I've been doing a lot of research on springs and spring rates for my 5th gen Prelude lately. This is a summary of info I have collected from searches and threads in this forum. I thought it would be good to put it all into one place. Maybe it can be stickied? (pretty please)
All Spring Rates are in the folllowing units format: pound-force/inch (kilogram-force/millimeter)
Stock Spring Rate
150-200 F, 120-150 R Range is depending on model (Base, SS, SH) and taking into account they are progressive springs.
Lowering or Sport Springs
Eibach Pro Kit
Estimated 15% Stiffer than stock yeilds: 173-230 F, 138-173 R
Lowers the car: 1.5" all around
H&R Sport Springs
Estimated 25% Stiffer than stock yeilds: 188-250 F, 150-188 R
Lowers the car: 1.4" all around
Tanabe Super H
Estimated 30% Stiffer than stock yeilds: 195-260 F, 156-195 R
Lowers the car: 1" all around
RS-R Down Springs
From a thread: 279 F, 212 R
Lowers the car: ?
Neuspeed Sport
From a thread: 240 F, 225R
Lowers the car: ?
Neuspeed Race
From a thread: 400 F, 345R
Lowers the car: ?
Tein S Tech Springs
Advertised on website: 240 (4.3) F, 207 (3.7) R
Lowers the car: 1.5" F, 1.3" R
Coil Over Systems
Ground Control
Springs, Adjustable Perches and Top Mounts Only (no damper included)
Standard Spring Rates: 380 F, 250 R Can be custom ordered with any spring rate.
Tein Basic
Advertised on website: 448 (8) F, 224 (4) R
No damper adjustability
Tein SS (Super Street)
Advertised on website: 448 (8) F, 224 (4) R
16 way damper adjustablity
Tein Type Flex
Advertised on website: 560 (10) F, 336 (6) R
16 way damper adjustablity
Tein Type HA
Advertised on website: 671 (12) F, 448 (8) R
16 way damper adjustablity
JIC FLTA2
From a thread: 560 (10) F, 392 (7) R
xx way damper adjustablity
Skunk2 coilovers
From this thread: 400 F, 500 R
springs and perches only (no damper included)
Tanabe
?? Anyone ??
__________________ Paul
2009 Mazdaspeed3 | 1995 Miata | 1999 Crystal Blue Base - bought 6/13/02, sold 3/11/09
Consider that weight has a lot to do with it. 600's will feel stiffer on a 2600lb curb weight than 700's on 3200lb car.
On the Prelude, 450/380 is what I believe GC ships if you order a coilover kit for the Prelude without specifying spring rates. This is well beyond what stock shocks will handle and at the limits of what Koni Yellows will handle. KYB AGX and Tokico Illuminas will be at the hairy edge as well.
Most off-the-shelf generic coilover kits will ship you 600/600 springs. Cheap kits are OK but you definitely need to revalve shocks for springs over 450lbs unless you want a bouncy, uncontrolled ride.
For ITS or NASA track racing you should be looking at around 1000lb springs.
BTW, this should be moved to GD and edited, with other spring rates added. The 4g and 5g springs can be swapped (TypeSH are different) and simple coilover kits can be swapped between all years and models from 3g-5g.
For the JIC FLTA2, the spring rate is 10kg/7kg. Tanabe has several suspension systems, so you'll have to be more specific in which one your referring to.
For the JIC FLTA2, the spring rate is 10kg/7kg. Tanabe has several suspension systems, so you'll have to be more specific in which one your referring to.
OK, I'll edit my post later with this info.
I didn't expect this to be a definitive or comprehensive list right off the bat. I complied all the info from various threads I found on springs and spring rates. I was hoping people would pop in and post up any info I am missing whether that be that Pro Kits give you a 1.5" drop F & R or that Tanabe has three diff coil over kits and the specs on each one are.....
Todd: According to what I read, the stock GC spring rates are 380F/250R. They used to be 400 or 450F and were changed at some point.
__________________ Paul
2009 Mazdaspeed3 | 1995 Miata | 1999 Crystal Blue Base - bought 6/13/02, sold 3/11/09
I believe the Koni's top out at around 600# of spring. the AGX can handle around 400#, the Tokico's i don't know. As far as OTS shocks go, i don't see any of them being able to take more spring than the konis, so beyond that you're looking at a revalve, some moton/penske's, advance designs, or koni's more $$ shocks.
i don't think bilstein makes a prelude specific shock, so they're conspicuously absent from this roll call of BLiNg Dampers.
Todd: According to what I read, the stock GC spring rates are 380F/250R. They used to be 400 or 450F and were changed at some point.
News to me. You can spec the springs when you order them so either way it's not that big of a deal.
Also note with coilovers there's no difference in F/R springs so you can swap them to suit your taste (stiffer in back for oversteer in autox/track racing orf a HEAVY sub box on the street).
"The key to the retention of ride quality while substantially improving handling lies in the ratio of spring to damper stiffness. Unlike Teins or other high rate spring setups, the Mugen suspension improves performance by dramatically stiffening shock valving, rather than sending spring rates into tooth rattling territory. The result is a ride and handling combination that is evocative of a factory sport suspension. (Think M3.) "
__________________
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Originally Posted by al'Lan Mandragoran
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Hey guys,
searched...couldn't really find a direct answer to this question. What is spring rate exactly? Is it the amount of resistance that the spring has when force is applied to it? Also what exactly is happening when you adjust your damper for more stiffness? And the last question...if you have a stiff spring rate can it be compensated for by lowering the setting on your dampers? I guess if you set them too low, you'll blow them right...because they won't have enough "damping force"to rebound the high spring rate.
Thanks guys and gals,
-Greg P
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