Coil Springs First Level Category
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Landrum Elite Series racing coil springs are Landrum’s premium line of conventional racing springs, developed for racers who demand exceptional consistency and repeatable performance from their suspension. Designed with IMCA and UMP dirt track competition in mind, Elite Series springs provide precise, dependable spring performance for demanding circle track racing applications.
Elite Series springs are manufactured from high-tensile chrome-silicon steel and preset to solid height to help maintain their free height and spring rate through repeated use. Each spring is individually rate tested to a ±2% tolerance and includes a dyno sheet documenting its tested rate, providing racers with verified spring performance they can rely on when setting up and maintaining their race car.
What Makes Elite Series Racing Coil Springs Different?
High-Tensile Chrome-Silicon Steel
Elite Series racing coil springs are made from USA-made high-tensile chrome-silicon alloy steel chosen for its strength, durability and ability to maintain consistent spring characteristics under the repeated compression and extension of racing use.
Spring Engineering and Design
Advanced spring-design software and proven engineering principles are used to develop Elite Series springs with precise, repeatable performance throughout their working range. Landrum also draws on input from racers and chassis builders to develop spring designs that address the requirements of competitive dirt track applications, including IMCA and UMP racing.
Preset to Solid Height
Elite Series springs are preset to solid height during manufacturing to help stabilize the spring and minimize changes in free height during use. This additional manufacturing step helps the spring maintain consistent dimensions and performance through repeated racing cycles.
Individually Rate Tested
Every Elite Series racing coil spring is individually tested to confirm its actual spring rate. Each spring is supplied with a dyno sheet documenting its measured performance, providing racers with verification of the spring they are installing on the car.
How Are Elite Series Racing Coil Springs Tested?
Each Elite Series spring is compressed through its working range to measure load in relation to spring travel and verify its actual rate. The spring must test within ±2% of its specified rate, helping ensure consistent, repeatable performance from one Elite Series spring to another.
Which IMCA and UMP Race Cars Use Elite Series Racing Coil Springs?
Elite Series racing coil springs are used across a range of IMCA and UMP dirt track classes. For racers looking for dirt modified springs, Elite Series applications include IMCA Modifieds and SportMods as well as UMP Modifieds. Elite Series springs are also used in IMCA Hobby Stocks, UMP Late Models, Sportsman, Super Stock, Street Stock, Factory Stock and other circle track classes with conventional coil spring suspension configurations.
What Sizes and Rates Are Available for Elite Series Racing Coil Springs?
Landrum Elite Series racing coil springs are available in multiple diameters, free lengths and spring rates for front and rear suspension applications. Available Elite Series configurations include:
Front Coil Springs (5″ and 5.5″ OD)
- 5″ OD x 9.5″ Length – Rates: 300 lb./in to 800 lb./in
- 5″ OD x 10.5″ Length – Rates: 300 lb./in to 450 lb./in
- 5.5″ OD x 9.5″ Length – Rates: 400 lb./in to 1200 lb./in
Rear Coil Springs (5″ OD)
- 5″ OD x 11″ Length – Rates: 125 lb./in to 350 lb./in
- 5″ OD x 12″ Length – Rates: 175 lb./in to 300 lb./in
- 5″ OD x 13″ Length – Rates: 50 lb./in to 350 lb./in
- 5″ OD x 16″ Length – Rates: 50 lb./in to 250 lb./in
- 5″ OD x 20″ Length – Rates: 50 lb./in to 75 lb./in
How Do You Find an Elite Series Racing Coil Spring?
Use the Landrum Parts Finder to view available Elite Series racing coil springs by diameter, length and spring rate, or contact Landrum for additional product information.
What Happens to Spring Rate When Racing Springs Are Stacked?
Stacking two racing coil springs creates a combined spring rate that is lower than the rate of either spring used individually. In this video, Landrum demonstrates the effect using a scale and load cell, then explains how to calculate the resulting spring rate when two springs are used together.
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What Are Front Drag Racing Coil Springs?
Front drag racing coil springs are taller than OEM springs and use softer rates to give a car the correct ride height while providing more stored energy for instant weight transfer to the rear tires during launch. This helps to improve traction and contribute to more consistent 60-foot and quarter-mile performance.
Landrum Performance drag racing coil springs are produced with superior materials and manufacturing techniques to deliver the performance, reliability, and consistency you need to win.
For What Vehicles Are Landrum Front Drag Racing Coil Springs Available?
