Date:         Sun, 21 Jun 1998 22:11:46 EDT
Reply-To:     SyncroHead@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         SyncroHead@AOL.COM
Subject:      Re: Pre-loading Rear Springs re Syncro Suspension (long)
Comments: To: drew@INTERPORT.NET, Vanagon@Vanagon.com
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

In a message dated 98-06-19 12:14:40 EDT, Drew writes:

> The only way to make the spring more compressed would be to increase the
>  weight of the van. As Steven's understanding (and writing style!) is

Then you could fit 6" of donuts in there.  But of course you could not.  You
would have to compress the spring a whole LOT to fit a bunch in there.  This
example takes the logic to a limit and at least implies that reducing the
space the spring fits into will reduce the installed height of the spring.

I'm just sort of thinking along as I type here and not certain where this
train of thought will lead...

Perhaps what happens is that the van is raised with each donut until the
bottom of the suspension is reached.  At which point you need to start
compressing (pre-loading) the spring to get it to fit in.  Also, here is where
you start reducing the height of the spring even before the van's weight is
applied.  Preloading the spring like this causes the spring's action to be
stiffer and would certainly effect the ride and handling characteristics.

Wait.  This just in.  After writing the above I continued to read this thread
before sending and Dave Bayer wrote:

>> Riddle me this: if the spacer were 12" thick would it compress the
>> spring? I think it would. Therefore, it stands to reason that a 1" thick
>> spacer would, in fact, compress the spring by some amount, IN SPITE OF
>> THE WEIGHT BEING THE SAME!

>        The 12inch spacer would compress the springs because you would hit
>the limit of travel. Until you hit the limit of travel, the only other force
>that will change on the spring is the pull of gravity, but since you are only
>increasing the distance from the center of the earth to the center of mass
>of the van by maybe an inch, this is negelible ;) The shock absorbs might
>behave quite different if they are extended an extra inch at rest, but the
>springs will not - from the point of reference of the spring, nothing has
>changed.

I think David just said it better than I did and I concur with him.

Regards,
Jim Davis