Re: Compression Strut Conversion
Posted: 14 Oct 2021 21:20
Fascinating, quality insight from Hasbeen as always.
Thanks Hasbeen; as Beans said, an interesting read - I always enjoy reading your posts!
I've had one or two issues with spring rates myself. The guys that did the coil-overs for me also fitted a 1 inch roll bar, which is fine, happy with that. However, we had a "discussion" about spring rates, with me telling them it is a road car, so it should be sprung accordingly. He wanted to fit 300lb front springs, which I thought would be way too hard, so I managed to get him to come down to 250's (he was adamant that it needed higher rate). When I got it back, it was shall we say, firm. OK, I thought, maybe that's just what 250lb springs feel like. However, to keep the front tyres in contact with the road on any kind of bumpy surface (it spent quite a lot of time in the air!), I had to back the adjustable shocks off to minimum. Eventually, I got sick of it and when one of the shocks packed up after a few months, I took the opportunity to return the springs to them in return for softer ones. He then told me that the one's they originally fitted were in fact 350lb. No wonder it was bloody hard - there was no give in them at all.
The softer ones are in fact the 250's that he originally promised to fit. Still too hard in my opinion, and I was planning to drop back to 200lb, which is what the previous springs were before the coil-over conversion. So I guess that's my answer on the anti-roll bar - I need to keep it to avoid the higher spring rates needed without it.
I think as a first step, I'm going to drop the spring rates and fit offset roll bar mounts and see what that does. The alloy hubs that Hamilton's sell also look like a good option for reducing unsprung weight and getting the bigger outer bearings. I can try the compression struts later - there's always time.
Thanks again for the input.