Coil Springs - BOMBARDIER 1996 Ski-doo MX Z440 Handbook

Coil Springs

The free length
of a coil spring is the length with no load applied to the spring.
The spring rate of a coil spring is defined as the amount of force required to compress the spring
one inch. 'If a 100 pound-force compresses a spring 1 inch it is referred to as having a rate o~
100 lb / in (pounds per inch). If 150 pounds of force is required to compress a spring
1 inch then it would have a rate of 150 lb) in (see following illustration).
I
I
Most springs are designed as a straight rate spring. This means that the spring requires the same
force to compress the last one inch of travel as the first one inch of travel. Example : A 100 lb/in
rate spring will compress one inch for every 100 pounds applied. A force of 200 pounds will
compress the spring 2 inches. A 300 pound force will compress the spring 3 inches and so on. The
150 It) /in rate
spring will require
this spring 3 inches it will require a force of 450 pounds (see following illustration).
100
SPRING RATE = 100 Ibf / in
150 pounds to compress the spring each one inch.
Section 03 CHASSIS PREPARATION
150
SPRING RATE = 150 Ibf / in
03-5