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Coil over spring rate

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Old 01-08-2005, 12:26 PM
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Coil over spring rate

I am going to purchase a k-member kit with a-arms and coil overs. The problem is everyone tells you a different spring rate to go with. The car is mostly street driven with hopefully 4-5 visits to the track per year. I have aluminum heads, aluminum brakes, smog and a/c removed and possibly doing a battery relocation to the trunk. So I am already lightened probably around 80-90 lbs(guess) and if I move the battery another 30lbs or so. The kit will lighten it another 70lbs or so. Most are saying go with 14" 175lbs. Anyone else have any opinions.
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Old 01-08-2005, 02:50 PM
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the answer is... it depends:

what kind of track days do you plan to go to?
are you changing the rear springs at the same time?
do you plan to run travel limiters on the front end?
do you know your weight distribution?

on my old GT, even with it lowered, I'd stick with the 14" springs... I've run 220s, 200s and 175s on my car, next I'm likely to go with 150's...
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Old 01-08-2005, 09:27 PM
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The 14" 175's will likley be a good starting point, a bit stiff for a drag only car, but a happy medium to begin with. I had the same ones in mine and being a track biased car they didn't work well, I ended up going with a 130lb 14" spring in the front to get the weight transfer I was after, a fairly light coupe with a heavy windsor stroker in the nose.

The bonus is the springs are relativley cheap and easy to change so if they aren't to your liking you can go up or down with them.
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Old 01-09-2005, 09:47 AM
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Tim, sorry to rehash this subject... but with my lighter FOX ...should i start out with 14" 150lb springs? You told me what to go with before, but GTAMC had issues and my PM is gone.

I am going to leave the back alone if that has any relevance.

88convgt.... if you are still interested in buying our 2 sets at the same time and having them sent together, please PM me or call my cell. I want to get some very shortly.
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Old 01-09-2005, 09:50 AM
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what is a better brand name: Ground Pounder OR Granatelli?
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Old 01-09-2005, 09:54 AM
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Here are theylist for the spring rates that are included with the kits (you choose a spring rate and thats what you get). What would be the benefits to going with a 14" spring over a 12" spring?

Granetalli
drag racing - 12" 200lb, road racing - 12" 400lb, or street driving - 12" 300lb.

GP
drag racing 14" 175lb, street driving - 10" 250lb or 12" 300lb or road racing - 12" 400lb

Please advise... i gon't want a bouncy honda civic like cut-spring ride
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Old 01-09-2005, 10:15 AM
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Joe, my gut feeling if I were to do it again would be to go with a 150lb 14" spring from the start and work up or down from there. If you want to try a 175 though, I'll give you mine to throw in if you want. I found them pretty useless in mine but Clint's car is doing pretty good with them. They seemed to work a bit better when it was a 5 speed, it forced the weight transfer with the clutch dump but with the automatic in his car now the front really doesn't "throw up" like it needs to, but it is working reasonably.

I like the ride quality of my softer springs, it's no handling machine but is more than stable and comfortable going down the road.

Looks like the Granatelli kit's have changed, I have that one on mine and it came with the 14" 175's in the "Drag" set-up. Check pricing with PSP in T.O. too, Kman got his front coilover stuff from Paul and had a choice of spring rates.

I guess the bottom line is the 14" 175's is a catch all set-up. It works pretty well but is far from ideal in somes cases. Depends on what you want. I couldn't get the nose out of the air with the 175's in mine and with the softer spring I have some nice stored energy and a good ride height now.
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Old 01-09-2005, 11:59 AM
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Originally Posted by 91mgt
what is a better brand name: Ground Pounder OR Granatelli?

Neither.... I prefer hypercoils for springs
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Old 01-09-2005, 12:02 PM
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Originally Posted by 91mgt
Here are theylist for the spring rates that are included with the kits (you choose a spring rate and thats what you get). What would be the benefits to going with a 14" spring over a 12" spring?

Please advise... i gon't want a bouncy honda civic like cut-spring ride
that's part of the problem I found with the 12" springs, when we first set up my car... with the shorter springs, there wasn't enough spring when compared to the amount of lift I was getting... then again I have a SN95 rather than a fox
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Old 01-11-2005, 03:33 AM
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http://www.maximummotorsports.com/onlinecat-asp.asp

I'd call these guys and ask their advice. Second nod to Hypercoil.
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