greatgonzoglenn

Ok, I've heard all the comments on how good a composite spring is vs a steel spring, but has anybody compared a NEW steel spring to a composite? I am leaning toward the composite, but all this talk of breaking, cracking and chips from driving makes me concerned. If you replaced your old clapped out steel spring with a new composite, I would imagine it would ride better, hence the question vs. NEW steel spring. Thanks in advance. :flag

Van Steel

Just remember that new steel springs have different spring rating also some are chaper than others. The chaper the spring the flatter it will go sooner With in 6 months. What ever way you go will be good, just rember to put the heat shield on the bottom of the rear to help the heat from getting on the spring. See our new webb site http://www.vansteel.com Order on line and recived a 5% discount.

1Bad69

i had a composite spring in there when i bought the car and it cracked on me...there was only around 1000 miles on the spring but it was about 5 years old...i had the steel one still which he kept when he replaced it so i put it back in...feels a little softer with the steel one...

Metal Wulf

I replaced my old wore out flat spring with a new steel one, the only thing noticed was that I could see over the nose better since the butt was now at the proper height :D

I only put about 20 miles on it and that was during the ride home where it's been parked ever since(october). So I can't give a really good review.

ddecart

A steel spring has one big thing that a composite spring doesn't have....FRICTION. There is a good amount og inter-leaf friction in a steel spring. That does 2 things:
1) It makes the ride over small bumps more harsh because the bump has to input enough force to overcome that friction before the spring does any 'springing'
2) It makes the car more 'bouncy' with a composite spring unless you also change the dampers (shocks). That friction will act as a shock absorber by trying to stop the spring from moving once it starts going.

Other than those 2 things, the springs should perform essentially the same for a given spring rate. The composite spring is lighter by a good bit, but is suceptible to heat damage, or Bubba-damage (like putting the dog-bone retaining bracket on upside down so it digs into the spring, which Bubba did to my car).

norvalwilhelm

I would like to switch to a composite spring but I need a shorter then stock length so this would involve a custom spring and they get pricy in Canada. Has anyone ever shortened a composite spring. I have never seen one up close. Can I just remove the existing end, cut it off and reattach the old end. This would make the price reasonable.

killain

The TRW spring I have on my Vette is and has been great. But it was still more comfortable new than a New steel spring would have been. The steel spring would have lost some of it's ride over the years and the composite spring still has it's brand new spring rate. That is the beauty of the composite spring.