Landrum drag race springs are available for the front suspension of GM vehicles and are offered in configurations to fit OEM A-Arms and Aftermarket A-Arms with no modifications required. Springs with a 5” outer diameter and 18” length are available for 1964-1972 GM vehicles, and springs with a 5.5” outer diameter and 18” length are offered for 1973 and newer models.
All front springs are closed and ground on one end to provide proper contact with the frame. The opposite end is either open to properly fit into the lower control arm of OEM A-Arms or closed for Aftermarket A-Arms.
How Do Front Drag Racing Coil Springs Work?
A taller, lower-rate front spring compresses farther under the vehicle’s weight than a shorter, higher-rate spring while maintaining the desired ride height. This increased compression stores more energy in the spring and provides additional extension travel.
During launch, acceleration unloads the front suspension, allowing the spring to release its stored energy and extend. As the front suspension rises, the chassis rotates rearward, helping transfer load to the rear tires. This increases available rear-tire traction and helps the car put power to the track more effectively.
Spring rate, spring length, available suspension travel, and shock settings work together to control how quickly and how far the front suspension extends during launch.
What Are the Benefits of Drag Racing Coil Springs for the Front Suspension?
When used in the front suspension, drag racing coil springs can provide several performance advantages:
- Improved weight transfer: Helps shift load toward the rear tires during acceleration.
- Better rear-tire traction: Increased rear-tire loading can help improve traction during launch.
- Greater suspension travel: Provides the extension travel needed for effective front suspension movement.
- More controlled launches: Helps manage front-end movement during the initial portion of the run.
- Improved consistency: Helps make suspension movement and weight transfer more repeatable from pass to pass.
- Ride-height control: Maintains the desired static ride height while providing usable suspension travel.
What Metal is Best for Drag Racing Coil Springs?
Landrum uses high-tensile chrome-silicon alloy steel for drag race coil springs as it provides the strength, resilience, and fatigue resistance required for demanding drag racing applications while helping the spring maintain consistent rate and free height over repeated compression cycles.
How are Front Drag Racing Coil Springs Manufactured?
- Springs are powder coated and not plated, which avoids hydrogen embrittlement, a condition that can be caused by electroplating and can weaken metal.
- Every Landrum front drag racing coil spring is tested to verify that it is within 2% of its specified rate. A dyno sheet showing the test results is included with each spring.
- The drag racing springs are designed with the correct pitch and height ratio to ensure a consistent rate throughout the entire compression cycle.
What Front Drag Racing Coil Spring Rates are Available?
Our Front Drag Racing Coil Springs are available in a range of rates:
- 150 lbs./in.
- 165 lbs./in.
- 180 lbs./in.
- 200 lbs./in.
- 225 lbs./in.
- 250 lbs./in.
The appropriate spring rate depends on factors such as vehicle weight, front-end weight, suspension configuration, and intended application.
Frequently Asked Questions About Front Drag Racing Coil Springs
What is the Difference Between Drag Racing Coil Springs and OEM Springs?
Front drag racing coil springs are typically taller and have softer spring rates than OEM springs. Their greater free height allows them to compress farther under vehicle weight while maintaining the required ride height, providing greater stored energy and more available suspension extension.
What Is Stored Energy in a Drag Racing Spring?
Stored energy in a drag racing spring is the potential energy created when the spring compresses under the vehicle’s weight. The amount of stored energy depends primarily on spring rate and how far the spring is compressed from its free height. A longer, softer spring stores more energy than a shorter, stiffer spring under the same load because it compresses farther while maintaining a similar installed ride height.
Do Front Drag Racing Coil Springs Change Ride Height?
Front drag racing coil springs can maintain the desired ride height despite being taller than OEM springs. Their softer spring rates allow greater compression under vehicle weight, resulting in the intended installed height.
How are Front Drag Racing Coil Springs Kept from Bowing?
Landrum drag race springs are cold wound, not hot wound. Each is properly heat treated and stress relieved to ensure the sides of the spring remain parallel during installation.
See our drag racing spring technical information for additional technical and application information.
Spring Compressor for 18-Inch Front Drag Racing Coil Springs
Landrum’s spring compressor is designed to make installation of its 18-inch Front Drag Racing Coil Springs easier.
