24/05/2026
CAR SPECIFICATION – Effect on set up and spring rates.
What spring rate is best for my car is a question we get asked daily! The short answer is there is no definitive answer as it will depend upon the car specification and use. Every coilover customer will receive an email from us asking for the specification and use of their car and the tyres they are using. Here is why:
Road Surface - The most important thing for a vehicle is to have the tyres in contact with the road surface as much as possible. So the first thing you need to consider is; how smooth is the surface you’re driving on, and how bumpy is it? The smoother the surface the higher the spring rate can be and in race cars on semi and full slick tyres, the higher spring rates will help generate more heat in the tyres, getting them into their operating temperature window and improving grip.
Use of the car - Drifting vs racing example. The main aim of drifting is to drive as fast as possible whilst maintaining sideways angle of the car, so in most scenarios overall acceleration and power is more important than stopping and turning. Whereas in a race car, braking capability and front end steering is just as important as forward momentum. So drift cars usually run a lot softer springs on the rear, allowing more squat = more grip. If a race car used the same rear spring, there would be less weight over the front of the vehicle, creating less grip on the front, impacting steering and braking.
Powertrain - Let’s use RWD vs FWD for this example. You’ll notice that the springs on the back of a FWD race car are usually much stiffer than the springs on the back of a RWD race car. Now this is mainly due to weight transfer of the vehicle, you want to keep weight over the driven wheels of the car to maintain grip during acceleration.
Tyre Compound - A road tyre will have a much softer side wall than a semi or full slick tyre, so you need to be cautious of running higher spring rates, as the tyre will be taking much more force from the downforce, this will lead to more heat being pushed into the tyre and may cause the tyre to ‘roll over’. A semi or full slick however has a hard sidewall and requires a lot more heat to become stickier, therefore a stiffer spring rate will push the tyre into the ground, creating more friction and more heat, utilising the tyres capabilities.
For more information check out our suspension tuning guide:
https://gazcoilovers.com/gaz-suspension-tuning-guide-28-w.asp
