H&R springs collapsed?

[boomer03]

Hello all,

I put some H&R springs on a couple of weeks ago. The ride was awesome for about 100 k's. Parked the car for a week and on the next drive it wasn't so nice. Bottoming out after going over speed humps. Harsh ride. Had a look and found the rear springs look like this. Please tell me this is not normal...

 

[shane_3800]

If the ride height hasn't changed then that's how the would've been the whole time. It's not common to see bind on a spring but it's likely made like that to keep the springs trapped on rebound.

 

[boomer03]

Thanks Shane. I'll give it another drive or two. If that's the case though, does it mean that only the un-binded parts of the spring do any work? Or does the binded section unbind when the suspension drops, like when you go over a bump? I'm just interested in the mechanics of it all.

 

[vc commodore]

Thanks Shane. I'll give it another drive or two. If that's the case though, does it mean that only the un-binded parts of the spring do any work? Or does the binded section unbind when the suspension drops, like when you go over a bump? I'm just interested in the mechanics of it all.

I'd be returning them...The only time I have seen springs like that is when they have failed.

As for a comment about them being trapped on rebound...Yes they are and no they're not surposed to be

Springs are surposed to bounce and rebound....The shock controls the amount of bounce and rebound...

 

[shane_3800]

Thanks Shane. I'll give it another drive or two. If that's the case though, does it mean that only the un-binded parts of the spring do any work? Or does the binded section unbind when the suspension drops, like when you go over a bump? I'm just interested in the mechanics of it all.

Yes the binded section will expand on rebound. Weather the springs are meant to be like that or not I do not know. But I can tell you there would've been a ride height change if they sagged.

 

[losh1971]

Mine look like those, a little bound. It's the way my springs came. I have Lovells and the ride is beautiful, compared to stockers.

 

[shane_3800]

I'd be returning them...The only time I have seen springs like that is when they have failed.

As for a comment about them being trapped on rebound...Yes they are and no they're not surposed to be

Springs are surposed to bounce and rebound....The shock controls the amount of bounce and rebound...

Well you obviously have not seen many springs. Tein coil overs run a binded section instead of tennor coils. It's about keeping the spring trapped during rebound as this keeps the correct preload on the coil. In some cases you can tune the suspension by allowing a small amount of non preloaded play on the coil.

 

[shane_3800]

Mine look like those, a little bound. It's the way my springs came. I have Lovells and the ride is beautiful, compared to stockers.

It's more common for the spring manufactures to bring the coil close to bind in the weak section. The closer the coils are together the weaker that coil will be. So progressive rate coils will have a section with closer to helical coils then the coils will get progressively closer changing the spring rate in that section.
When a section is in bind it becomes 100% stiff so then only the section not in bind is at play. Once pressure comes off a wheel like in heavy cornering the binded coils will open back up then provide a nice smooth transition from rebound into bump.

 

[losh1971]

Yeah mine are progressive on the rear, which have the close loops, even unladen.

 

[vc commodore]

Well you obviously have not seen many springs. Tein coil overs run a binded section instead of tennor coils. It's about keeping the spring trapped during rebound as this keeps the correct preload on the coil. In some cases you can tune the suspension by allowing a small amount of non preloaded play on the coil.

Probably not...I know you do 5 cars a day and I do that many in the first 2 hours, so I guess you see more than me....

If it were me, those coils would be going back and would advise customers the same...