This Spring Compressor makes it easy to install our 18” Front Drag Racing Coil Springs. Standard spring compressors just aren’t long enough to properly compress 18” springs, but our spring compressor is. The spring compressor is inserted through the top shock absorber opening and a long length threaded rod allows the compressor fingers to reach down to the bottom of the spring. A position adjustable bearing located toward the top of the rod seats on the top of the shock opening so the threaded rod turns freely when the spring compressor is tensioned or loosened.
Retail Price: $169.00
To purchase a spring compressor:
- Add a spring compressor to your Front Drag Racing Coil Springs order.
- Or purchase a spring compressor separately.
See Spring Compressor Instructions
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This Spring Compressor makes it easy to install our 18” Front Drag Racing Coil Springs. Standard spring compressors just aren’t long enough to properly compress 18” springs, but our spring compressor is. The spring compressor is inserted through the top shock absorber opening and a long length threaded rod allows the compressor fingers to reach down to the bottom of the spring. A position adjustable bearing located toward the top of the rod seats on the top of the shock opening so the threaded rod turns freely when the spring compressor is tensioned or loosened.
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Landrum Gold Series racing coil springs are high-performance linear-rate springs engineered for dirt and pavement circle track racing. Available for front and rear suspension applications in a wide range of sizes and spring rates, Gold Series springs combine high-tensile chrome-silicon steel, precision manufacturing and individual rate testing for consistent, predictable suspension performance.
For more than 25 years, Landrum Gold Series racing coil springs have been a trusted choice for racers who demand consistency, reliability, and winning results. Gold Series springs deliver the predictable and dependable response racers count on lap after lap.
What Types of Race Cars Use Gold Series Racing Coil Springs?
Gold Series racing coil springs are primarily used in dirt and pavement circle track racing, with applications ranging from Modifieds and Late Models to Sportsman, Super Stocks, Street Stocks, Factory Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Pure Stocks and other stock-car and purpose-built racing classes.
While circle track racing is the primary application, Gold Series springs are also used in road racing, autocross and other forms of motorsports where racers need a wide selection of spring diameters, free lengths and spring rates for front and rear suspension applications.
What Makes Gold Series Racing Coil Springs Different?
High-Tensile Chrome-Silicon Steel
Gold Series racing coil springs are manufactured from USA-made high-tensile chrome-silicon alloy steel selected for strength, durability and consistent spring performance through repeated compression and extension cycles.
Spring Engineering and Design
Landrum uses advanced spring-design software and proven engineering principles to develop Gold Series linear-rate springs that provide consistent, predictable performance throughout the spring’s working range. We also work closely with racers and chassis builders to design and produce springs that meet the specific requirements of their racing applications.
Individually Rate Tested
Every Gold Series racing coil spring is individually tested to verify its spring rate and is supplied with a dyno sheet documenting spring performance through compression.
How Are Gold Series Racing Coil Springs Tested?
Each Gold Series racing coil spring is compressed through its working range and tested to verify that its actual spring rate is within ±2% of the specified rate. Testing measures the relationship between load and spring travel to confirm the spring performs at its intended linear rate.
What Sizes and Spring Rates Are Available for Gold Series Racing Coil Springs?
Landrum Gold Series racing coil springs are available in multiple diameters, free lengths and spring rates for front and rear suspension applications. Available Gold Series configurations include:
Gold Series Front Racing Coil Springs
- 5” OD Front Springs (8” Length): Rates from 400 lb./in to 1000 lb./in
- 5” OD Front Springs (9.5” Length): Rates from 400 lb./in to 1550 lb./in
- 5.5” OD Front Springs (8.5” Length): Rates from 400 lb./in to 1400 lb./in
- 5.5” OD Front Springs (9.5” Length): Rates from 400 lb./in to 1500 lb./in
Gold Series Rear Racing Coil Springs
- 5” OD Rear Springs (8” Length): Rates from 125 lb./in to 450 lb./in
- 5” OD Rear Springs (10.5” Length): Rates from 100 lb./in to 475 lb./in
- 5” OD Rear Springs (13” Length): Rates from 100 lb./in to 475 lb./in
- 5” OD Rear Springs (14” Length): Rates from 100 lb./in to 400 lb./in
- 5” OD Rear Springs (15” Length): Rates from 75 lb./in to 275 lb./in
- 5” OD Rear Springs (16” Length): Rates from 75 lb./in to 375 lb./in
- 5” OD Rear Springs (18” Length): Rates from 75 lb./in to 125 lb./in
- 5” OD Rear Springs (20” Length): Rate of 100 lb./in
How Do You Find a Gold Series Racing Coil Spring?
