Struts/shocks VS. Coilovers
By: Dave Membername: ACCRD95EXr
Email: nfnite@yahoo.com

Progressive vs. Constant spring rate:

Progressive springs are made for a more comfortable ride quality, whereas constant rates are for the more serious enthusiast. With progressive rate springs, if you hit little bumps, the spring is made to absorb those more like stock springs (softer) so the ride stays semi-comfortable. If you corner hard with your car and you're putting more stress on the springs for them to compress, they will compress less. Supposedly, at high speeds, the springs will compress a little and you will get better handling. Most sport springs come in progressive rate and many race springs come in constant rate. If you imagine looking at a spring and the coils are evenly spaced out, you can think of this as a constant spring rate. If you modify the spring so that as you go from the bottom to the top, the coils are spaced a little bit less, then this is (basically) a progressive rate spring. The little bumps will be absorbed by the softer coils, the hard turn will be held in by the stiffer coils. This is much more practical since the spring basically meets the needs of the road.

Coil-Overs: the solution to all problems??

Coil-overs are an adjustable spring and strut combination that gives you the ability to adjust the actual height of your car. The spring sits on a little adjustable perch that can be adjusted up and down, by simply screwing a little piece up and down and locking it in place. Think of this as your spring and strut sitting on a large screw that can be adjusted up and down. Every coil-over that I've heard of uses a constant spring rate which is one of the downsides to using them. The obvious advantage is that your car can be raised or lowered without going to a shop. Simply jack up that wheel, remove the locking mechanism and turn the screw up or down. This is great if you want your car slammed, but want to be able to raise it up if you need. If your car is too low, then many places cannot get it on a lift to work on it, so you're kind of stuck with a broken (but nice looking) car. You might want to raise your car a little for winter... or for a trip to the city... whatever the case, coil-overs are a very good solution to the lowering needs of enthusiasts. The downsides to using coil-overs include the fact that they are more expensive and that, after a lot of use, the threads on the coil-over can wear out. Some coil-overs come with a spring and a strut (more expensive), others come as a kit, where you attach them to your existing strut/shock.

Dave
Purehonda.com Moderator