[Stan]

Someone posted these spring rates for the Elise:

242 lbs/in front, 343 lbs/in rear for standard
271 lbs/in front, 371 lbs/in rear for LSS

But what are the spring free lengths and coil IDs? Anybody?

Stan

 

[patavakian]

Are we to believe the springs are linear and not progressive (like every other mass mfg car in the world) ???

Randy (and others) you gotta know this ???

PA

 

[Arno]

Springs are linear.

Why would you want progressive?

Linear springs give you always the same behaviour/forces no matter what compression/load.

Much better to tune/adjust the damper valving to, otherwise they will always be a compromise between the 'hard' and 'soft' part of the spring rates.

Springs are only 5 to 10% of the 'ride comfort' anyway, so it's much better to spend lots of time getting the damper valving spot on. Which is exactly what Lotus does with Bilstein.

I'm running 325/400 on my Nitron dampers and at the 'soft' setting on the dampers it rides just as comfirtable as the standard ones.

Will be going to 400/475 soon and have my dampers re-valved for that, but even that spring rate will be fine at the 'soft' setting on the dampers.

Crank the dampers up to 'hard' and the difference is night and day. Much, much bigger than the spring rate change itself.

Bye, Arno.

 

[patavakian]

I run 500/500 for street driving in the M Coupe and change to 600/600 for the track. With the DA's at full soft the difference is very noticeable.

Springs contribute quite a lot to ride comfort. Yes the shocks contribute more, especially when it comes to rebound control, but the springs are critical.

PA