Use the Landrum Parts Finder to view available Gold Series racing coil springs by diameter, length and spring rate, or contact Landrum for additional product information.
How Does Stacking Racing Springs Affect Spring Rate?
In this video, we demonstrate how stacking two racing springs affects the combined spring rate. Using a scale and load cell, we show why two springs of the same rate produce a lower combined rate and explain the equation used to calculate stacked spring rate.
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What are Progressive Coil Springs?
Progressive coil springs have a variable spring rate that increases as the springs compress, providing a softer initial response and progressively greater resistance as suspension load and travel increase.
How do Progressive Coil Springs Work?
Progressive coil springs use varying coil spacing to control how the spring responds throughout its travel. As the spring compresses, the closely spaced coils contact each other and become inactive, a process known as coil bind. With fewer active coils carrying the load, the spring rate increases progressively through compression.
What Are the Benefits of Progressive Coil Springs?
Progressive coil springs can improve traction, weight transfer, suspension control, and handling by providing different spring characteristics throughout suspension travel. Thereby improving performance in areas such as corner entry stability, mid-corner control, forward bite, and corner-exit traction.
- Improved traction: The softer initial portion of the spring can help the tire maintain contact with the track.
- Better weight transfer: Initial spring movement allows weight to transfer more readily during acceleration, braking, and cornering.
- Increased support under load: As the spring compresses, the increasing rate provides additional resistance to suspension movement.
- Better control through travel: The changing rate can provide compliance early in travel while adding support deeper into compression.
- Reduced bottoming: The higher rate later in travel can help prevent excessive suspension compression.
- More tuning flexibility: Racers can use the changing rate to influence handling at different stages of suspension travel rather than relying on one fixed spring rate.
- Improved performance on changing track conditions: The broader operating range can help the chassis remain more adaptable as grip levels and loads change.
We worked closely with racers to develop Landrum Progressive Coil Springs, ensuring they deliver the performance, durability, and long-term consistency you need.
What is the Difference Between Progressive Coil Springs and Constant Rate Coil Springs?
While constant rate coil springs are wound to have equal spacing between the coils, coil spacing of progressive springs varies with narrow spacing at one end of the spring, and wider spacing at the other.
- Constant rate coil springs compress at a linear rate, meaning rate of force needed to compress the spring a certain amount remains the same. For example, a spring with a 300 pound-per-inch linear rate (also known as the rate of deflection) will compress one inch when 300 lbs. of compression force are applied. The spring will compress another inch if an additional 300 lbs. of force is added, and so on.
- With Progressive rate coil springs, the rate of deflection increases as the as the spring is compressed. The spring has a softer rate at the beginning of its range of travel. So, it can cushion small compression forces and shock loads. As compression forces increase the spring progresses to a higher rate to handle larger compression forces.
Built for Strength, Durability, and Consistent Spring Rates
Landrum Progressive Coil Springs are produced from the highest-quality, US-made High Tensile Chrome Silicon Alloy Steel, providing superior strength, reliability, and consistent performance without losing free height, even after repeated coil bind.
Produced using cutting-edge design and manufacturing technology to deliver proven durability and the most consistent spring rates in the industry.
Every spring includes a dyno sheet showing it meets Landrum’s strict ±2% rate specification.
What Progressive Coil Spring Sizes and Rates Are Available?
Landrum Progressive Coil Springs are available in a 5-inch OD, 13-inch length, with four progressive spring rate options.
Diameter: 5” OD
Length: 13”
Rates:
- 125-300 lb./in.
- 150-350 lb./in.
- 175-400 lb./in.
- 200-450 lb./in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do the two numbers in a progressive coil spring rate mean?
A rate such as 125–300 lb./in. indicates the spring operates through a range of spring rates. It begins at a lower rate and progresses toward a higher rate as the spring is compressed.
Can Landrum Progressive Coil Springs be compressed to coil bind?
Landrum Progressive Coil Springs are engineered to withstand repeated compression to coil bind without losing free height or performance. Their High Tensile Chrome Silicon Alloy Steel and manufacturing processes help the springs resist permanent deformation.
What does ±2% spring rate tolerance mean?
A ±2% rate specification means the tested spring rate is held within 2% of its specified rate. Landrum tests its springs and provides a dyno sheet documenting spring performance.
Why is a dyno sheet included with each Landrum spring?
