Lorax

My PO replaced my stock m030 springs with some unidentified progressive rate springs, And I cant see anything printed on them.

Does anyone know what companies make progressive rate lowering springs for our cars?

Oddjob

Not too many aftermarket springs will fit the M030 strut perches, I cant think of any offhand. Do you have a picture of whats on the car?

Lorax

I can take one tonight. Could they be weltmeister?

Oddjob

Welts wont really fit on the M030 perches - they are only made for the standard strut perches.

Lorax

They are different perches made to supposrt progressive rate (smaller at the bottom) springs.
Either way, how can i tell who made the springs?

Oddjob

What color are the springs, are there any color markings on them? You do, or do not have the factory M030 perches?

The factory M030 springs have a slight taper in outer diameter, they get smaller towards the bottom. The factory ride height adjustable perches are made for these springs.

Weltmeister springs do not have the taper, they are constant outer diameter - same as standard 944 springs. So, the bottom perch on a standard strut has a larger diameter than an M030 strut perch (plus they are very different, since the standard struts are not height adjustable).

Unless you have one of the Paragon Products front Coil Over kits with 2.5" OD linear springs (the kit replaces the factory perches), or factory Turbo Cup/Club Sport springs (which do fit on the M030 perches), I would be surprised if you do not have the stock M030 springs.

arbeitm

Maybe Hypercoil?

tifosiman

I would agree with that. It sounds like he has the stock M030 springs and perches.

I have never seen a set of Hypercoil springs that fit the M030 adjustable spring perches. They might exist, but I have never ran acrossed them.

Jason @ Paragon Products

Sounds like you may have the Turbo Cup springs...progressive from about 150-400 #'s. Should be black with one or two blue paint marks. They haven't been available for quite some time but I do still see them occasionally in the market place.

Lorax

Jason, I think you hit it on the head! I remember the blue markings. Are these a nice upgrade?


BTW - You wouldnt happen to be related to larry burkett would you?

Oddjob

The TC springs have a decreasing wire diameter along with the decreasing coil diameter. Yours look like this?

Lorax

Yes, they look like that!

Oddjob

Depends on what you want (street upgrade, auto-x, or track/DE use). And what has been upgraded on the rear to match the front spring rate increase.

They are quite a bit stiffer then the stock M030 springs, so it does become a comfort issue on a street driven car.

The stock M030 koni strut valving is a little soft for these springs. The car will bounce/oscillate a little bit more than it would/should with properly matched shock valving. But its not a big problem.

I ran a turbo S in DE's with TC springs on the front for awhile. I did not upgrade the rear spring rate, so it did understeer. But I installed a TC 21mm rear sway bar set on full stiff, and that offset quite a bit of the understeer (those 21mm bars are really stiff, even compared to the 19mm 968 M030 bar).

Jason @ Paragon Products

Ryan, they're a nice upgrade. Their progressive nature can make them tolerable on the street but will produce a big time push (understeer) if you're still running stock torsion bars. They were made to work with a coilover on the back of the car.

Lorax

Well my guess is that the torsion bars are also uprgraded. say this because I have a set of m030 tbars the PO gave me with the car, along with a set of m030 standard springs, therefore im assuming since one of them has been replaced with an upgraded component, that the other has too.