Progressive rate anyone?

[fordkrazy]

Ok ive been wondering now how to get a higher rate or progressive rate out of the 95+ tortion bars....well i thought about taking some off a f150 and shortening them and machineing a new hex for the adjuster but that is too much work....then i thought....hey if i just change the pivot point then the rate will be increased....so i looked at them and they go right under the frame....perfect for a rubber bump that would go on the rear.

so what do yall think about this....might keep from bottoming out so hard.

 

[X~FACTOR]

I'm pretty sure this has been discussed before not long ago. I think it was James T who said that putting a stiffer tortion bar would raise your truck which would normally sit at, say, 30" from the ground, would now sit at 31". So why not raise it to 31" and be done with it.

 

[james t]

changing the pivot point may actually work. i dunno, need sleep. cant think straight. but, it sounds like a good idea....

 

[IAmTodd]

Originally posted by X-factor
I'm pretty sure this has been discussed before not long ago. I think it was James T who said that putting a stiffer tortion bar would raise your truck which would normally sit at, say, 30" from the ground, would now sit at 31". So why not raise it to 31" and be done with it.

Note that this is in the seriously lowered section, he doesn't want to sit higher. If anything probably lower.

 

[fordkrazy]

yea that was my thread too..... but it origionally was about shocks....

well i am going to price some different bumps for different cars...take measurements and so on....ill get back w/ everyone

p.s.- i think some are missing the concept of a higher rate...and please use rate when refering to springs cause stiffness is so vague and can mean alot of things. a higher rated spring takes more energy to compress...now if its the same length as the lower rated spring then yes it will sit higher...but shorter to keep the ride height the same and limit compression....and to an extent extension.

the thing with our tortion bars is the hex key...thats why flipping it lowers it more...it takes the twist out...its like a shorter spring that has the same rate....my idea w/ the stiffer bar was just too complicated to be feasable.

 

[james t]

Originally posted by fordkrazy
the thing with our tortion bars is the hex key...thats why flipping it lowers it more...it takes the twist out...its like a shorter spring that has the same rate....my idea w/ the stiffer bar was just too complicated to be feasable.

not true about flipping the adjuster. its really like a same length spring with less rate. THAT is why flipping the adjuster makes it sit lower. remember, a torsion bar's rate is variable dependent upon the preload set upon it. with the adjuster flip done, its like having Civic springs under the X. there is not enough spring rate.

 

[fordkrazy]

well i would agree with that to a certian extent.....however metal is metal and the rate is set when its cast/rolled....remember the law of physics...for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction...well this applies to the tortion adjusters...it adds a load in the opposite direction the metal wants to bend...therefore it pushes the suspension arm down creating a higher ride....when the load is removed it lowers the ride height but it still takes the same amount of force to move it(rate)....flipping the adjuster takes even more load off the bar which is why it will sit even lower.

 

[james t]

Originally posted by fordkrazy
when the load is removed it lowers the ride height but it still takes the same amount of force to move it(rate)....flipping the adjuster takes even more load off the bar which is why it will sit even lower.

not true. for instance-

take my explorer, bone stock. lets say that i weigh 200lbs. if i sit over the left front tire, i compress my suspension exactly 1". if i did the torsion adjuster flip, and there were no limiting factors (ie- bumpstops, balljoint binding, etc.) if i sit on it now it compresses 1 3/4 inches. thus, the spring rate has been reduced. i know its hard to understand, but trust me. preload on a torsion bar DOES change spring rate....



*the numbers above are not exact, and were used just for arguments' sake.

 

[platnumized02]

I agree with James T as you reduce preload on the torsion bar spring rate does change. Just think about it like this the more weight you take off of the torsion bars the more you put on the shocks. The shocks alone can't hold up the weight of the xplorer. Thats why every dropped x with torsion bar suspension on factory shocks bounces.