CheshireCat

I've read here on the board that Bilstein HDs are a pretty good match for stock springs on a Z28...

I've also read that for most lowering springs the Bilstien's should be valved differently to compensate for the higher spring rates and lesser travel...

What factors make a shock a good match for a spring?

Manufacturer Model Front (lbs/in) Rear (lbs/in) Ride Height Drop

OEM GM V8 93-97 310 110 0.00"

Hotchkis Fbody Springs 285-525 100-140 1.00"

Manufacturer Model/Location Bump Rebound
Bilstein HD Front 159 279
Bilstein HD Rear 86 174


Now I'm figuring that there is some way to calculate the ratio of spring rate to both bump and rebound taking into consideration the weight loaded onto the springs and the travel of the springs...

Now the variable rate springs sound good in concept, but how do you get a proper shock to dampen a spring rate that varries from 285-525 pounds/in???

Thank's
Steve



Can anyone tell me how to calculate this???

Norm Peterson

I guess you'd have to work with the equations for damped vibration of a spring-mass system. But it takes some experience to know just what velocities that you're damping and what percentage of critical damping (perhaps range of percentages) to use. Maybe somebody else can help with the specifics . . .

Give Sam Strano Jr. a call ( www.stranoparts.com ).

Norm

CheshireCat

Thanks, I've read many of Sam Strano's posts, and I've learned a lot from him... I'm really just trying to learn more about suspension... Sam is very generous with information and I'm sure he could teach a course on the subject, but I'd be asking him to give me the shock (damper) 101 course and then I'd want to attent 102.. He has a business to run and races to win... If I ever get the budget together to do it right, I'm going to call him to order my setup...

For now, I'm just trying to learn the theory...

lt1aggie

you might get more attention over at http://frrax.com