[DuneRocket]

Is anyone running the heavier spring rates 475,275lbs on their 2 seater? If so how does it ride?

 

[07fj]

Is anyone running the heavier spring rates 475,275lbs on their 2 seater? If so how does it ride?

That seems similar to some i-shock setups. Is this on stock suspension??

Rog

 

[Hapa]

eating popcorn,, I have these shocks so i figured i would tune in and learn something.k:

 

[DuneRocket]

Yes it is a stock. What im getting at is eversince I put these on it lowered the car about 3" I hit everything on the bottom now. I have turned the preload up but, acts kind of wierd. I am adding a winch,spare tire and a few other things I didnt know if that would be enough to justify the heavier springs.

I am also thinking with the heavier springs it would help with the ride height.

Is my thinking way off?

 

[Makin' Trax]

Your not thinking way off at all. The problem is what rate? Right? Here is a way to figure out what you need. Regardless of what spring rate you now have, but you need to know what the spring rate and the free length is, jack up the car, reduce all the preload to "0" preload on both shocks. Let it down, move it forward and back some to let it settle. Make sure to add driver, passengers, cargo, etc. Now measure the length of the spring under load. Multiply the distance compressed by the spring rate and that will give you the static load per shock at ride height. Lets say it compressed 3" and you have 400lb. springs. Then there is 1200lbs. static load. Ideally you want about 1/2" to 1" of preload and the car to sit at approx. 25% with the short 5" shocks. That would be an additional 1.25". So 1200lbs. divided by 2.25 = 533.33 springs. Now the car will sit at the desired ride height with the normal load and the proper preload. This is only an example to show you how to determine what you need. FYI, with the AFCO's 2 seat rear springs are 300# to 325#, 4 seat/utility 350# usually to 400# for a guy that runs hard with 2 adults in the rear.

 

[DuneRocket]

I will do all that a see where I am.

Thanks for the help.

 

[07fj]

Your not thinking way off at all. The problem is what rate? Right? Here is a way to figure out what you need. Regardless of what spring rate you now have, but you need to know what the spring rate and the free length is, jack up the car, reduce all the preload to "0" preload on both shocks. Let it down, move it forward and back some to let it settle. Make sure to add driver, passengers, cargo, etc. Now measure the length of the spring under load. Multiply the distance compressed by the spring rate and that will give you the static load per shock at ride height. Lets say it compressed 3" and you have 400lb. springs. Then there is 1200lbs. static load. Ideally you want about 1/2" to 1" of preload and the car to sit at approx. 25% with the short 5" shocks. That would be an additional 1.25". So 1200lbs. divided by 2.25 = 533.33 springs. Now the car will sit at the desired ride height with the normal load and the proper preload. This is only an example to show you how to determine what you need. FYI, with the AFCO's 2 seat rear springs are 300# to 325#, 4 seat/utility 350# usually to 400# for a guy that runs hard with 2 adults in the rear.

Is that rhino that heavy? I will check this method with mine also, the rears are only 200 and fronts are at 175. and it does not get very low at all.

Rog

 

[RoamRocker]

those seem really soft to me Rog.... i guess it all depends on your setup. Im running 225 up front and 325 on the rears... thats for my 2 seater..

 

[07fj]

those seem really soft to me Rog.... i guess it all depends on your setup. Im running 225 up front and 325 on the rears... thats for my 2 seater..

Alot depends on the shock angles and ratios. So there should not be a blanket statement like that IMO, but I will check this method for sure.

Actually I had 250's on the rear it was kicking my ass.

Rog

 

[RoamRocker]

yup... your running the LSR kit?

 

[Red88]

I have been running 250s in the front and 350s in the rear. This is for a two seater with a full tilt bed and a box full of tools and some beer.

 

[Hapa]

I have been running 250s in the front and 350s in the rear. This is for a two seater with a full tilt bed and a box full of tools and some beer.

