what size king springs on rear on VE ute will sit flat with stock front springs?

[Joel311]

Im wanting to lower the rear of my 2010 SV6 VE Ute with King Springs to sit flat with the stock front springs. Which size king springs would work best? ive got some super lows but not sure if that would be to much? Anyone know?

 

[Reacher]

None of them.
IF you just look at ride height for rear springs, you can ruin the "bounce frequency" of the car.
The BF is important if you want the car right. Back in the 1930's GM made a video (movie?) of a car with no shocks and GM OEM springs.
Drove it around and it stayed level. That's because the BF of the F+R springs matched. Then used a variety of different springs F+R and the car was absurd, bouncing very differently F+R. When you buy a set of 4 new springs for any given car, they are BF matched to keep the car level as you drive (as close to level as the road allows).

 

[Reacher]

Im wanting to lower the rear of my 2010 SV6 VE Ute with King Springs to sit flat with the stock front springs. Which size king springs would work best? ive got some super lows but not sure if that would be to much? Anyone know?

The Whiteline matched set of F+R springs will work great.
The Eibach set of 4 springs for the V-8 Ute or the V-6 will give you about what you say you want, both with perfect bounce frequency.
The V-6 and V-8's weigh close enough to each other not to make special springs necessary. Either of the above sets will work fine on your 6.

 

[vc commodore]

None of them.
IF you just look at ride height for rear springs, you can ruin the "bounce frequency" of the car.
The BF is important if you want the car right. Back in the 1930's GM made a video (movie?) of a car with no shocks and GM OEM springs.
Drove it around and it stayed level. That's because the BF of the F+R springs matched. Then used a variety of different springs F+R and the car was absurd, bouncing very differently F+R. When you buy a set of 4 new springs for any given car, they are BF matched to keep the car level as you drive (as close to level as the road allows).

This is B/S....You'd be lucky to get a mile before snapping an axle or 2

 

[Reacher]

This is B/S....You'd be lucky to get a mile before snapping an axle or 2

Really?

GM OVER THE WAVES - Bing video

www.bing.com

 

[Reacher]

Calling B/S?
Rude but also ignorant, as in lacking facts.
The movie says when both the F+R springs match. That's confusing until you consider. The front is heavier, so a match for a soft F spring in the rear would have a softer spring rate. On those 1938 cars it was typical that the F spring rate of 300 lbs/in would be matched by a R spring rate of only 100-150 lbs. Later a GM full size car had a F rate of 444 and a rear rate of 154. The rates of a 1994 Impala.
The 1960 US Impala was a 119" wheelbase and in 1960 Holden fashioned it's new unibody car at 118.5", using engineering and spring rate info from US GM.

 

[Fu Manchu]

Understand if you want it to sit flat/level, it’s going to look like it’s got 15 bags of cement in the tray. The back will look like it’s a lot lower than the front (even if it’s not)

I’d be looking to get the same gap between the wheel and the wheel arch rather than have the ute sitting level.

 

[Reacher]

Understand if you want it to sit flat/level, it’s going to look like it’s got 15 bags of cement in the tray.

While true, cosmetically, level will improve the handling and braking considerably.

I’d be looking to get the same gap between the wheel and the wheel arch rather than have the ute sitting level.

Happily, the aftermarket springs F+R I recommended will do exactly that. Best of both worlds and it will ride better.

 

[Reacher]

Calling B/S?

Bad idea.
F+R springs matched in bounce frequency education:

Vehicle Dynamics - Ride Frequency, Roll And Pitch Analysis - Student Projects

The Vehicle Dynamics software toolbox provides a variety of tools for analyzing motion in vehicles. Ride frequency, roll and pitch analysis are available as well as many other vehicle dynamics calculations. Explore more with Skill-Lync.

skill-lync.com

One poster yelped B/S then got set right by many other posters:

SPRING FREQUENCY - Automotive suspension engineering - Eng-Tips

We have come across some suspension guys who bounce cars up & down for 1 min,shocks,sway-bars etc disconnected to get a spring frequencey figure. They say they

www.eng-tips.com

 

[Fu Manchu]

While true, cosmetically, level will improve the handling and braking considerably.


Happily, the aftermarket springs F+R I recommended will do exactly that. Best of both worlds and it will ride better.

Having done both with my VE Calais, the braking and handling was far better with a slight rake on the car but same gap between wheel and guard.

The first version with the car level was a **** show for looks and handling.