Standard RS2 Front Springs / S2 springs (not A/C)

[Rusty]

Requests and questions all in one post - crazy behaviour!

Standard RS2 front springs that someone has lying around please - I believe these will fit a coupe front strut?

Set of standard S2 springs (from car without air conditioning as I believe they're softer? If thery're the same then I may politley refuse the offer, sorry!). EKTA to be consulted. I believe these will fit a standard S2 rear strut as I remember that S2_ANT had a pair of front H&Rs on his coupe?

Not willing to pay silly money for the RS2 stuff as this is for R&D into a new coupe spring setup that 4WheelDrifter and I have formulated durng a VERY long journey. I know the price of a set of H&Rs so this has to be very substantially cheaper to make it worth trying!

Please either post or PM me with what you have.

Aso, if anyone has information relating to the spring rates of the standard ABY front springs, rear springs and RS2 front springs then please let me know. I am looking at the possibility of an RS2 front, S2 front on the rear setup to give more focussed handling and improved stance whilst maintaining standard rideheight and more ride comfort than the H&R option. I'm also trying to achieve something different for less money, as ever!

[s2driveruk]

i've got a complete set of s2 springs but they are for an a/c equipped car. I doubt it would make any difference on the rears though?

[Rusty]

Cheers but I'm after a set of front springs to put on the rear and am after the softer non AC springs to avoid a real shock! Cheers anyway.

[Jamo]

RS2 front springs are the same as S2 aircon springs mate i.e the same part number.

The rear springs for aircon and non aircon on the rear are the same IIRC.

I have S2 springs front and rear for the Coupe lying around in my garage non aircon I think

[Rusty]

Yes please to the springs if you don't want much for them.

EKTA lists the RS2 springs with and without AC too as the same part numbers. Cheers for the heads up. Will try a set of non AC springs on the rear and see if it's mental or not!

[Jamo]

Nah beer money.

I'll have a look this weekend mate and tell you which ones I've got

[Rusty]

Cheers mate. Coming up north for the bank holiday so might try and arrange to pick them up then if we can sort it out.

Have got severe ring worm now so already trying to get the car handing and stopping better, BOs was just so much more focussed that I've decided to start compromising mine to get it ready to track more. Might even put soem poly bushes into the white beast!

[mcandmar]

Interesting idea, heres a short list i put together years ago, as mentioned only the front springs differ with AC cars.

Front:
3B,ABY = 2 Orange, 1 Blue, 1 White (two blue with AC)
7A = 1 Orange, 3 Pink (1 Orange, 1 Green for AC)

Rear:
7A = 1 Silver, 3 Blue Rear 895 511 115AC
3B, ABY = 2 Silver, 1 Orange Rear 895 511 115
NG, AAH, ABC = 2 Pink, 3 Blue Rear 895 511 115B (Sports Running Gear)

[Rusty]

Cheers. Do the colours actually mean anything or are they to do with the batch / testing etc. to enable matchin a pair of springs?

Looking like a complete front setup on the rear... just got to get the struts and dampers now...

[mcandmar]

Colours tell you what they are, i.e. which car the spring is out of. I would love to find the specs for the colour codes that lists there sping rates, just to see how much firmer an AC car is to a non AC car etc.

[Rusty]

This was prompted by a recollection that S2 Ant had two pair of front H&Rs on his coupe so why not two pairs of front standard springs with the AC option offering some tuneability.

Linky to Ant's post

[S2central.net]

Theres lots of variants as Mark says for 7A, 3B and ABY but there is also the V6 machines to consider too - with and without aircon - quite a list of springs but I dunno the ratings and lengths unfortunately. This could be quite a project for someone in a scrapyard - LOL !

[Rusty]

Of course! I've lined up some S2 springs from Jamo and I'll have a look on EKTA at what else is available tomorrow. I love this trial and error stuff, all in the name of tuning on a budget!

Paul, you're not inferring that I'm a scrap yard tuner are you

[Rusty]

Could do with getting the spring rate of the H&R rears and comparing it to the original fronts from the 80 range. If there is a spring of standard rideheight and of similar spring rate then in combination with some H&R fronts, it would give a more aggressive (DTM styleeeeeeee) stance and similar handling characteristics (ignoring the raised COG over the H&R setup) and from S2 ANT's post it would appear that the fronts are a lot cheaper than the rears (£70 vs £140).

Apart from the home-spun method of applying a known mass to the spring (either me or the car!) and measuring deflection, does anyone have the facilities to measure spring rate? And does anyone have a set of H&Rs that are waiting to go onto a car that they are willing to test? OR is there already this data kicking around somewhere?

Somehow I find the researching of tuning almost as exciting as actually doing it!

[S2central.net]

I think starting with a known mass and measuring deflection is a reasonable starting point, for this project but it would certainly be useful if someone can get access to a proper spring test machine that calculates the rating.

It would take a couple of hours alone just capturing all of the data from E(T)KA on the variety of front springs across the 80 series thru the years. So far I have only found reference to spring differences mentioned on the family album in respect to with or without aircon on the Coupe quattros... I assume they all have the 'sports' suspension in terms of having same ride height. I expect the 80 saloons and avants may be higher ride height.

Something to think about putting these front springs into the rear is that because of the reduced weight at the back of the car is that the ride height might be larger than you expect. So whilst you might get a cheaper spring with a more desireable rating it might need to be shortened for the rear application...

Just a thought is all - not teaching anyone to suck eggs here as I've been away a few weeks and don't know how much detail has been discussed on this subject.