance and repairs, head on over to our How-To section by clicking here.
