Who's got front coil overs?

gkull

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 23, 2008
Messages
81
Location
Wild West, Nevada USA
Presently I have the QA-1 dual adjust with 550# cut down one inch for adjustability. I'm thinking about going the Van steel tubular A-Arm coil over with 700# for starters.

This is for my 3092# road race and street driver 79 vette
 
The reason I chose 700# was to limit wheel travel. Even with 550# I had way to much vertical travel. With weight x-fer going into or at max "G" force it would stand to reason that the front tire might have 1/2 the weight of the car on it. Like 1500+ pounds. Do to the wheel rate your little 460# would be approaching 4 inches of wheel travel
 
No they would not, I said .90 wheel rate. Yours are maybe at .5 wheel rate (forgot the exact spec), in that respect mine would be stiffer than yours. See, where mine are at .90 wheel rate they would relate to a wheel rate of about 400. Your 700s would come to a wheel rate of 350. Mine, compared to the stock position would equal to a set of 800 pounders. Half the static weight of the car is 1500 pount, however with dynamic suspension loading you will most likely see suspension above 1G, the loads will be a good bit higher.
 
Does wheel rate refer to position of the spring? Being that a spring positioned closer to the frame would be effectively more stiff than one further from the frame.
 
Yes, it refers to the percentage of efficiency in relation to the wheel, directly related to the spring position on the arm, it's a simple nutcracker principle. And it's the other way around, a spring further from the cross shaft (and thus frame) is more efficient and effectivly more stiff. When controlling the suspension you control the wheel rate and the nutcracker principle as such effects the wheel and shock rate. The same principle applies to both spring and shock. Being a coil over the spring and shock rate are the same for the installed position (some suspension systems have a divorced spring and shock, the C3 has the spring sitting inside the spring and as a result also share the rate)
 
What are your plans for you QA1s?

I have been thinking about some 550 lb QA1s for my front, mainly cause i already have 550lb springs and I wouldnt mind the adjustable ride height thing.
 
Believe me, you don't want them, not even for free. The mounting system is downright scary and the adjust-ability is a pain in the a.......
 
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