The dyno sheet provides measured performance data for the individual spring, allowing racers to verify its characteristics rather than relying only on a theoretical spring rate. Landrum’s technical documentation says its dyno sheets provide load data throughout spring displacement.
See how progressive coil springs work.
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What Are Stock Appearing Double Pig Tail Rear Springs?
Stock Appearing Double Pig Tail Rear Springs are springs made to resemble black painted stock double pig tail springs and are made for circle track and drag racing classes requiring stock appearing springs and don’t require use of spacers or weight jacks.
All springs are coated black for a ‘stock’ appearance and come in 7″ OD x 14″ sizes, with a range of rates to provide the spring configuration you need for the best handling, traction, and overall performance.
What Makes Landrum Stock Appearing Rear Springs Durable, Consistent and Reliable?
Landrum Stock Appearing Double Pig Tail Rear Springs are made to be durable, hold rate specification and not lose free height. In other words, they’re built to race hard, stay consistent, and perform strong race after race.
What Steel are Landrum Stock Appearing Double Pig Tail Rear Springs Made From?
Our springs are made of only the best US made High Tensile Chrome Silicon Alloy Steel. Known for its high strength-to-weight ratio, the wire’s alloy mix makes for springs that are lightweight yet exceptionally strong, ensuring superior performance without adding unnecessary mass.
Why Don’t Our Springs Lose Free Height?
Landrum springs are engineered and manufactured to deliver accurate, consistent performance throughout their range of travel and can repeatedly go to coil bind without losing free height or performance. This is made possible by using superior materials and advanced manufacturing processes:
- High Tensile Chrome Silicon Alloy Steel Wire – is known for its excellent elasticity, meaning it can be compressed or stretched and return to its original shape. Making it an ideal material for manufacturing springs.
- Landrum’s Cold Winding, Heat Treatment and Stress Relief Process – increases the spring’s durability and ability to resist deformation under pressure.
How Accurate are Landrum Springs?
All Landrum Stock Appearing Double Pig Tail Rear Springs are tested to be within 2% of rate specification. This is documented by a dyno sheet that is included with each spring showing tests results.
What Spring Rates are Available for Stock Appearing Double Pig Tail Rear Springs?
- Available Rates: 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, and 300 lbs. per inch
- Tip: Full size GM & Ford applications have an overall spring height of 14″ with a 7″ OD.
Are Landrum Stock Appearing Double Pig Tail Rear Springs Only for Racing?
Stock Appearing Double Pig Tail Rear Springs aren’t just the best rear coil springs for Stock Car, Street Stock, Hobby Stock, Factory Stock and Drag Racing, they’re the perfect performance springs for high performance street cars too.
Additional Landrum Performance Springs technical information can be found here.
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Landrum Performance Stock Appearing Pig Tail Rear Springs are for circle track and drag racing classes that require stock appearing springs which use only one pig tail hookup and don’t require use of spacers or weight jacks.
The 5.5” OD Stock Appearing Springs are available in 9” and 11” lengths and are painted black for a stock appearance. A wide range of spring rates makes it easy to find the rate you need. Springs are closed and ground on both ends to fit stock mounting points.
Landrum Stock Appearing Pig Tail Rear Springs are built for those who demand the best spring performance and provide the reliability and durability you need to win.
If you need stock appearing double pig tail rear springs we have 14” free length springs available in a wide range of spring rates. You can see them here.
Premium Quality Materials and Manufacturing
- Landrum Performance Stock Appearing Rear Pig Tail Springs are produced with the highest quality US made High Tensile Chrome Silicon Alloy Steel Wire for strength and reliability.
- Landrum pig tail springs are cold wound, which creates steel that is stronger and harder than hot wound steel and allows for more exacting tolerances.
- Landrum springs have the tightest tolerances in the industry and are guaranteed to hold their tolerance to 2%. We prove it with a dyno sheet included with each spring.
Stock Appearing Pig Tail Rear Springs – Sizes
- 5.5” OD
- Available Free Lengths: 9” and 11”
- 9” Free Length Available Rates: 300 and 350 lbs. per inch
- 11” Free Length Available Rates: 150, 175, 200, 225, 250, 275, 300 and 350 lbs. per inch
Tip: Ford Mustang and GM metric chassis stock pig tail spring size is 5.5” OD with an 11” Free Length.
Additional Landrum Performance Springs technical information can be found here.
Need stock appearing double pig tail rear springs? We have them here.
