Pooter

Does anyone know the springrate on the stock front coil springs?

ptgarcia

Close to 400 lbs/in, I think.

Pooter

Cool, thanks.


Im trying to decide between 330 and 380 from Don, not sure if the 330s will be too soft until I get better shocks...

ptgarcia

My 2" springs were 330s and rode great. That's what I'd get.

Pooter

Thanks for the info, I was curious if anyone was running the 330#ers, I was just worried they might be too soft until I get some nicer shocks. Im hoping theyll be ok with the 5100s for a while though...

Itll be nice to have some decent springs again, even the stockers are way better than these superlift springs, WAY too stiff

THURENfab.

Stock is normally 440lb per inch, and sometimes 360lbs per inch..

Pooter

Is the difference from model years or 2500/3500s, OR just springs getting worn out?

Raspy

Stacked,

I wish my front springs had a stiffer rate. I see on your sig that you have a Ranchhand front bumper, doesn't that add about 80 lbs to the front? Are you sure you want the softer setup?


John

Cowhand

Keep in mind that the front spring only serves two purposes, to hold up the front of the truck and to extend the shock after it's been compressed.

If the front end sits lower because of the bumper, the spring needs more free height. If it bottoms out too easily, you need more compression dampening in the shock.

Higher rate is just gonna make the ride worse.......

Stacked97, if you're planning on upgrading to a 2.5 or larger shock, go with the 330. If you're going to stay with the 5100's for a while, go with the 380. Don can always lighten the compression valving a little for the 380........

Raspy

Cowhand,

That's a bit of an oversimplification. The reason there are different spring rates is because of different initial loads and expected uses. Even Dodge puts different rates on the driver side vs the passenger side and offers different rates for the snow plow package vs the standard load. They know that spring rates are a big part of the comfort and function they expect these trucks to deliver. And, in my opinion, they favor softness much more than utility.

I've had three different sets of shocks on my front end and it's always a compromise between initial compression damping, velocity sensitive damping, and spring rate. We don't have rising rate suspensions, we have short travel and a heavy initial load. It's all a compromise, and I've found that I'd like a higher rate spring and slightly higher compression damping for the driving I do. If I was to add a heavy front bumper or a winch it would become really important to get springs too. There is a lot more to springs than simply extending the shocks. But to each his own. That's why we have choices.


John

Pooter

Right now I have superlift 4" springs up front(with their lift), and the springs are WAY too stiff, I would have been better off running the stock springs, with a 4" spacer, not that id want to do that
Im just wanting a better ride than the stiff springs, shocks will be upgraded soon after the new springs, but id like something that doesnt feel like a stagecoach going over minor road bumps.

Its a bit more than 80 additional lbs, the stocker weighs in at what 55-65lbs?maybe...
The RH(T3) is in the 200lb+ range I believe....(dont have an exact number)


I do plan on pulling the big honkin bumper and putting a stocker back on it pretty soon. Just tracking down some bumper brackets right now(and ill be blasting/painting the chrome portion body color)



Thanks for the info!
I do plan on upgrading shocks soon, but probably wont be for at least 6months...(after I get the springs from Don).
Shouldnt be TOO bad for a little while, even if its on the soft side for a little while till I can get the new shocks.

ptgarcia

I'm in agreement with Cowhand. If weight was the driving factor in determining k we wouldn't see 330 lb springs in our Cummins equipped trucks like we do in HEMI powered 1/2-tons. If your worried about the front sagging use a taller spring (free height) and let the shock do what its designed to do.

firemansdiesel

Check out Lorenz suspension. He has a couple of spring rates. I use a 6% HD Coil from him on my Lorenz Suspension. Not stiff at all unless you drive under 30mph approx. in rougher roads then it rides like stock somewhat. He also has 23% rate for aftermarket front bumpers, winches, etc...

www.lorenzindustries.com