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Thread: Coilovers
          
   
   

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  1. #1
    32highboy54 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    Coilovers

     



    Hey Guys What is the best lenght for coilover shocks for a 32 ford hiboy coupe? I will be mounting them at 20 degrees. Also what spring rate works the best. Thanks

  2. #2
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
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    Some of us use this chart, fairly accurate. I like a bit softer ride, so usually go down 25 pounds on the spring from the charts recomendation....
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  3. #3
    John Palmer is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    Car Year, Make, Model: '32 High Boy, '60 VW, Teardrop Trailers
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    Dave, How do you determine the coil-over "spring rate" on a spring that is not marked. I have some springs on my car now that "I think" are too soft when the car is loaded.

    I was going to remove the spring and place it in my hydralic press, on top of a bathroom scale. Measure the scale at 1" and 2" compression and see what I've got. Do you think this method will give me an accurate spring rate measurement?

  4. #4
    daytonagary's Avatar
    daytonagary is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    Car Year, Make, Model: 32 Ford 3 Window Coupe from N&N Fibergla
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    I contacted Aldan Shocks to get help deciding on which coil springs to buy for my car and they told me the correct weight of spring for a car is when you have the spring loaded with the weight of the car it should compress one inch compared to the unloaded length of the spring. They said that works favorably for about every car they have worked on and you can fine tune up or down from there but said a softer ride should be brought on by softer shock, not softer spring.

  5. #5
    kitz's Avatar
    kitz is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    Car Year, Make, Model: 32 Roadster, BBC
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    fairly simple formula. google 'coil spring rate formula' ...............

    Kitz
    Jon Kitzmiller, MSME, PhD EE, 32 Ford Hiboy Roadster, Cornhusker frame, Heidts IFS/IRS, 3.50 Posi, Lone Star body, Lone Star/Kitz internal frame, ZZ502/550, TH400

  6. #6
    jerry clayton's Avatar
    jerry clayton is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    20 degrees---Now what does the rear half of the car weigh???are the springs in front, over, or behind the axle???how much???
    Assuming the high boy has solid front axle with cross spring?????

  7. #7
    Dave Severson is offline CHR Member/Contributor Visit my Photo Gallery
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    Quote Originally Posted by John Palmer View Post
    Dave, How do you determine the coil-over "spring rate" on a spring that is not marked. I have some springs on my car now that "I think" are too soft when the car is loaded.

    I was going to remove the spring and place it in my hydralic press, on top of a bathroom scale. Measure the scale at 1" and 2" compression and see what I've got. Do you think this method will give me an accurate spring rate measurement?
    I cheat, John..., Still have my old coil spring checker from the circle burner days!!! Most dirt track supply stores have one, I check the coilovers on the drag cars, too.... When we have the Comet bars wrong and it does big wheelies must put a bit of extra wear on the springs, had to replace them this year! Right front was 22 pounds light, left front was 28!!!! Went to AFCO springs this time, they held up good on the late model, should work well on a drag car, too.
    Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, Live for Today!
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  8. #8
    rumrumm's Avatar
    rumrumm is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    FWIW, my '32 highboy came Outlaw with Aldan shocks fitted with 250 lb. springs. Works for me.
    Last edited by rumrumm; 03-04-2010 at 10:09 AM.


    Lynn
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  9. #9
    John Palmer is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    Quote Originally Posted by rumrumm View Post
    FWIW, my '32 highboy came Outlaw with Aldan shocks fitted with 250 lb. springs. Works for me.
    Thanks Lynn,
    Mine is also with Aldan coilovers and I cranked some more pre-load into them and they might be OK? They are probably fine for the car weight as is, but I'm pulling a 4' by 8' tear drop trailer and when connected, with two people, and "a full tank of gas" it bottoms my differential against the body on hard bumps.

    I'm off to the March Meet in the morning so we will see how it works. I'm more concerned about freezing in an "open roadster" right now than the spring rates. LOL. My son towed up his race car this morning and it was 32 degrees and snowing while going over The Grapevine!

  10. #10
    jerry clayton's Avatar
    jerry clayton is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    use progressive rate springs----

  11. #11
    roadster32's Avatar
    roadster32 is offline CHR Member Visit my Photo Gallery
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    Get yourself some progressive springs, they get stiffer before full travel, I use them as i also tow a teardrop and they work great.


    Quote Originally Posted by John Palmer View Post
    Thanks Lynn,
    Mine is also with Aldan coilovers and I cranked some more pre-load into them and they might be OK? They are probably fine for the car weight as is, but I'm pulling a 4' by 8' tear drop trailer and when connected, with two people, and "a full tank of gas" it bottoms my differential against the body on hard bumps.

    I'm off to the March Meet in the morning so we will see how it works. I'm more concerned about freezing in an "open roadster" right now than the spring rates. LOL. My son towed up his race car this morning and it was 32 degrees and snowing while going over The Grapevine!
    Its aweful lonesome in the saddle since my horse died.

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