And some beer huh? lol

that made me smile, sounds familiar.

 

[RoamRocker]

yea i got rid of the bed and have a 10 gal fuel cell and a 26 can cooler back there!!!

 

[Makin' Trax]

Is that rhino that heavy? I will check this method with mine also, the rears are only 200 and fronts are at 175. and it does not get very low at all.

Rog

Check how much preload is on the springs. The static weight on my rhino which is stock with a tilt bed and stock cage is approx. 360 lbs per shock in the rear without driver and passenger. I run a 300 lb spring with 1/2 preload. That is the way we do it and it works well for us. That is not to say that it is the only right way, every manufactuer does things there own way.

Again my example in my prior post was in round numbers I used to show the math, I'm not saying he needs 533.3 lb. springs.

 

[mikef]

OK I am confused.... I went back and read the original post again.....

You have Walker evans shocks with stock suspension. You are running 475lb springs in the rear and 275lb on the front.... and it lowered the ride height by 3"?

If that is true I think something is wrong. With my 4 seater and WERS I ran 450lb springs on the rear. They were perfect. When I took the seat out it drove like a brick. I could feel every little bump.

For a 2 seater stock suspension with WERS I think 400lb springs would be perfect on the rear.

Maybe I am not understanding.....

 

[Makin' Trax]

OK I am confused.... I went back and read the original post again.....

You have Walker evans shocks with stock suspension. You are running 475lb springs in the rear and 275lb on the front.... and it lowered the ride height by 3"?

If that is true I think something is wrong. With my 4 seater and WERS I ran 450lb springs on the rear. They were perfect. When I took the seat out it drove like a brick. I could feel every little bump.

For a 2 seater stock suspension with WERS I think 400lb springs would be perfect on the rear.

Maybe I am not understanding.....

I think your on it Mike. Thats why I was telling him how to see what he needs. It's like the 275's are on the rear.

 

[DuneRocket]

sorry for the confusion I have 400 rear,200 front, I was just wondering if the 475,275 would help my problem of riding to low and still work without it being to stiff.

I have not had a chance to measure it yet..

 

[Red88]

I also heard from Court that the shock bodys that Walker uses are some times not threaded all the way because they sometimes use a shock body that was longer depending on shock they are building.

Court can you chime in?

 

[07fj]

Check how much preload is on the springs. The static weight on my rhino which is stock with a tilt bed and stock cage is approx. 360 lbs per shock in the rear without driver and passenger. I run a 300 lb spring with 1/2 preload. That is the way we do it and it works well for us. That is not to say that it is the only right way, every manufactuer does things there own way.

Again my example in my prior post was in round numbers I used to show the math, I'm not saying he needs 533.3 lb. springs.

I am sitting at 11" from skid pan with stock tires with 0 preload (just enough so they do not rattle) with 200's on the rear. and the 10 3/4" on the front with 1/4" preload with 175 springs on my LSR XTR 6.5 kit.


I am still certain that the shock angle has a LOT to do with these setups. Due to the different leverage ratios.

 

[Makin' Trax]

I am sitting at 11" from skid pan with stock tires with 0 preload (just enough so they do not rattle) with 200's on the rear. and the 10 3/4" on the front with 1/4" preload with 175 springs on my LSR XTR 6.5 kit.


I am still certain that the shock angle has a LOT to do with these setups. Due to the different leverage ratios.

Rog,
You have 6.5 LT. Jack your car up until the wheels are off the ground. Measure your spring length. Let the car down, bounce it so it settles at ride height. Now measure it again. Then take the difference and multiply by the rate. That is your spring load. You probably have 2.5 inches x 200 = thats 500lbs. at ride height. The nice thing is it only takes 200 pounds to compress another inch. Where the other senario say with my stock arm rhino it takes 300 pound to compress 1 inch. Besides the extra travel, thats why LT is so much plusher. "Like rid'n a fat lady"