Spring rates for 172?…

[Falk]

I’m about to upgrade from Eibach Pro’s to something stiffer.
I did email Eibach, but they will not tell me the spring rates for the Pro’s.

Any ideas what rates the stock springs and Eibachs are?
According to GAZ their kit is fitted with 250lbs/in (44N/mm) front and 225lbs/in (39,5N/mm) rear. Seems a bit soft for track use too me… I was thinking more of 400lbs/in front. For the rears I need to measure the MR and calculate…

Please let me know what you think. What spring are you using / would be ok for occasional track use but still bearable on the road?
I understand that the characteristics of the dampers are as important as the springs for the ride quality.

What rates are the Clio Cup racecars using?

 

[izibizi]

H&R coilover use 70n/mm on the front, don't know the backs

new clio cup uses 75n/mm front and 130n/mm rear apparantly

 

[edde]

Gaz stuff I woulnd't recomend for any track or road use the dampers and setups are all wrong.

Stock for the 172 full fat is 125lb/in

Leda user often use 300lb I belive.

Cup racers use a whole different setup so there spring rates bear no resembalance to ours as they ahve hugly different setups.

 

[BenR]

cup racers are extreemly stiff, you'd be hard pressed to compress the suspension when bouncing a car.

 

[Falk]

Gaz stuff I woulnd't recomend for any track or road use the dampers and setups are all wrong.....

Slightly OT... In your opinion, what is the problem with the GAZ dampers? too soft, bumpy, poor quality? ?

We are planning a group buy of chassis kits here in Sweden. So far we have had a quick look at the GAZ damper characteristics. A friend of mine did run a few computer simulations based on the damper graphs supplied by GAZ. I just spoke to him very briefly and he wasn't too happy with the results. According to his first simulations the spring rate is definitely much too weak and the damper characteristics more suited for cycle pumps...
For some reason the adjustment only affects rebound, not compression on the front dampers. On the rears both compression and rebound is changed ...
It is really difficult to get spring and shock information from the manufacturers. We did some comparison with a KW kit for a similar application, front end hot hatch about the same weight and same MR as the 172. I understand the simulation of the KW looked much better.
Anyone sitting on damper characteristics for other kits, like H&R etc...??

The good thing about GAZ is the price tag (I know the Swedish importer of GAZ personally, so I can get a very good price, that's why we started with the GAZ option...). The KW and H&R stuff is twice as much...
I belive it is possible to specify the spring rate when ordering GAZ kits. If they will alter the dampersettings on my request I don't know yet....

Would be nice to get KW/H&R settings for GAZ money...

 

[Englebert]

Have you looked at FK Automotive? The adjustable rebound Konigsport coilover is about the same price as H&R non-adjustables.

GAZ haven't got a great reputation. I remember Elise owners hating them, and i've never seen a good review on here.

 

[edde]

Slightly OT... In your opinion, what is the problem with the GAZ dampers? too soft, bumpy, poor quality? ?

The good thing about GAZ is the price tag (I know the Swedish importer of GAZ personally, so I can get a very good price, that's why we started with the GAZ option...). The KW and H&R stuff is twice as much...
I belive it is possible to specify the spring rate when ordering GAZ kits. If they will alter the dampersettings on my request I don't know yet....

Would be nice to get KW/H&R settings for GAZ money.

The dampers have terribale charecteristsis and they won't make them right they supply them with adjustbale dampaers which to make for any decinet sort of ride means they have to be set very hard.

I cannot not recomend the GAZ stuff eough stock is way better or spend the extra.

Gaz is cheap for a reason.

 

[drhowser]

then there is the small matter of the rear springs that don't spring anymore!!!

 

[George k]

You will be stunned by this - Mk2 Cup cars:

Front 18kg/mm = 1,000 lbs/in
Rear 7kg/mm = 390 lbs/in

Almost solid - hence need for specfic tyres with very stiff sidewalls.