98Blue

When I raise my car, the springs get compressed. Doesn't that mean that they have less room to travel so the ride is harsher?

Pekboy

Do you mean car lower=spring tighter?

RKA

However, in my mind, the car rests on it's springs. If you change the ride height by adjusting the spring perch, I'm not quite sure how this results in the spring being more compressed than when the car was at the lower setting. Apparently, the spring does compress more based on what Rich_W has previously posted, and the rest of your theory holds true.

98Blue

I could have sworn that I noticed the opposite. To raise my car I needed to compress the spring.

nospek3

.

markbradford

This in effect decompresses the spring.

Kris Hansen

I would imagine that would make them stiffer, yes.

Kris Hansen

as long as the spring is ONLY supporting the weight of hte car, the stiffness shouldn't increase. IF you have the shocks topped out, and still crank the springs down, that should make them stiffer (I am guessing here, and thinking of how my springs on my MX bikes reacted to pre-load tensions).

markbradford

A spring rate changes as the spring is compressed and released. If you have a 500#/in spring that's 10" long, you've got 5000 pounds of travel. If you compress the spring 5", then the spring rate goes up to 1000#/in. The total capacity of the spring remains the same

So, as he lowers his car with coilovers, thereby effectively decompressing the spring by lowering the bottom perch, the ride will get a bit softer (negligible unless he really jacks it tho)

RKA

By topped out I assume you mean the piston is fully extended? If that's the case when the car is parked, wouldn't you blow out the shock after a few miles of driving?