Spring rates, how they differ and affect ride/application

CammedS197

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Okay guys long post. Please school me here, really want to learn how these all affect ride, driving, turning, and drag and how to choose what you want and how each one differs and progressive and linear. I’ve seen one set where front is progressive and rear is linear then most are stiffer up front and softer in the rear (at least I assume 24lb/in is stiffer than say 200lb/in) correct me if I’m wrong. Best examples I can find are the BMR springs since they have a “drag” front (150lb/rear 160lb), “handling” (front 240lb/rear 200lb), and “street” (front 165lb/rear 160lb). I’m currently running SR springs which are progressive front (230lb/rear 200lb). They are very comfortable, not too soft but not too stiff and handle great. Haven’t done launches at a strip but doesn’t squat like the stocks did. What are the stock rates? I want to stay a 1.5” drop. I have BMR LCA’s and the relocation brackets and panhard bar. I’m looking for just 12’s in the ¼ even just a 12.99. I’m full bolt on with Lito tuning and I’ll be running the SVE drag wheel and tire set up with the skinnies up front as well. I’m used to the higher number up front and lower in the rear Ex: BMR handling springs which are 240lb/200lb vs the BMR drag springs which are 150lb/160lb. How do these affect ride, turning, and drag applications weight transfer left to right and front to rear? I was going autoX/road course route but now going more drag but it’s also a daily and I still like to do spirited driving and have fun turning. I know you WANT great weight transfer in 1/4 and keep it there. I’m going to be running strange engineering on all 4 corners so those should help as well correct. I want to keep 1.5” drop which is why I’m interested in the BMR springs. What will be different mainly between the “street” and “drag” springs? I remember how the stocks were and lots of body roll and weight transfer to the rear. Now they weren’t bad, I’d run if they were at the ride height I am now, just way too much 4x4 action there lol. But saying that, how do stocks compare to the BMR “streets” and “drag”? Do the shocks and struts play a role in how the ride is or mainly the springs? If say I had the BMR “drag” springs and I loved them in the ¼ but too soft around town with spirited driving, could I just stiffen up the shocks and struts and it would be more to my liking? Only rebound so nothing crazy to do to it. What exactly or how exactly does progressive work vs linear? I have an idea like progressive: gets stiffer as it compressed and linear is the same stiffness through the whole compression.

Thank you for all responses guys. Car is a 2006 FBO 3 valve.
 

RocketcarX

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I have had a few different spring and shock/strut combos, I'm currently on the new BMR drag springs.
The normal 1.5in drop springs from pretty much everybody ride firmer and do not increase rear transfer, basically the step the stock springs up to the next level without being over done. I had the Strange adjustable struts (set to 6), new rear Ford shocks and my car was on rails but ALWAYS blew the tires off on a launch, even with drag radials and the 15x10 Racestars out back.
With the BMR springs I'm running the same Strange adjustable struts up front (set to 6 unless I'm racing), the same stock Ford shocks in the rear, no front sway bar, and 15x10 Racestars with 275/60/15 Cooper Cobra street tires and the car drives great.
Turns corners at highway speeds no problem and HOOKS when I launch the car now. If I were to put the front sway bar back in I have no doubt it would corner at 90% the level it did with the "sport" springs.
 

CammedS197

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I have had a few different spring and shock/strut combos, I'm currently on the new BMR drag springs.
The normal 1.5in drop springs from pretty much everybody ride firmer and do not increase rear transfer, basically the step the stock springs up to the next level without being over done. I had the Strange adjustable struts (set to 6), new rear Ford shocks and my car was on rails but ALWAYS blew the tires off on a launch, even with drag radials and the 15x10 Racestars out back.
With the BMR springs I'm running the same Strange adjustable struts up front (set to 6 unless I'm racing), the same stock Ford shocks in the rear, no front sway bar, and 15x10 Racestars with 275/60/15 Cooper Cobra street tires and the car drives great.
Turns corners at highway speeds no problem and HOOKS when I launch the car now. If I were to put the front sway bar back in I have no doubt it would corner at 90% the level it did with the "sport" springs.

Rocket, thank you so much. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the personal opinion with them. I plan on keeping all sways on also. From what you described is exactly what I want out of it. Curious, why did you do the ford shocks in the rear and not strange?
 

RocketcarX

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The Strange rears suck, I have a stick car. The Viking shocks I want are like $280 a piece so I'm "getting by" like this. The OEM Ford stuff is better than most stock replacement parts and they sell take offs on eBay for like $30 a pair shipped. Also I am running the Ford Racing GT500 strut mounts, I had C&C plates but the noise was just too much with no detectable improvement.
I'm going to a TH400 transmission, so even when I will be auto the car will hit the tires hard because of the trans brake, so again the Strange shocks wouldn't be up to the task, so I wait, lol.
 

CammedS197

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For my set up just going to be
-BMR drag springs
-Strange shocks/struts
-BMR LCA's
-BMR relocation brackets
-BMR panhard bar
-SVE drag wheel and tire set up
-3.73 gears
-New bushings where needed
-Aftermarket sway bars just for added street fun
-Upper control arm not sure will take inputs. But looking at BMR and converting to the 11-14 style.

That's really all I'm looking at. Just a mild set up for daily and spirited street driving/weekend fun at the strip, nothing crazy. Should be 12 capable I think. Ran once with CAI, catted X pipe and tune and did 13.5 on street tires 235/50/18.

