Mike explains a few key terms related to the design and manufacture of springs of all kinds.
We hear a lot of spring terms around here. Here are the important ones.
Spring Rate
Let’s start with spring rate. Simply put, spring rate is the amount of weight required to deflect a spring in 1 inch. The lower the rate, the softer the spring.
Load
Load is the amount of weight a spring is designed to carry.
Load Rate (Design Load)
Load Rate, or Design Load, is the amount of weight the spring is designed to support at a certain height. This does not mean that is how much weight is on that spring when it’s on a vehicle. It is strictly an engineering term.
These terms apply to all types of springs: leaf springs, coil springs, torsion springs, and air springs.
