How to properly setup helper spring?
 

Hi all,

I have always wanted to ask this question for a long time: on the rear coilover for my FD, it has a helper spring below the main spring. Now, with my car jacked up and the rear shock goes to full droop, what is the helper spring supposed to look like for final installation. Is it supposed to be fully compressed or fully extended?

To help better illustrate, I have taken 2 photos:


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...4496a1c5d2.jpg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...003bf1627f.jpg

Picture 1 is what it should look like. You don't even need helper springs with your setup. All the helper spring is supposed to do is keep the spring on the upper spring perch when jacking up the car.

If your main spring is not loose when you jack up the car, helper springs are not needed.

+1

This entirely depends on the driver and the environment you're driving the car in.

#2 is preferred (eliminating effects of helper spring) on a progressively sprung car (Bilstein PSS9 for example) in which you give up a little comfort for a much more linear response.

These types of helper springs do ONE thing well, and that's keep spring pressure on a strut type car during droop. If you didn't have them, you'd just add 1/8" preload to the springs and be done.

The helper spring is fully compressed as soon as the car is on the ground, so this is not valid. The response is the exact same with or without the helper spring.

Thanks guys for all your input! The rear spring is 18k, while the front spring is 16k. In addition, the rear spring is about 180mm, which is 20mm shorter than the front spring. RE-Amemiya did this for a reason, and I wonder why.

You have less travel and didn't need as long of a spring. It is just extra weight.