Suitable spring rates (lbs) for vx on a track

[simon redshaw]

I have avo adjustable dampers and springs sourced via free-style (front and back).

 

Problem is that freestyle supply springs without telling you the lb rate and base their supply on a good discussion with you and the type of compromise between road and track! This is fine, but thinking now to buy a set of springs for track only and change for a softer set for the road (if this is logical?).

 

I am finding that on the road they are OK, but on track they are far too soft and the car wallows too much around corners.

 

From your experience, driving a heavy engined car, what is a suitable Ib rate spring for the track and what is the optimal length of spring, allowing best travel and grip without too much wallow?

 

Also, who's springs do you recommend to buy?

 

Thanks

 

Simon7R

[metal mickey]

Simon, have you tried adjusting the damper rates for road compared to track settings 🤔My car is much smoother on the road if I back to adajuster off for road use.

[Gambo]

Simon, I agree with Mickey. Try winding up the dampers for track use. I had avo's on my car, It never wallowed. From a conversation i had with Gary at Llandow, the sring rates He supplied for my vx were 300lbs front and 170 rears. Although mine was wide track with the old type damper mount so the damper was laying quite flat IYSWIM. They will be a least 250 on yours, if not 300 on the front, if mine are any thing to go by.

 

RED 2.0 HPC 230BHP here

[simon redshaw]

Mine is also wide track, with std damper mounts 1995+ and yes i adjust the damper ratings to soft or mid on the road and hard on the track.

 

The damper rate does not seem to be the issue, as the springs are not holding the car around high speed corners even when the dampers are on their hardest level.

 

Can you expain why you use 300lb on front and nearly half the Lb rate on the back (170lb)?

 

I have a difference though, i have an english axle on the back. Will this make a huge amount of difference? Maybe the movement can be more extreem with live axle compared to de-deon?

 

KR

 

 

 

Simon7R

[Gambo]

The rear shocks are vertical, so the spring rate is what the rate is. the motion is vertical and for 1 inch of wheel movement you get 1 inch of damper movement. On the front, the damper/ spring unit is at an angle, so you have a different wheel movement / damper movement ratio.(not sure what it is) This has the effect of reducing the effective spring rate at the wheel. Thus you may have a 300lb spring on the front, but the effective wheel springrate may be 200lb. A lot of the VX race cars, which ran narrow track ran 250 fronts and 215 rears, this (having driven one) made the cars very twitchy to drive, also very bumpy on the rear, and on anything but smooth surfaces would skip alot and not put the power down very well.

 

I would talk to Gary and explain your handling carateristics to him, he will have a view as what is wrong. Does your car understeer/ oversteer in the high speed corners? are you running out of damper travel and hitting the bumpstops?

 

RED 2.0 HPC 230BHP here

[captain chaos]

My Vx runs 250 fronts and 160 rears. I experimented with a number of options and found, combined with my Spax dampers, these to be the best overall package.