Eibach Pro kit lowering springs

[specialguess]

Hello everyone,

I have a question for you guys that have installed Eibach lowering springs or have seen it done.

Which way is up? The box doesn’t say which way is up neither does the website. I really don't to install the springs upside down.

I have started with the rear, the spring that was in it before is actually broken and so worn out I can not tell the difference between the top and the bottom if you compare the old spring and the new spring.

Hopefully someone can tell me which way is up.

Thanks in advance

[nizmainiac]

i've got some jamex springs in front of me and as far as i can tell there is no up or down, nice engine bay by the way

[specialguess]

i've got some jamex springs in front of me and as far as i can tell there is no up or down, nice engine bay by the way
Thanks for the quick reply.

On the Eibach rear lowering spring there are a few coils really close together and on the other end of the spring the coils are far apart. Trying to find out if I should put the end with the coils close together on the top or on the bottom

Thanks for the comments on my engine bay

[nizmainiac]

i would put them towards to bottom

[Mr Project]

I put the 'dead' coils (the ones really close together) at the bottom in the rear springs. It's been working fine for me...not really sure that it matters.

[specialguess]

Thanks for the info guys. It really helps

[SnakeyesTx]

The tighter coils usually go on the bottom with all springs.

[Martin in Bellevue]

Somewhere in the literature, there was mention of installing the springs to read right side up. This is in reference to the 'Eibach' oval logo on a coil.

[Qube]

A little off track, your sig pic is a little too big/tall (unless you're Winfred ;) ), but it's nice.

[pundit]

Funny I've just fitted Eibach Prokits to the front of my E34 and am about to fit the rears and I was thinking the same thing.
If the are supposed to be fitted with the Eibach logo the right way up that would put the closely spaced coils at the top... not at the bottom.
With the fronts the coil spacing appears symmetrical.

[BillionPa]

i put the fronts read up, and the rears read down, since on the rear thats the only way i could get the spring compressor on there, working fine so far.

[pundit]

Hello everyone,

I have a question for you guys that have installed Eibach lowering springs or have seen it done.

Which way is up? The box doesn’t say which way is up neither does the website. I really don't to install the springs upside down.

I have started with the rear, the spring that was in it before is actually broken and so worn out I can not tell the difference between the top and the bottom if you compare the old spring and the new spring.

Hopefully someone can tell me which way is up.

Thanks in advance
Here's your answer from the FAQ section (http://eibach.com/cgi-bin/htmlos.exe/03196.6.1873200781200017812) of the Eibach website...

Q. Is there a hint how to install the Pro-Kit spring?
A. Yes! The springs have to be installed that side up that you can read the printing.

[specialguess]

Thanks for the input and the info..You guys were a great help.

[Thayne]

Make sure to post some pics afterwards! I would love to see how it turns out! Thinking of picking up some lowering springs myself. :)

[632 Regal]

close wound towards stationary end, IE close wound towards body side which would be top. also the eibach springs have printing on them which should read right side up as installed.

[aston_jag_tech]

The close wound are suppose to give you the "stiffer" feeling when driving hard and the further apart windings still give you "comfort" feel. Am I right everyone???

[632 Regal]

sorta, the close round ate the buffer which has more weight so that wouldnt be on the constantly moving end, thus causing more unsprung weight (in a way) and ...i forget. just supposed to be in the lower movement area.

The close wound are suppose to give you the "stiffer" feeling when driving hard and the further apart windings still give you "comfort" feel. Am I right everyone???

[specialguess]

Here are some pictures of the springs

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/2390000-2390999/2390887_23_full.jpg


http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/2390000-2390999/2390887_24_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/2390000-2390999/2390887_25_full.jpg

If you read the lables/wording the coils close together are at the bottom (for the rear)

[nizmainiac]

if you haven't put them on yet, put the tighter would coils to the bottom

[jrobbo]

The close wound are suppose to give you the "stiffer" feeling when driving hard and the further apart windings still give you "comfort" feel. Am I right everyone???

I'm pretty sure it's the other way around. The tighter coils are softer, and are there to soak up smaller bumps, but the windings that are further apart are stiffer, and are there for larger bumps.

John

[nizmainiac]

the tighter coils take more to compress them , they act like a helper spring that you would see on some coilovers , but its more of a race application , you see them more on gt cars and wrc cars depending on the situation, ie surface and weather

[pundit]

Okay it appears Eibach have screwed up with this.