Anything else that can benefit for what I'm doing?
 

CammedS197

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The Strange rears suck, I have a stick car. The Viking shocks I want are like $280 a piece so I'm "getting by" like this. The OEM Ford stuff is better than most stock replacement parts and they sell take offs on eBay for like $30 a pair shipped. Also I am running the Ford Racing GT500 strut mounts, I had C&C plates but the noise was just too much with no detectable improvement.
I'm going to a TH400 transmission, so even when I will be auto the car will hit the tires hard because of the trans brake, so again the Strange shocks wouldn't be up to the task, so I wait, lol.

Ahh okay lol. That bad huh. I can't remember who, but they were saying if N/a go the strange route and if boosted go viking. Plus I do not have the money for those lol. Are you boosted? How do you like the fronts? Good, blah, or not recommend for me? Do you have any personal use on the rears? Curious since I hear good and bad and havent been able to actually talk to someone about them. Would the BMR guys be good to talk to about the spring and shocks? I'm pretty set on the BMR springs. I'd like to have the strange set up. Price is nice of course. I just hope they can do what I want/need/and expect it to.
 

RocketcarX

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For my set up just going to be
-BMR drag springs
-Strange shocks/struts
-BMR LCA's
-BMR relocation brackets
-BMR panhard bar
-SVE drag wheel and tire set up
-3.73 gears
-New bushings where needed
-Aftermarket sway bars just for added street fun
-Upper control arm not sure will take inputs. But looking at BMR and converting to the 11-14 style.

That's really all I'm looking at. Just a mild set up for daily and spirited street driving/weekend fun at the strip, nothing crazy. Should be 12 capable I think. Ran once with CAI, catted X pipe and tune and did 13.5 on street tires 235/50/18.

Anything else that can benefit for what I'm doing?
That's a good assortment of parts, BMR specifically told me as a manual trans car to avoid the Strange rears, you can run the low cost Vikings to 600hp or so IIRC, I think they are like $180 each.

I have most of BMR's catalog in my car.
Strange front struts
GT500 strut mounts
K-member
radiator support
front control arms (poly)
rear lower control arms (heim joint)
rear LCA relocation brackets
panhard bar (heim joint)
stock rear upper control arm at the moment
BMR rear diff poly bushing inset
SR rear sway bar (will upgrade once I brace my diff housing)
4.56 gears and carbon fiber Cobra trac-loc kit


I have the BMR chassis brace and their strut tower brace too, but removed them from the car along with the SR adjustable front sway bar once I got serious about racing because of their weight and the fact they didn't aide straight line traction.
 

CammedS197

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That's a good assortment of parts, BMR specifically told me as a manual trans car to avoid the Strange rears, you can run the low cost Vikings to 600hp or so IIRC, I think they are like $180 each.

I have most of BMR's catalog in my car.
Strange front struts
GT500 strut mounts
K-member
radiator support
front control arms (poly)
rear lower control arms (heim joint)
rear LCA relocation brackets
panhard bar (heim joint)
stock rear upper control arm at the moment
BMR rear diff poly bushing inset
SR rear sway bar (will upgrade once I brace my diff housing)
4.56 gears and carbon fiber Cobra trac-loc kit


I have the BMR chassis brace and their strut tower brace too, but removed them from the car along with the SR adjustable front sway bar once I got serious about racing because of their weight and the fact they didn't aide straight line traction.

Ahh okay. Gotcha. Will probably try and get ahold of a set of those then and do a set up like yours for now tll I get that $$.
 

RocketcarX

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Ahh okay lol. That bad huh. I can't remember who, but they were saying if N/a go the strange route and if boosted go viking. Plus I do not have the money for those lol. Are you boosted? How do you like the fronts? Good, blah, or not recommend for me? Do you have any personal use on the rears? Curious since I hear good and bad and havent been able to actually talk to someone about them. Would the BMR guys be good to talk to about the spring and shocks? I'm pretty set on the BMR springs. I'd like to have the strange set up. Price is nice of course. I just hope they can do what I want/need/and expect it to.

I am told the Strange fronts are the best strut for our cars in any configuration. Eventually I'll be going to Santhford coil overs up front so the Strange are where it's at for me until then.

BMR has never steered me wrong. Kelly helped me set up my car initially and I loved it. I usually talk to the other Ford guy up there these days (I can't remember his name off the top of my head) because Kelly and I got into it over issues with the Strange struts failing and never could see eye to eye on it. He's not a bad guy though, he has helped me tremendously.

They always take the time to answer questions, and hands down they make the best products for our cars, a lot of times they fall in line price wise as well.

My relocation brackets showed up with one stamped backwards, lol, but they sent me another one fairly quickly and I kept it as a souvenir.
 

CammedS197

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Yeah I love their products. The panhard bar was the first I got and since that I really have just stuck to theirs. Thanks for all your info. I'll see if I can't get ahold of them and pick their brains a bit.
 

06StangGT

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For my set up just going to be
-BMR drag springs
-Strange shocks/struts
-BMR LCA's
-BMR relocation brackets
-BMR panhard bar
-SVE drag wheel and tire set up
-3.73 gears
-New bushings where needed
-Aftermarket sway bars just for added street fun
-Upper control arm not sure will take inputs. But looking at BMR and converting to the 11-14 style.

When buying the 11-14 style UCA, do I buy the 11-14 Brace, or the 05/06 brace?
 

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