Lighter Rear Lift Springs

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Joined
May 25, 2010
Threads
14
Messages
218
Location
Colorado Springs
After loads of researching, I'm not really finding an upgraded rear spring for my 200. I have Kings in front with 550lb springs (10% stiffer) and they ride fantastic, but the lightest springs I can find for the rear are 250lb (47% stiffer). I have Dobs MRRs in back (to give me many tuning options depending on use and rear load) and I'm trying to bring the rear up ~1.5" and stiffen it a touch, but nearly 50% more seems excessive for me (especially since I just added E range tires).

I plan to keep the rear pretty light day-to-day and will be adding airbags for whenever I do load it up or tow, but for daily duty I want to keep it plush while getting rid of some of the wallow. I can control some of it with the Dobs, but damping is only part of the equation. I know ride is really subjective and springs are relatively cheap and I can order a handful and try things out, but is the 200 just so undersprung that something like a 200lb spring (~20% stiffer) doesn't make sense? Or am I just looking in the wrong places?

I came across one thread that ran through some rest-of-world 200 spring options, but there was nothing really conclusive.
 
Check out this thread
 
Thanks, I saw that thread and was hoping it was missing some springs. The Trail Tailor's Tourflex mentioned there have decent spring rates but are a lot taller, so I have no idea what's going on there...but it's moot cuz I can't find anything else about them.
 
I like your approach to tuning. I never quite understood the draw of such increased spring rates with the compromises they have to ride quality, but also articulation. Intuitively, it's easy to understand how it gets much stiffer in compression, potentially limiting up travel. But in droop, it also unloads far quicker reducing traction to tires that are reaching down.

As I understand it, dimensionally 100-series and even 80-series coils have a good chance to fit. Maybe stiffer springs for those rigs might just get you the right incremental change you're looking for?

Perhaps another strategy is to use coil spacers to get the desired ride height. Paired with airbags to augment spring rate?
 
Perhaps another strategy is to use coil spacers to get the desired ride height. Paired with airbags to augment spring rate?
This is almost certainly what I'm going to end up doing. I know there's a Bilstein spring that's a similar rate to stock and gives 1.75" advertised lift. Those paired with airbags might get me what I'm looking for, but I have no experience with airbags and not really sure how they affect things. I imagine I'll chase my tail a bit tweaking the MRRs and different pressures in the bags, so wanted to pin down as many variables as possible.
 
This is almost certainly what I'm going to end up doing. I know there's a Bilstein spring that's a similar rate to stock and gives 1.75" advertised lift. Those paired with airbags might get me what I'm looking for, but I have no experience with airbags and not really sure how they affect things. I imagine I'll chase my tail a bit tweaking the MRRs and different pressures in the bags, so wanted to pin down as many variables as possible.

Yes: I started with these. Actual lift was about 1.5”

Rode amazing empty, had perfect rake

But once put in drawers, tools, and fridge they sagged almost over a full inch and it was noticeable immediately. Went to OME 2721 and it’s a lot better, but I think it can be improved even more still, saga continues

No air bags here. But I had them on my 100 because I had a 300lb dirtbike hanging off a hitch rack. When bike was on, set bags to stock height which I think was about 15-20psi , when bike was off, empty bags. Worked great
 
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