What spring rates are you guys running on your coilovers?

In a previous thread I was having issues getting the desired lift (2.5'') with 650lb coils on my coilovers. Thread: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/coilover-spring-rate-help.505463/#post-15813074

To solve this issue I bumped up to some 700lb coils thinking that would be more than enough, but even with the preload maxed out (for 700lb coils you can preload them 1.5'') I'm still only getting about 1-1.5 inches of lift. I even thought I may have accidentally gotten some 650lb coils, but I verified the part number and they are in fact 700lb. With my previous setup with bilstein 5100's and OME 883 coils, I was getting the desired lift of 2.5 inches.

I'm pretty confused as to why the OME 883 with a 590lb spring rate is giving me the right lift, but a 700lb coil on my coilovers can't...

Below are a couple measurements before and after swapping from the 5100's to the coilovers. Measurements are from the ground to the edge of my fender flare.

5100's: 39.75'' driver, 40.50 Passenger

Coilovers: 38.5 driver, 39 passenger

The picture angle makes the truck look like it has more lift then it really does.

Current setup:

 

I'd say get a longer spring, 650 should have been plenty, you just needed a longer spring. For the most part our springs have a linear spring rate. For example if the 700lb spring is 12 inches long, it takes 700lbs to compress one inch. Now assuming you bought the same length coil between the 650 and 700 lb spring. It would only take 50 pounds more to sit at the same ride height as the 650lbs. Now this doesn't mean you should get heavier springs as this will reduce ride quality and on hard hits where you would be deflecting about 3-4 inches on a 800lb spring that's 2400-3200 lbs that is being applied to the strut towers. So instead get longer 600 or 650 springs. This way you can maintain ride quality and get the ride height that is desired.

 

Lift is achieved by coil length and preload, not spring rate. With a tube bumper and no winch it's going to ride pretty stiff with 700 lb/in coils.
What is the free length of the coils you are using?

 

The free length is 14''

 

The 650's I was running were 13'' long, and the 700's I just put on are 14'' long. I'm a little worried about going to a longer coil, because it may bind up under compression. I think Icon recommends 14'' as a max length.

 

Well figure what the compressed length is of the shock, and of the springs and then you can figure out how long of spring to get. Does it feel stiff with the 700 lb, what do you have on the front of your truck? Winch, plate bumper etc.(Nevermind, just looked back at the pic of your truck) Have you changed lower control arm bushings recently? If so were they torqued after the truck was on the ground? Or torqued too much?

 

With my 5100 setup I had OME 883 coils (590lb spring rate) and I preloaded the hell out of them to get them on the 5100's. The ride height was perfect and it wasn't too stiff

So should I put the 650lb coils back on my coilovers and just preload them a ton as well?

 

The shocks do feel pretty stiff with 700lb coils. The 650 coils felt better for comfort but I had them preloaded to the recommended maximum amount of preload and I could only get about 1'' of lift out of them. The 700 coils are only giving me about another 0.5-0.75'' of lift over the 650's. I'm tempted just to put the 650's back on and preload them past what Icon recommends.

I think the bushings are fine. They are are torqued right and work fine with my 5100 setup.

 

If it feels stiff with the 700 and you're not getting the lift something doesn't sound right. I'd get in touch with OME and see what the max coil length should be. Do you have to compress the springs to put the coilovers together, or does the coil just go on and you tighten with preload?

 

Yeah it's very strange, and I just can't get over the fact that a 590lb coil would be perfect on the 5100's, but a 700lb coil on my coilovers isn't...

The coils I'm currently running are Icon, not OME. I gave Icon a call and they said the 14'' 700lb coil is their longest and stiffest coil. I did have to slightly compress it (maybe an inch) to get it to go on the coilover.

 

Maybe you'll have to get an different, longer coil. Like from king or fox

 

Did you ever find any answers? I have old Swayaways with the same issue. I ran the 650# 13" springs initially but they could not hold the weight. Replaced with 700# and the truck settled to where it is now 22.5" DR side and 22.75 PS side, center of hub to fender. That is with 1.25" of threads above the collar DR side, 1.5" PS side.



ETA:

Fender to ground with 255/85r16:

38.25" DR side

38.5" PS side

 

I have my springs pretty dialed in now. I'm running 650's with a little more preload then desired, but the truck rides nice and I'm getting the amount of lift I'm looking for now.

 

I'm running 14x700 Kings on my coil overs and they're just about perfect. I have a ton of extra weight hanging way out on the front of my double cab, and it takes a lot of work to get them to hit the bumpstops, ride quality is also good.

 

I think you will find the wire diameter of the heavier spring rate coils is thicker that the lower rates coils.

How did the place you bought the coil overs from recommend you set the preload on the springs? That adjuster is to set preload and is not a "ride height" adjuster. There is a possibility that if you over adjust the preload you are essentially shortening the spring and that can lead to coil bind and with that you start breaking things because you have not more give and it becomes one solid rod from the lower control arm to the shock tower mount.

 

I’d be interested in your new measurements re: fender height and coilover preload if you have time.