Rear Coil Spring Question

[Pico]

I was searching on rear spring info and found different answers to this question.
When installing rear lowering springs, the tighter coils go towards the top or the bottom.
I know on my Eibachs you install them with the tighter coils on top ( the writing on the coils is faceup) but I think on my Goldlines the tighter coils are on the bottom (with the writing faceup also)
So which is correct?
Tighter on top or Bottom?

[Hail Doom]

It is my understanding that there is no difference either way. People argue both ways for various pseudo-scientific reasons, but a spring is a spring, and no matter the orientation, it compresses the same way.

[Pico]

BUMP for more opinions and poll added.

[ShyBoyCA6]

i think the smaller on the bottom would be best IMO. is this going on the hatch?

[Pico]

i think the smaller on the bottom would be best IMO. is this going on the hatch?

just questioning in general, I have the ones in the sedan mounted with the tighter coils on the top.
I was just wondering since there are really no markings stating which end is top.
So i started searching on Google and there are different answers but nothing related to the 3rd gen's.

[ShyBoyCA6]

just questioning in general, I have the ones in the sedan mounted with the tighter coils on the top.
I was just wondering since there are really no markings stating which end is top.
So i started searching on Google and there are different answers but nothing related to the 3rd gen's.

oh ok well as long as it fits on both ends i dont think it should matter how they are installed. but like you said tighter coil on top.

[Pico]

So last night this spring question kept bugging me, I went to go look at my setup and noticed that I had the tighter coils at the bottom not like I thought I had it.
So I flipped them around and my ride is alot better with the tighter coils on top.
So IMO they cant me installed either way or with tighter coils on bottom, they have to be on top.

[MessyHonda]

yeah this is all i can find at eibach
Note the orientation and fitment of the OE springs. Eibach springs are designed to fit the factory spring seat the same way the OE springs fit.

[ShyBoyCA6]

i was looking at the springs you're gonna put on the hatch. seems the tighter should be on top. i forgot what i was gonna type but it would make alot of sense
to be on top then the bottom base.

[MessyHonda]

So last night this spring question kept bugging me, I went to go look at my setup and noticed that I had the tighter coils at the bottom not like I thought I had it.
So I flipped them around and my ride is alot better with the tighter coils on top.
So IMO they cant me installed either way or with tighter coils on bottom, they have to be on top.

front or rear only?

[Pico]

i was looking at the springs you're gonna put on the hatch. seems the tighter should be on top. i forgot what i was gonna type but it would make alot of sense
to be on top then the bottom base.
it does make sense. I've done this before and cannot figure out why I did what I did. :uh:

front or rear only?

Rear only, fronts go on one way only

[ShyBoyCA6]

to absorb the impact and push it back is what i think or could be wrong. hmm i gotta check out the rear suspension on the coupe to see if its correct.

just check it and seem to have a tighter coils on the bottom then on the top

[mykwikcoupe]

isnt the coil itself cut to be flat on top and notched on the bottom to stay in the strut seat? i may be thinking of the fronts but i thought thats the way they are built. Either way I have always put the tight coils on top.

[Pico]

^
the fronts are made that way, the rear are pig tailed on both ends.

[kentwat]

I haven't seen anything for car springs but on my Harley front forks with the progressive lowering springs it stated tight coil up.

[dieselgus]

Always figgered tight to the top to clear the shock body properly, never really thought about it that much. Haven't had progressives on any of my cars in a long long time.

[AZmike]

Installing with the closely spaced coils at the top slightly reduces unsprung weight. Since the ends are the same it doesn't really matter though.

[cygnus x-1]

Installing with the closely spaced coils at the top slightly reduces unsprung weight. Since the ends are the same it doesn't really matter though.


Wouldn't it be the other way around? With the tighter coils at the top, most of the lower coils are going to be moving with the rest of the suspension. With the tighter coils at the bottom the rest of the spring would tend to me move less.

But even still, compared to the rest of the un-sprung weight (wheels, brakes, suspension arms, etc.), I can't see it making much difference.

C|

[AZmike]

Wouldn't it be the other way around? With the tighter coils at the top, most of the lower coils are going to be moving with the rest of the suspension. With the tighter coils at the bottom the rest of the spring would tend to me move less.

But even still, compared to the rest of the un-sprung weight (wheels, brakes, suspension arms, etc.), I can't see it making much difference.

C|

The tighter coils don't compress much--it's almost like the tight coils are ballast and the other coils are the only spring. With this simplifying assumption in mind: tight coils down adds unsprung mass; tight coils up adds the inert mass to the sprung chassis.

[cygnus x-1]

The tighter coils don't compress much--it's almost like the tight coils are ballast and the other coils are the only spring. With this simplifying assumption in mind: tight coils down adds unsprung mass; tight coils up adds the inert mass to the sprung chassis.


Assuming the wire diameter is constant, the tighter coils should compress sooner. The coils that are closer together have a lower spring rate than the ones that are farther apart. As a progressive spring is compressed, the tighter coils compress first until they hit each other. When that happens the rate increases because the tighter coils are essentially solid.

The thing about un-sprung weight though, is that it will depend on how much of the mass of the spring is coil bound and how much is active. On larger hits, if more of the springs mass becomes inactive than active, it would be better to have the inactive mass (tighter coils) at the top. If the loading is such that most of the springs coils stay active, it would be better to have the tighter coils at the bottom.


However, I still maintain that the weight of the spring is insignificant compared to the weight of the wheel and the rest of the suspension.


C|

[2oodoor]

The factory springs are tight coils to the bottom.

[import racer]

From what I've seen and read the tighter coils go on top,not bottom.