Date:         Tue, 30 Jun 1998 09:00:21 -0700
Reply-To:     "Steven X. Schwenk" <sxs@SCHWENK-LAW.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Steven X. Schwenk" <sxs@SCHWENK-LAW.COM>
Subject:      Re: Pre-loading Rear Suspension :~o
Comments: To: "Dr. Rainer Woitok" <woitok@rrze.uni-erlangen.de>
Comments: cc: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Sure it will ride higher...but it will also ride stiffer.  And if this is
not how you pre-laod the spring, then how do you?  And why isn't the
compressed spring stiffer?
steve

Dr. Rainer Woitok wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> On Mon, 1998-06-29 23:12:10 -0700, Steven X. Schwenk wrote:
>
> > ...
> >                                                              (1) does
> > inserting a donut compress/shorten the spring?
>
> Definitely  NO!   Provided the length of    the spring under  the normal
> weight of the van isn't constrained by the shock (which it shouldn't be)
> the length  of the  spring  depends ONLY on  its  material, its geometry
> (unloaded) and the weight to  which it is exposed.   Thus, if the  lower
> end of  the spring  is  two inches higher  due to  the doughnut and  the
> weight is the same, the upper end will be two inches  higher, too.  This
> means the van will ride two inches higher.
>
> Sincerely
>  Rainer
>
>  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> | Rainer M Woitok                  | Phone: (+49-9131) 85-7811, -7031  |
> | Regionales Rechenzentrum         |                                   |
> | Friedrich-Alexander-Universitaet | Fax  : (+49-9131) 30 29 41        |
> | Martens-Strasse 1                | Telex: d 629 755 tf erl           |
> | D-91058 Erlangen                 |                                   |
> | Germany                          | Mail: Woitok@RRZE.Uni-Erlangen.DE |
>  ----------------------------------------------------------------------