I cracked/broke a front spring on my Excel Se (1987) yesterday so need to sort a replacement. The car had the Lotus Bits suspension upgrades some years ago and has since had a set of custom Quantum dampers.
The car gets used on track days and I'd like to use stiffer springs as replacements.
Does anyone have any experience of this and suggestions on spring rates?
Thanks
Coil Springs
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Pete Boole
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 3722
- Joined: Tue Apr 04, 2006 21:28
- Model: Elite
- Colour: Monaco White
- Year: 1974
- Location: Nottingham
Re: Coil Springs
My experience probably won't help you very much as it was in an Excel with a 5.7 litre V8 in it. I ended up with 680 lb/in springs at the front (cannot remember what the back was 
). Great on the track - horrible on the road!!
Are your dampers adjustable? Single or double?
Pete
). Great on the track - horrible on the road!!Are your dampers adjustable? Single or double?
Pete
Re: Coil Springs
That sounds like fun!!
The Quantums are single / adjustable.
The Quantums are single / adjustable.
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moriniman
- Junior Poster
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2020 23:27
- Model: Excel
- Colour: White
- Year: 1985
Re: Coil Springs
Stock rates (pre 1989) are;
300 lb/in front
250 lb/in rear.
I have a pair of post '89 rears and they appear to be a little softer.
My '88 is on AVOs with adjustable spring platforms and 2.25" coils and a handwritten note in the back of the workshop manual that came with the car says;
350 lb/in froint
300 lb/in rear
Ride quality is still pretty good, probably in part due to the fact that it has adaptors so the spring load still goes into the chassis, not through the damper top mount. It doesn't use the rubber spring isolators though. Poly bottom bushes are all of course splitting.
Even before I bought this car, I was thinking about suspension for my '85 project Excel. It has dampers with adjustable spring platforms and I've just machined up adaptors to allow use of the spring seat on the chassis and also the isolators.
https://youtu.be/HhPO2el09Cw
300 lb/in front
250 lb/in rear.
I have a pair of post '89 rears and they appear to be a little softer.
My '88 is on AVOs with adjustable spring platforms and 2.25" coils and a handwritten note in the back of the workshop manual that came with the car says;
350 lb/in froint
300 lb/in rear
Ride quality is still pretty good, probably in part due to the fact that it has adaptors so the spring load still goes into the chassis, not through the damper top mount. It doesn't use the rubber spring isolators though. Poly bottom bushes are all of course splitting.
Even before I bought this car, I was thinking about suspension for my '85 project Excel. It has dampers with adjustable spring platforms and I've just machined up adaptors to allow use of the spring seat on the chassis and also the isolators.
https://youtu.be/HhPO2el09Cw
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Hawaiis0
- Senior Poster
- Posts: 4154
- Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 18:39
- Model: Excel SA (No 3); Elite 504
- Colour: BRG; Dirty White
- Year: 1986
- Location: West Oxfordshire
Re: Coil Springs
I think the 350/300 rate is for the SA with the heavier gearbox
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!
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moriniman
- Junior Poster
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2020 23:27
- Model: Excel
- Colour: White
- Year: 1985
Re: Coil Springs
The auto box isn't made of cast Iron you know!
The part numbers only differ between pre and post '89 cars, not between base, SE and SA.
The note, written on a blank page at the back of the manual almost certainly refers to the spring/damper kit fitted to my car.