Coilovers advice anyone?

[SixGun]

Anyone have some advice on coilovers for my vw-powered Fiat 600 race project?

Not sure what the final weight will be, but stock curb-weight is 585kg...... everything stripped out, but add full cage, and i think it will be around the same as stock, maybe more.

[Mike Lawless]

It's not really the weight that needs to be held up like it would be in a conventional live axle type of rear-end. The forces of acceleration also need to be counteracted. It really all depends on how the rear is set up. Swing axles require quite a bit more spring than an IRS thing does. If the axles are short, even more.

The good thing is that coils are relatively inexpensive. When I did the IRS & coil over set-up on the Blue Car, I went with 550 Lb/In spring because that's what most cars had. They were too stiff. I ended up with 450 lb/in. I get good movement without being overly "squishy".

My friend Pat Downs on the other hand, swing axle Pro Stock beetle, has 750 lb/in springs, and he thinks it still squats too much. There are those that use much less. A notable exception is Beau Judge. I don't know about now, but the car was built with anti-squat geometry from the start and had 120 lb/in springs. There's no doubt the car works, as he has won several events with it.

So, I'd say start with what most use and see how the car acts. Like I said, coils are inexpensive.

[Jon]

A notable exception is Beau Judge. I don't know about now, but the car was built with anti-squat geometry from the start and had 120 lb/in springs. There's no doubt the car works, as he has won several events with it..

This sounds very interesting, any more details? Pictures? Irs, swing or fourlink?
Thanks

[Mike Lawless]

A notable exception is Beau Judge. I don't know about now, but the car was built with anti-squat geometry from the start and had 120 lb/in springs. There's no doubt the car works, as he has won several events with it..

This sounds very interesting, any more details? Pictures? Irs, swing or fourlink?
Thanks

It's an IRS deal with longer ladder bar style trailing arms. I know the pivot point of the trailing arms are high, but that's about all I can tell you. There's some stuff about it on the UAC, although you'll have to dig.

[spanners]

  A given Spring rate is only one factor in selecting the spring for the job, assuming we are talking of 'coil rate' ie the amount the spring will compress with the load applied " directly at the spring" , the installed rate with the same spring will be different on different cars of apparently the same type, but it is a function of the leverage exerted on the spring by the suspension, the stock a arm IRS exerts a lot of leverage to the spring, but modify things and  move the spring perch along the arm to near the wheel and it will see a lot less leverage, and so can use a softer 'coil rate', one reason why the stock super Beetle Mac strut coil rate is just a mere 80 lb/ins.

[SixGun]

Okey thanks, i`ll find a setup to start with, and then change the coils if needed.