PetRock

I've almost filled a large ziplock with assorted spare springs from various RC's I've owned. Most I can pair up by colour... but is there an easy way to compare them to each other? i.e. I have 10 pairs of springs and in the end I've sorted them by stiffness?

I can sort some at a course level by squeezing them... but others I've had to mount and look at ride height since they've felt so close. Is there a better way?

RCmayor

iTrader: (9)

You could probably use a digital scale and compress the springs 1" and take a measurement. Use a ruler to show when you have compressed the same amount on each. Not exact, but it is probably more accurate than using fingers.

KAWIDAD

iTrader: (24)

Losi makes a shock matching tool($20) that as long as you make sure each shock is egual, you could compare springs. Once you have figured out your pairs, nail polish is a good way to mark springs.

Hoese37

iTrader: (5)

Count the coils. More coils means softer spring.

Stealth_RT

iTrader: (5)

Only if the wire diameter is the same.

Easiest way to compare two springs is slide them both over a dowel or tool handle, end to end, and compress them both. The first spring to bottom out all the coils is the softer one. Just don't let them slip or they'll shoot across the room.

asc6000

iTrader: (15)

smooth wood dowel marked with measurements, washer on top of a digital scale, compress to each marking on the scale of the dowel and measure the weight, compare and mark as desired.

speedy_w_beans

iTrader: (1)

I've used a hobby vise, digital calipers, and a digital scale to measure springs in the past.

Spread the calipers and clamp one end between the rubber jaws of the hobby vise. Lay the digital scale on top if the hobby vise between the ends of the calipers.

Place a spring on top of the scale and measure its mass, say 7 grams. Then start closing the calipers until they just start to touch the spring. Zero the calipers. Then close the calipers by a known amount, say 10.00 mm. Then read the mass from the scale. As an example, it might read 560 grams.

The spring rate is the change in mass over the change in distance. In this case it's (560-7 grams)/10.00 mm = 55.3 grams per millimeter. To covert into pounds per inch, multiply by .056. In this example the spring rate would be about 3.1 pounds per inch.

rcgod

iTrader: (33)

http://www.acxesspring.com/spring-fo...alculator.html

I've used this calculator and it works well. Take a few measurements with calipers, plug in the numbers and you get the spring rate.

Odin544

iTrader: (93)

The mass of the spring does not change. The force exerted by the spring will.

speedy_w_beans

iTrader: (1)

You are correct. The mass of the spring is constant at 7 grams in this example. The reading on the scale isn't actually grams, though, it's gram-force with an assumption about the acceleration due to gravity. By taking two readings at uncompressed and compressed states, we find the change in gram-force over a change in distance to find a spring constant. Then multiply by the appropriate conversion factor to state the spring rate in other units.

The scale reads grams, but it's really measuring gram-force.

lbenton

iTrader: (48)

I assume to just test the springs you could do this with just dry shocks? Would seem like the least complex way to pair them up.

kempower2000

That's exactly how I do it...it gives you a pretty good idea!

I place a digital scale in between 2 lipos(on their side). I place the spring on the scale and use hard ruler(unbendable) to press the spring down until the ruler touches the lipos.
Like that you can push each time equally as hard/far on all springs. Just write the scale readings down for all your springs and you have your own spring comparable chart.

Gayosaka

Thanks you mate! Really cool tool, at least I'm able to do my own spring shart

lbenton

iTrader: (48)

Shart ?????

Not sure I want to be around when you start springing those...

Autocratic

iTrader: (26)

What do you select for spring material?