porschefig

here's the story. 83 944, factory 160lb springs I believe

bought/installed Koni adjustable shocks and 200 lb (1 inch lowering) front springs as well as 26.8 mm front sway bar and 19mm adjustable (968 M030) rear sway.

when the car is on the ground the bottom 4 coils on the springs are bottomed out. I'm not sure if the originals did this because all this was done a couple years ago. I never noticed till now, not sure if it just recently started but I really doubt the springs are "worn out" in a couple years time. All the peices except the front sway bar were NEW parts not used.

inactiveuser92616

a possibility is that the coils that are bottoming out are simply there to keep the spring from coming loose when the car's suspension is in full droop; such as when the car is lifted on jackstands. If that were the case, those coils would be of a very low spring rate and designed to have coil bind once loaded.

Just a theory.

xsboost90

what brand coils are they? i have hypercoils and after much racing etc they dont collapse, but if you have some progressive rate springs they are very close at the one end to start with.

GlenL

Is that a "helper spring?" That is meant to close when the car is on the ground but expand when jacked. That way the main spring doesn't become loose. It may be shorter than needed when the shock is fully extended. I thought those were needed with the stiffer lowering springs but maybe you need them or you've got #300 springs in there.

Oddjob

Sounds like the typical 200 lb/in weltmeister style springs. They are wound with a different coil pitch on one end. The claim is that it makes the spring a progressive rate - but if the coils are bottomed out with the car just sitting there, they are dead coils and do not affect the spring rate (so they are potentially not progressive). Anyway, from your description, it does not sound like anything wrong or unusual. Post a picture if you can, to confirm.

Legoland951

Sounds like you have progressive rate springs if the last 4 coils are very close together. The only other time I have seen something like that on a non progressive spring is a severe fire damage spring where it has collapsed and wheel melted around the hub. I don't think that is the case here.

Scott at Team Harco

I don't know....

RM512

Gross.There goes my supper

AF Ranger

I just bought a set of 200lb Weltmeister springs and noticed that 4 coils of the spring are closer together on one end. I haven't installed them yet. Maybe the "closer coil" end should be on top?

Oddjob

Doesnt matter - they will coil bind regardless when the weight of the car is on them.

porschefig

Here's is the confirmation that they are bottoming out and they are weltmeister springs. BTW It's not really easy to get good shots in there.

The car is DIRTY from living on my uncle's ranch in western montana, hence the dirtier-than-usual springs (but not nearly dirty as that subaru's hood ornament )

porschefig

What brand would be a better choice?
Also, I've been told to use lower spring rates for autoX than for track days. Is this true? (I know of many successful autoX cars with high springs rates..one is a COMPLETELY gutted 928 with 500/600# springs)

Matt H

Look like 0 lb helper springs to me, there to make the spring the right length so that when you life the car the spring doesnt move around.
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cjeckert

Hmm that is wierd is the car lowered? i wounder if those are spacers to keep the car at the stock ride high still having a high rate sring.

Legoland951

Wow the spring looks like its collapsed or your strut is stuck in a compressed position and locked somehow. The only way to tell is to take the spring off the strut and see what it looks like then. I figure with a spring looking like that, your tire is probably scraping against the fender from the car sitting so far down.