Here is what Eibach states regarding spring orientation from the FAQ section (http://eibach.com/cgi-bin/htmlos.exe/03196.6.1873200781200017812) of the Eibach website...

Q. Is there a hint how to install the Pro-Kit spring?
A. Yes! The springs have to be installed that side up that you can read the printing.

Here is the picture of the rear spring you posted...

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/2390000-2390999/2390887_24_full.jpg

So based upon that the tighter coils go at the bottom.

HOWEVER!!!... my Eibachs have the printing the other way up which means the tighter coils should be at the top.
I don't have my camera with me at the moment or I would post a pic.

[jrobbo]

Consider how a torsion rod suspension works, like on early Alfas. Basically you have a straight steel rod that gets twisted, and that's the spring. The shorter the rod, or the thicker the rod, the harder it is to twist it.

A spring is essentially just a torsion rod that is wound up. You make a spring stiffer in 3 ways, you either reduce the diameter, use thicker steel, or reduce the number of coils. Reducing the diameter or reducing the number of coils is exactly the same as as shortening a torsion rod, and hence more effort is required to twist it.

Regards

John

[pundit]

I just rang Eibach Australia and they said it makes no difference which way up the springs are fitted... so go figure?

[Thayne]

I just rang Eibach Australia and they said it makes no difference which way up the springs are fitted... so go figure?

Good to know. :)

[specialguess]

Wow thanks guys...

[Brandon J]

For the Sachs kits, they use matched Eibach springs, the close coils are at the top and have a plastic tubing part that goes around the coils to help with noise. I have had it this way for the past 5 years and they work extremely well.

Does it matter which way? Perhaps it does. I like how the spaced out coils are at the bottom, as those are first to react to the lower moving parts (since the upper is fixed to the car) when dealt with a bump or irregular road surfaces. The suspension hits up and uses the spaced out coils first. I like the tighter springs at top as the body pushes weight down on tight turns so the closer coils help with the vehicle's weight. The body pushes down so the tighter/closer coils react as the first moving part of the spring. This has worked extremely well for me for a compliant yet tight handling e34.

So in a nutshell,
spaced out coils below = handling the lower weight suspension/wheels and bumps
Closer coils above = to handle the heavy e34's weight on cornering

[pundit]

For the Sachs kits, they use matched Eibach springs, the close coils are at the top and have a plastic tubing part that goes around the coils to help with noise. I have had it this way for the past 5 years and they work extremely well.

Does it matter which way? Perhaps it does. I like how the spaced out coils are at the bottom, as those are first to react to the lower moving parts (since the upper is fixed to the car) when dealt with a bump or irregular road surfaces. The suspension hits up and uses the spaced out coils first. I like the tighter springs at top as the body pushes weight down on tight turns so the closer coils help with the vehicle's weight. The body pushes down so the tighter/closer coils react as the first moving part of the spring. This has worked extremely well for me for a compliant yet tight handling e34.

So in a nutshell,
spaced out coils below = handling the lower weight suspension/wheels and bumps
Closer coils above = to handle the heavy e34's weight on cornering

I fitted mine with the close coils at the top, and the printing the right way up.
However as Eibach states their springs should be fitted with the printing right way up, but then manufacture their springs with the printing either way I thought I'd give them a call.
As I said in a previous post, Eibach Australia said it makes no difference.
However they have added to the confusion by not being consistant with their own recommendation.

[Brandon J]

I'm pretty sure it's the other way around. The tighter coils are softer, and are there to soak up smaller bumps, but the windings that are further apart are stiffer, and are there for larger bumps.

John

I did some searching....Here are some references broadening the spectrum for other progressive springs that use the same physics philosophy. There is no helper spring for the Eibach progressive springs so the whole spring is the same thickness wire.

If you look at the mounting for the Vogtland spring on the mustang, you will see the tighter coils at the top: http://www.yellowmustangregistry.com/vogtland.html

Here is one for an FK product on a VW: http://www.performancedriven.co.uk/shop.product.asp?catID=43

If you look at H&Rs coil over (1 piece spring) you will see the tighter coils are at the top even for the rear springs: http://www.hrsprings.com/site/index.html

Again, both have the tighter wound coils at the top. On another note, one way the progressive springs increase its rate is by stacking the coils itself from the tighter coil side upon heavy load and cornering.