puzzled?????

[Ramrodz37]

Hey guys and gals, me again with another question for you to ponder. This one has to do with coilover springs. I've noticed that some springs come stamped with spring rates and others are not, but they all seem to come color coded. My question, is the color coding a universal standard or does each manufacture use their own color code for defining their spring rates???
The only info I've found on color coding is the Aldan American site that uses the same colors to define spring rate, no matter what the lenght is.

I'm trying to figure out what the rate of the KYB shocks on my jag IRS, they have a red/white paint code..

[Chad]

Do you have any local stock car guys around??? They will have a spring rate checker...you could toss them a few bucks or a few brewskies and have them check the rating for you and the you will know exactly what you have.....

[johnny37]

If the springs are Aldan or TCI All American, then there will be a paint dab or two on the end of the spring. This color or color combination codes back to the spring rate. I think you're going to have to either determine who made the springs you have, or as was already suggested go to a spring shop and have them test the rate for you.

[Ramrodz37]

I'm not sure who made the springs (no identification marks) and they don't just have dabs of paint, they have a 1" strip of white paint and a 1" strip of red paint running the length of the spring. I checked KYB's site and seems they only deal with the inner shock and nothing to do with the spring itself.
I'm just wondering if the paint code is an industry standard, do all spring manufacturers use the same color code to represent spring weight...(ie red/white code is #450 spring rate for Aldin Eagle, would QA1 or TCI be the same rate with a red/white code?????

[d.w.]

I'm not sure who made the springs (no identification marks) and they don't just have dabs of paint, they have a 1" strip of white paint and a 1" strip of red paint running the length of the spring. I checked KYB's site and seems they only deal with the inner shock and nothing to do with the spring itself.
I'm just wondering if the paint code is an industry standard, do all spring manufacturers use the same color code to represent spring weight...(ie red/white code is #450 spring rate for Aldin Eagle, would QA1 or TCI be the same rate with a red/white code?????


Unfortunately, paint codes aren't an industry standard... TCI to Aldan are even different, even though they're both "street rod" springs. As mentioned, your best bet is to get someone to check them manually.

[34ford]

:rolleyes:What you can do to measure your spring is use a scale below the spring .then put a bottle jack on top of the spring and push the spring 1 inch and check the pressure on the scale .Now I have a work bench with a shelf on it and its the right height to get this all in and do ,,but you can improvise .I did it this way and it was close enough to determine spring rate .

Bob

[Ramrodz37]

Thanks Guys.
Now that I know that the paint codes are not an industry standard, (TCI ((which I haveon the front))and Aldin ((the only paint codes I have found on the net))are different) I am totally in the dark. Looks like the bathroom scale and bottlejack is the way I'm going to approach this as I'm a "doityuorselferkindaguy" with half of the tools needed to get the job done (bottlejack).

[d.w.]

not to be rude, but how high does your bathroom scale read?

[Ramrodz37]

d.w. that's the part I don't have yet, kinda figured it would have to be a heavy weight scale though.