SwayAway gurus: coil question

I'm looking into a new bumper and winch right now, I fear that I will have to crank my SAWs down even more to accomodate the weight, and it might preload the spring too much and make for a crap ride. I have the SAW 2.0s, Race runner.

What I want to do is just figure out the weight and get the appropriate Eibach (or any brand) coil-spring.

Would I be better off getting a higher rated spring at the same length as the current spring, OR get the appropriate rate spring at the +2" lift so I can have the adjustment collar at the top, instead of cranked 1/2 way down.

Would there be much benefit to having a longer spring as opposed to a shorter spring if the weight load was the same?

I would rather have a longer spring= less threads showing for asthetics, but is there any pro/con?

Thanks in advance

 

c'mon nobody? bump

 

OK. So the SAWs are adjustable, I can just screw the to adjusting nut up or down to lower or increase the height of the front. If I lift the front, via the adjustment nut/collar, at some point I will be able to create enough preload to acommodate the extra weight of a bumper/winch. The spring currently on there will work.

...But I'd rather get a longer coil with a higher rate so that I can have the adjusting nut/collar all the way at the top but still achieve 2-3" of lift, and not cause binding and shortening of the coil as Chris mentioned.

I know I could just get the same length spring with a higher load rate for the bumper/winch; I know how to figure out spring loads and preloading, etc, but I figure I might as well get a longer one too for ride quality and looks; I don't like the look of having the collar cranked 1/2 way down.

Look in the picture below: I'd like to have the same amount of lift but have the coil go all the way to the top of the threads; not have 3" of threads showing. I think that having a longer spring would make for a better ride than a shorter spring..?

 

Damn you have that cranked half way down the shock. I would get a heavier spring

 

Ha!, They aren't that bad now, that's a picture from when I first put them on, I've lowered it over 1" since that picture (it was just a good reference for my question).

And actually they work great and ride great as they are now; I spent a good chunk of time fine tuning them. But once I get the extra weight up front I don't think they'll handle it well.

I'm also a bit concerned about how a higher rate spring will work with the current valving of the shock... I guess I can worry about that later tho.

 

I replace the stock springs on my saw 2.0s with eibach in the equivalent. They are 650lb spring. I think they are 14" long.

It rides much better then before and handles the bumps much better. Mind you this is with stock bumper.

 

You could always go with a longer spring of the same rate if you like the current spring rate

 

mine are exactly the same.

I have about 3" of thread showing which gives me around 2.5" or so lift

 

FYI: the stock coils the come with saws SUCK. I replaced mine with Eibach in the same size and rate and had to back off on the driver's side (couldn't on passenger side) and got a little more lift and a LOT better ride.

 

Did your SAW's not come with eibach coils?

 

For what its worth, I have the newer SAW 2.0s that came with Eibach 650#, silver colored coils. They've been on the truck since last May. About a month ago I installed a Relentless Fab plate bumper and a Smittybilt XRC8 winch. The winch and bumper weighed in a 160#, a net gain of 130# over stock.

I can feel the added weight just a bit, seemed to have smoothed out the ride a little. I was expecting to see some sag from the added weight and have been checking for it but so far there is zero settling. No change in ride height so far.

 

Ok, so I think I've gone and overthunk this.

The current spring on there is a SAW 2.5x13 650lb with stock bumper.

A little math: right now the 13" spring sits at 10" under current weight; also cranked down 2.5 inches for lift.

So(?) if I got a 690lb spring (at the same length), for example, the spring wouldn't be compressed as much to achieve the same height (less turns down on the collar).

So this means that basically I have 2 options: 1. Same length spring at a heigher weight-rate, or 2. Same rate spring at a longer length.

Either of those will equal same lift but collar at top, not cranked down 2.5". Si?

 

No I got them used. They were 2 years old last January.

 

Just go with the higher spring rate. When I get my front setup (bumper and winch), I know I will not need any different springs, because these eibachs will handle it unlike the stock SAW coils (red).

 

Another interesting tidbit, at some point, SAW ditched the 13" red coils like I have (at 650) and now they use a 14" silver coil (at 650); this allows a bit more spring travel and less cranking on the collar.

 

The fellow at SAW said basically that too. Upgrade to the silver (Eibach) springs, same rate at 650 but 1" longer.

Thanks

 

And because their coils sucked and sagged like crazy so they went with a trusted/proven brand.

 

About 6 or so months ago I called them and thats what they told me, was to get the eibachs.

 

any idea on the cost for these?