At 12:05 PM 6/18/98 -0700, you wrote:
>Fred, I really appreciate your feedback and knowledge re my suspension
musings.  I
>wanted to ask you a couple of things re your earlier reply...but I am
struggling to
>get a brief out the door.

I have not seen the post from Fred, but Fred is likely right about this.

>Why does pre-loading the spring not change the "spring rate."  I think it
>does....it is a minor adjustment of spring-rate, isn't it.  By compressing
the
>spring, you increase it's rate over the entire course of it's remaining
travel,

Those doughnuts do not compress the spring!

>don't you?  This is like putting a stiffer spring on, but the change is
not as much
>as you would find between two consecutively rated springs.
>
>Inserting a spacer does not implicate the cv's the way larger wheels
would.  It's
>the same as using a stiffer spring, that's all.  The actual geometry of the
>suspension does not change....i.e., you are not increasing travel or
changing the
>axle angle beyond what normally occurs within the stock range of travel.

Wrong, I believe. I believe the spacers raise the body of the vehicle in
relation to the control arms (and thus the body in relation to the ground;
this would cause the CVs to exit their houses at a different angle than
they otherwise would.)

>I agree with your comments re realistic expectastions and defining use.  I
do not
>do radical 4 wheeling.  I know I must strike a compromise between pavement
use and
>off-road use.  Still, within that context, the suspension can be fine
tuned to

I believe we all need to be as radical as we can. (sorry, just joking.)

>perform better.  I just want a little more firmness without sacraficing
damping
>responsiveness, and I want the spring rates balanced front to rear and
left to
>right (the westy list to the left).  I should be able to accomplish this by
>adjusting the spring pre-load at all 4 wheels using spacers.  As the
suspension is
>stock, it is out of balance front-to-back and left-to-right, and it's too
soft.  I
>think accomplishing this limited goal will be a big improvement and it is
all I am
>seeking to do.

Based on extensive tests I have done, the syncro tends to be much heavier
in the left rear than the other three corners. So something to adjust for
that is logical. But extra shims in the left rear corner would likely alter
ride height in that corner, not really spring rate in that corner.

_____________________________________________________
Derek Drew                           New York, NY & Washington DC
ConsumerSearch
drew@interport.net
212-580-6486 (W)
212-580-4459; 202-966-0938 (H)