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Originally Posted by Marphie21
Does anyone here know how helper springs are used to tune suspension?
Aside from "their purpose is to keep the main spring in place"
I just want to understand it better. I can understand how it can be used to adjust the shock stroke in favor of adding droop, but how , why , and when do you use it?
Some thoughts on my mind:
1) Assuming that a corner is unloaded so much that the helper spring "activates" (it starts to extend), is the tire on that corner doing anything significant?
2) Or are you increasing the droop so that when that corner gets loaded again, the shock absorber + helper spring help absorb that initial weight transfer back onto that unloaded corner (before the main spring is activated).
I try to imagine a corner getting unloaded so much that the tire actually lifts up into the air. Now the way it reacts when it drops back down to the ground must be different if it falls straight onto the stiffer main spring vs. if some shock absorber stroke absorbs the drop right before the suspension stroke reaches the main spring.
3) Is it also used for when you want the car to squat down onto the bumpstops of the shock absorber?
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From the MCA Website:
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In the large majority of cases MCA Suspension products feature Helper Springs. A ?helper spring? is a light weight spring who?s job is to keep the main spring captive if a specific setup and ride height combination mean that when the vehicle is jacked up with wheels off the ground, the spring may be loose. Thanks to the Helper Spring, the main spring will be held up and seated even in these rare situations.
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Basically, helper springs aren't used to tune a suspension. They are there to keep tension on the main springs. This is why you don't see them on coilovers that are designed to adjust ride height with the lower perch. The springs are always slightly preloaded so there's no need for them. Only on setups where the spring perch is designed to set the ride height do you need helper springs.