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If you’re looking for durable and high-performance stock appearing front coil springs for racing, Landrum’s got you covered. Our Street Stock/Stock Appearing Front Coil Springs are designed for stock car, street stock, hobby stock, factory stock, and other racing classes that require stock appearing front springs—without the need for spacers or weight jacks.
What Makes Landrum Street Stock/Stock Appearing Front Coil Springs Durable and Reliable?
Landrum Street Stock/Stock Appearing Front Coil Springs are crafted from high-tensile chrome silicon alloy steel, cold-wound, heat-treated, and stress-relieved for maximum durability. This ensures the springs can handle repeated load cycles without losing free height or rate. In short, they’re built to race hard, stay consistent, and keep performing strong race after race.
How Did Landrum Design the Best Stock Appearing Springs?
At Landrum, we listened to racers to understand what they wanted in a spring, then designed Street Stock/Stock Appearing Front Coil Springs to deliver the performance they asked for. These springs are engineered at our Indiana facility, where they continue to be produced for unmatched quality and consistency.
How Does Landrum Ensure the Accuracy of Stock Appearing Front Coil Springs?
Landrum Street Stock/Stock Appearing Front Coil Springs are guaranteed to be within 2% of rate specification. To prove this, we provide a dyno sheet with each spring, ensuring you can have full confidence in its exact rate.
Street Stock/Stock Appearing Front Coil Springs Sizes
Our Street Stock/Stock Appearing Front Coil Springs come in a variety of diameters, free lengths, and spring rates to fit your specific racing application:
• 5.5” Outer Diameter
• 11” and 12” Free Lengths
• Rates of 100-1400 lbs. per inchAdditional Landrum Performance Springs technical information can be found here.
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Landrum Tight Helix racing springs are rear suspension coil springs designed for dirt and pavement circle track applications. Their tighter coil spacing and increased number of coils provide different travel and coil-bind characteristics than conventional racing springs, giving racers another way to manage rear suspension movement and chassis response.
Manufactured from high-tensile chrome-silicon steel, Landrum Tight Helix racing springs are precision manufactured and individually rate tested to provide consistent spring rates and predictable performance. Each spring is held to within ±2% of its specified rate and includes an individual dyno sheet verifying its performance.
How Are Tight Helix Springs Different from Conventional Racing Springs?
Tight Helix racing springs use more coils with closer spacing than a conventional racing coil spring of similar dimensions. This tighter helix creates a compact spring design with less available travel before the coils begin to contact one another.
Despite the closer coil spacing, Tight Helix springs are designed to maintain a linear spring rate through their normal working range. The tighter configuration primarily changes the spring’s travel and coil-bind characteristics rather than making it a progressive-rate spring. This gives racers a different way to control available spring travel while maintaining a consistent, predictable spring rate.
Why Do Racers Use Tight Helix Springs?
Racers use Tight Helix springs to help manage rear suspension movement and load transfer while maintaining a consistent spring rate and predictable chassis response. Their reduced available travel gives racers another way to control how much the rear suspension moves as the car accelerates, brakes and travels through a corner.
On the track, these characteristics can contribute to:
- Less unwanted body movement, including roll, pitch and dive.
- More controlled weight transfer.
- Better platform control under braking and acceleration.
- Faster, more responsive chassis transitions.
- More consistent suspension response to changing track conditions.
- Improved mechanical grip and traction when the suspension is working effectively with the overall chassis setup.
Rather than relying solely on spring rate to influence suspension behavior, a Tight Helix spring allows available travel and coil-bind characteristics to become additional considerations in the suspension setup.
How Do Tight Helix Springs Affect Suspension Travel and Coil Bind?
Because a Tight Helix spring has less space between its coils, the coils begin to contact one another with less compression than they would in a conventional racing spring with wider coil spacing. As a result, the spring has less available travel before reaching coil bind.
As the spring compresses and individual coils begin to touch, those coils can no longer contribute to the spring’s active movement. As additional coils make contact, the spring has progressively less remaining travel until it reaches full coil bind, when the coils are fully stacked and the spring can no longer compress normally.
For racers, this makes the relationship between spring travel, suspension movement and the point of coil bind an important characteristic of a Tight Helix spring.
How Do Tight Helix Springs Help Reduce Spring Bowing?
The increased number of coils and tighter coil spacing of a Tight Helix spring help reduce the tendency of the spring to bow outward as it compresses. By keeping the spring more stable and better aligned through its working range, the design can reduce unwanted lateral movement under compression.
