[DeTomaso] Springs

Göran Malmberg hemipanter at hemipanter.se
Sun Oct 18 05:24:05 EDT 2009



How we should choose springs depends on how much grip the tires 
produce, because that is what gives the loads the springs will 
have to take care of. Generally speaking, the softer suspension 
gives more grip and harder provide less grip, speaking strictly 
from a spring perspective. The problem with soft springs is that 
it is difficult for the suspension to provide the proper camber 
over a long wheel travel, and if the geometry is not designed 
for the suspension travel in question, the tires will lose grip. 
In that case, we lower grip with harder springs, but even 
destroy grip with softer springs because of a less suitable 
geometry. So the question is how soft srings, we can use before 
the wheel geometry is wrong versus how hard springs we must have 
to cope with the loads that the tires are capable of producing 
(with the right geometry). It is easy to find oneselves ending 
up in the catch-22.  

So what should we do? I think we should be restrained with spring 
changes. If we have lowered the car or that we are experiencing 
the suspension bottoms out, as well as if stickier tires is used 
it's idea of tougher springs of say 20%. But we can also imagine 
to change shock absorbers for some more compression damping and 
less rebound damping.
Goran




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