Interesting front spring idea: Hear me out...

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vanillagorilla
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Interesting front spring idea: Hear me out...

#1 Post by vanillagorilla » Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:39 pm

I have a very nose heavy truck (+60/40), and from what I've gathered from this site and Dave's book, I need a long light spring in the front to get it to transfer weight.

I picked up a set of V6 springs to see if it would help, and it did....some. From my calcs, the stock V8 springs are around 438lb/in, and the V6 springs are 333lb/in. They're good at supporting weight on the nose, about 2600lbs (cast iron block, turbo, A2W IC, AC etc.), but pretty stiff for drag racing.

The 2nd issue is that the 0D of the spring is rather large as is the ID. I think the minimum ID spring the pocket will take is 4.5". This means that no readily available car spring will work. Plus they're probably not long enough (I need about 20") to support the weight without binding. I thought about coilovers, and I haven't ruled them out, but cramming a 20" long coilover spring on a much smaller shock sounds next to impossible.

So here's my idea. Run 2 springs in series (on top of each other). That way I can run a higher rate, larger circle track spring and get the length I need. When springs are in series thier rate is determined like resistors in parallell. Two 500lb/in springs in series will be like 1 long 250lb/in spring. Or 2 400lb springs equal 1 200lb spring. Obviously I would have to make some kind of pocket/sleeve to locate the two relative to each other. Also they'd have to be ground on the end, but those springs exist for circle track. I haven't rulled out coilovers either, but this principle could still apply. I could get the perfect length and spring rate I need, although install might be hard.

Am I nuts or do you think it's worth a shot?
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vegaracer
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Re: Interesting front spring idea: Hear me out...

#2 Post by vegaracer » Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:52 pm

It may work, but you are gonna have a heck of a time trying to keep the two springs from trying to kick out where they meet. What about a coil spring for a 4x4 Jeep or truck. They can be pretty long.
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Craig W.
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Re: Interesting front spring idea: Hear me out...

#3 Post by Craig W. » Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:02 pm

I guess Moroso doesn't make a spring for this chassis? Not sure what truck you've got.
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vanillagorilla
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Re: Interesting front spring idea: Hear me out...

#4 Post by vanillagorilla » Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:11 am

Moroso doesn't make a spring for my truck or most trucks for that matter. Its a 2000 Sierra which is the new but not brand new body style. I've talked to Moroso, and they were pretty damned rude actually. They totally blew me off and wouldn't give me any of the dimensions for the fullsize car springs, since those might work. They said their springs are custom tailored to each individual car/weight and they'd never work for anything else. :roll: Whatever? Like they use some sort of proprietary wire that would care if it's in a car or truck.

A jeep spring might work. They're pretty long and they look to be of a big diamerter.

This is what I was thinking of for a coilover. Click to enlarge:
http://www.turbotimelounge.us/gallery/album115/aab
http://www.turbotimelounge.us/gallery/album115/aae
2000 Sierra-More cubes...looking for more boost.
1992 Typhoon-almost, mostly, sort of, kind of stock ;)
1969 Mullet-Mobile-too much work

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Re: Interesting front spring idea: Hear me out...

#5 Post by John_Heard » Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:58 am

Call Ron at Santhuff, their number is 361-364-3169. I'm sure he will be willing to discuss your spring application.

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vegaracer
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Re: Interesting front spring idea: Hear me out...

#6 Post by vegaracer » Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:14 am

vanillagorilla wrote:This is what I was thinking of for a coilover. Click to enlarge:
http://www.turbotimelounge.us/gallery/album115/aab
http://www.turbotimelounge.us/gallery/album115/aae
Yeah, my dad talked about doing something like that after I posted.
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novaz
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Re: Interesting front spring idea: Hear me out...

#7 Post by novaz » Tue Oct 27, 2009 7:24 pm

Look up a guy named BUBSTR on http://www.motorsportvillage.com he described exactly this split spring concept to me a while back
if you dont use Moroso trick front springs
he is very knowledgeable and has helped me a lot

Good Luck
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Re: Interesting front spring idea: Hear me out...

#8 Post by ERV JR » Wed Nov 04, 2009 1:16 pm

do a search on Moog springs, you can find the catalog, it lists installed heights, spring rate, coild dia, extended length

shookler
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Re: Interesting front spring idea: Hear me out...

#9 Post by shookler » Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:21 pm

Not a bad idea at all, let me put a twist on it. As a cross country quad racer, we have been using dual and triple rate springs for a long time now. They look similar to coil over springs and if you could find a way to adapt that to your setup, may put you ahead of the game. I asked Dave at one of his seminars why more of the offroad suspension setups, shocks springs, coatings and so forth has not come over to this side yet. He said that Indy Car Racing uses it but thats about it. GT Thunder in Ohio is my suspension people for the quad. Might try calling them for special springs.

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shookler
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Re: Interesting front spring idea: Hear me out...

#10 Post by shookler » Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:24 pm

They are stacked also, big spring, little spring and so on. each doing its own thing. Look at a new 450 quads front shocks, you will see what I mean.
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Bob West
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Re: Interesting front spring idea: Hear me out...

#11 Post by Bob West » Tue Nov 10, 2009 4:12 pm

As John said "Call Ron at Santhuff" they fixed me up :thumb:
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Re: Interesting front spring idea: Hear me out...

#12 Post by HPDRIFTER » Wed Nov 11, 2009 10:49 am

You didn't say where you live, but there is a place in Wichita, Atlas Spring & Axle (316 943-2386)
that might be able to wind a set of springs for you. You would have to talk to them about the details,
like variable coils and compression rates, but it might be worth a phone call. Good luck.

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