Reduced spring bowing can also help maintain clearance between the spring and nearby suspension components, decreasing the likelihood of contact with the shock or other components as the suspension moves through its travel.
What Race Cars Use Tight Helix Racing Springs?
Landrum Tight Helix racing springs are designed for rear suspension applications on dirt and pavement circle track race cars. They are particularly suited to IMCA and UMP Modifieds and other Modified and stock-car applications that use conventional rear coil springs.
Available in 11- and 13-inch free lengths with a 5-inch outside diameter, Tight Helix springs provide racers with an alternative to conventional rear racing springs when the characteristics of a tighter-helix, higher-coil-count design are desired.
What Makes Landrum Tight Helix Racing Springs Different?
Landrum combines premium spring steel, precision engineering and individual rate testing to produce Tight Helix racing springs designed for consistent, repeatable performance in demanding racing applications.
High-Tensile Chrome-Silicon Steel
Landrum Tight Helix racing springs are manufactured from U.S.-made high-tensile chrome-silicon alloy steel. Its strength, resilience and fatigue resistance help the spring withstand repeated compression while maintaining its designed characteristics over time.
Spring Engineering and Design
Landrum uses advanced spring-design software and proven engineering principles to develop the tighter coil spacing and increased coil count that distinguish Tight Helix springs from conventional racing springs. The design was also evaluated through multiple test sessions during development to verify its performance before being offered to racers.
Individually Rate Tested
Each Landrum Tight Helix racing spring is individually tested to verify that its spring rate is within ±2% of specification. A dyno sheet is included with each spring, providing measured performance data as the spring is compressed so racers can verify the characteristics of the individual spring they receive.
What Sizes and Spring Rates Are Available for Tight Helix Racing Springs?
- 5” OD Rear Spring (11” Length): Rates of 175, 200, 225 lb./in
- 5” OD Rear Spring (13” Length): Rates of 175 and 200 lb./in
Find the Right Tight Helix Racing Spring
Use the Landrum Parts Finder to view available Tight Helix racing coil springs by diameter, length and spring rate, or contact Landrum for additional product information.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tight Helix Racing Springs
Does a Tight Helix spring get stiffer as the coils begin to touch?
A Tight Helix spring maintains a linear spring rate through its normal working range. As coils begin to contact one another, however, those coils become inactive, reducing the number of active coils and changing the spring’s effective rate. As more coils make contact, the spring can become progressively stiffer until it reaches full coil bind and can no longer compress normally.
How do I determine how much travel a Tight Helix spring has before coil bind?
Available spring travel is the distance the spring can compress from its installed or free height before reaching coil bind. This depends on the spring’s dimensions, coil configuration and installed condition. Because adequate travel must be maintained throughout suspension movement, racers should consider both spring travel and expected suspension travel when selecting and installing a Tight Helix spring.
Can a Tight Helix spring replace a conventional rear coil spring?
A Tight Helix spring can be used in applications designed for conventional rear coil springs when its diameter, length, spring rate and available travel are appropriate for the suspension. However, a Tight Helix spring should not be treated as an identical replacement because its tighter coil spacing and reduced available travel give it different compression and coil-bind characteristics.
How do I choose the correct spring rate for a Tight Helix racing spring?
The appropriate spring rate depends on factors such as vehicle weight, rear suspension geometry, weight distribution, available suspension travel and the handling characteristics the racer is trying to achieve. Landrum Tight Helix springs are available in several rates, allowing racers to select a spring that works with their vehicle and overall chassis setup.
Should I choose an 11-inch or 13-inch Tight Helix spring?
The correct free length depends on the vehicle’s rear suspension configuration, installed spring height and required spring travel. The spring must fit the application while maintaining appropriate travel throughout the suspension’s operating range. Racers should verify their vehicle’s spring requirements rather than choosing between an 11-inch and 13-inch spring based on free length alone.
What information is included on the dyno sheet supplied with a Landrum Tight Helix spring?
Each Landrum Tight Helix racing spring is individually rate tested and supplied with a dyno sheet documenting the spring’s measured performance. This provides verification of the individual spring’s rate characteristics rather than relying solely on its nominal rated specification.
Learn More About Tight Helix Racing Spring Performance
Tight Helix racing spring versus a conventional racing coil spring: How do load and travel compare?
How does a Tight Helix racing spring make a suspension react faster?
