Eibach tender springs?
12-21-2003, 06:50 AM
#1
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Eibach tender springs?
Anybody know how these work?
I have to spec the front spring setup for my front Koni's and wondered if this setup was worth a look.
At the moment I am just going for 250lb hypercoils front
4oo eibach rear with no torsion bars.
Graham
I have to spec the front spring setup for my front Koni's and wondered if this setup was worth a look.
At the moment I am just going for 250lb hypercoils front
4oo eibach rear with no torsion bars.
Graham
12-23-2003, 10:44 AM
#2
Race Director
Do you mean "helper springs"? If so, then, they keep pressure on the existing springs when the suspension is completely unloaded (ie, jacking the car up, and bumps during hard cornering) so that the springs do no unseat (*and make that annoying "pop" noise).
Here is a photo, the helper spring is the red one on the bottom. They are usually made from flat stock and have no noticable spring rate.
Hope that helps!
Jeremy
Here is a photo, the helper spring is the red one on the bottom. They are usually made from flat stock and have no noticable spring rate.
Hope that helps!
Jeremy
12-28-2003, 12:55 PM
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Graham,
I've used Eibach springs in a production race car, so I know a little about them and how to set them up.
Eibach tender springs are used with main springs to tailor a progressive overall spring rate. The tender springs are made of flat wound material so as they compress they close completely. This flat design allows the coils to bind without creating nasty stresses, as would happen with a normal spring of circular cross-section. The tender spring is always softer than the main spring, and so it closes first, leaving the main spring to work at it's rate. This progression of rates can be plotted for all combinations of tender and main spring that are in the Eibach catalogue.
Helper springs are another thing altogether. As Jeremy said above, they are used to retain the spring combination in the spring seats when your suspension drops to full droop, ensuring the springs all stay where they should be.
One can argue whether springs should ever come loose like this because it means the wheel is effectively unloaded at this point, which never helps with grip. But sometimes you have no choice but to fill the gaps with a helper spring. The only alternative is to remanufacturer the strut.
Eibach have lots of info online if you can find it, and the dealers will be able to help you calculate rates for your application.
Clayton
I've used Eibach springs in a production race car, so I know a little about them and how to set them up.
Eibach tender springs are used with main springs to tailor a progressive overall spring rate. The tender springs are made of flat wound material so as they compress they close completely. This flat design allows the coils to bind without creating nasty stresses, as would happen with a normal spring of circular cross-section. The tender spring is always softer than the main spring, and so it closes first, leaving the main spring to work at it's rate. This progression of rates can be plotted for all combinations of tender and main spring that are in the Eibach catalogue.
Helper springs are another thing altogether. As Jeremy said above, they are used to retain the spring combination in the spring seats when your suspension drops to full droop, ensuring the springs all stay where they should be.
One can argue whether springs should ever come loose like this because it means the wheel is effectively unloaded at this point, which never helps with grip. But sometimes you have no choice but to fill the gaps with a helper spring. The only alternative is to remanufacturer the strut.
Eibach have lots of info online if you can find it, and the dealers will be able to help you calculate rates for your application.
Clayton
12-28-2003, 12:59 PM
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I forgot to add that in the large pic Jeremy posted, the red spring is in fact a tender spring, not a helper spring. The helper springs are very very thin indeed, having no effective rate at all.
The setup in that pic is a progressive rate setup.
Clayton.
The setup in that pic is a progressive rate setup.
Clayton.
