Date:         Tue, 30 Jun 1998 16:04:06 -0700
Reply-To:     Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Alistair Bell <albell@UVIC.CA>
Subject:      Re: Springs and spring rates
Comments: To: "Steven X. Schwenk" <sxs@schwenk-law.com>, Vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

Hi Steven,

have been following this thread with some interest. Like the "swap the cv
joints/axles from side to side to equalize wear" thread, it is a great
"Gedanken" experiment.
I have to come down on the donut does not compress the spring side of the
argument. Others have said it before, adding a donut on top only lowers the
location of the upper spring rest by the thickness of the donut, raising the
van. I think to compress or preload the spring one would have to "pinch the
spring" or add more "sprung" weight to the van.

Anyway, I may be wrong but that is not why I post this to you. My thought is
really about the nature of the material that we should choose for the donut.
My van ('82 westy, gas from diesel conversion) has a harshness in its ride
that manifests itself in the transmission of small bumps/vibrations through
the suspension to the body. I'm guessing that a somewhat compliant doughnut
might absorb those vibrations a bit. I plan on trying to make some out of
heavy, 0.5" thick rubber mat (used for horse stalls and sometimes pick-up
bed liner, made from recycled tires). It is difficult material to cut, but
very tough.

Alistair

>Don:
>THANKS! Finally someone is focusing on what I am, which is how compressing
the
>spring with a spacer (in effect reducing the number of coils without
changing
>length) affects the characteristics of the spring.