'McTips' - How to measure spring rates of your RC Car springs.

Using just a kitchen scale and your vernier callipers you can now find out how manufacturers measure and rate their springs and then you can measure your own. This is super handy for when you have odd springs which you don't know the rating of, plus you can now measure progressive springs in 1mm increments to see how they react.
Enjoy

[@dragonracing8802]

This is incredibly helpful, love it!

[@WERONEfishing]

Good video always paint colour comes off so excellent idea 👍

[@maxima0001]

excellent video and thanks for sharing this knowledge.

[@tristanchadderton6062]

Just used this to determine all mine, really useful thanks, one idea is if you 0 the calipers when measuring you then just need -10mm if you're lazy

[@TonyMcMahonRC]

Thats a clever idea

[@zleader99]

Thank you.. This was what i was looking for.

[@novarossi5653]

Great video. Can same method be used with much smaller springs ( 1/12 for example ) but just using smaller increments?

[@TonyMcMahonRC]

Absolutely, you can simply make up your own system, the key is to simply know how each spring compares to the next 😊

[@nevillebishop6782]

Awesome vid bro keep them coming

[@maxima0001]

Yes, please do Tony

[@sputnikwood]

Not quite understanding your demonstration in your video. I know you tightened the caliper so it sticks out 10cm at the end tip, and then you press it down on the spring until the caliper end tip touches the base of the scale? What happens if the spring is much longer, then to reach base of the scale...then wouldn't you press down more than 10cm? which will then make the spring rate measure invalid as it moved more than 10cm. I've done similar using a scale and then pressing on the so it moves down 10cm, and then take the scale reading. Thanks

[@stwrtmck7067]

Hi Tony, Thanks for posting your videos, I find your tips and manner very up front and easy to watch. I have started racing 21.5 with a car I brought from a modified class guy, I feel my springs are too stiff for 21.5 power, and i have lots of spares I might change out to. What spring rate is well suited to 21.5?

[@TonyMcMahonRC]

Hi 😊 what chassis are you using and what surface track are you racing on?

[@stwrtmck7067]

@@TonyMcMahonRC , Hi Tony, I race at TFTR in Melbourne, its a high quality hot mix asphalt, very good. Other times I may race at boronia, which is standard coarse road surface. S

[@TonyMcMahonRC]

@@stwrtmck7067 - those are my local tracks 😊 what chassis are you using?

[@stwrtmck7067]

@@TonyMcMahonRC Hi, I missed that, I run a Hot Bodies TCXX 14, I find its a great car. Over the weekend I measured my swag of springs using your method. It really helped me to discern what from what and see what I have in spare. I installed 2.8’s all round, stood the shocks up tall and was able to use the enths of the spring rate. I decided to go with 5mm ride height, and 3mm up travel. The car had pleasant flow, and was quite forgiving. I even put the front diff back in to find the car was softer again. S

[@stwrtmck7067]

I meant to say - all my shocks are 25mm long, I used the less 10mm rule and was able to attain a measurement. But is this the correct way to measure a 25mm long spring?? Thanks, S

[@mikeking3696]

For 1/8 scale spring...how much i need to minus?..

[@levidiangelo4116]

Anda boleh memilih untuk salah satu daripada hadiah di atas

[@strifex-suspension-works]

I hate to ruin the nice party that's been going on here, but this method is not accurate enough for what you're trying to do, honestly. The problem does not lie in the method itself, but rather the fact that that the "displacement limit" is reached when the end of the protruding caliper touches the scale. The problem with this is that even when it touches, you can still apply more force, pushing the scales harder without compressing the spring. Thus, this method would only work precisely enough if one could perfectly stop to apply force as soon as the caliper end touches the scale. The reality is, though, that no one has such a precise hand-eye coordination and for such small springs that have low spring rates the variation in a few tens of grams can considerably change the result. One could find a way to adapt this method so that the end of the caliper touches on some hard surface that doesn't bear on the scales, whilst the spring does - this would provide precise results as the scale would always "see" only the load applied to the spring, not the caliper (which is what it sees in this case).

[@dragonracing8802]

As this was crudely done, sure, one can understand your point. However, if you factor in that small margin of error for the end point contact of the caliper, it's all good. Just make sure to bring on the surgeon's hands for this mission and you'll be fine! You can CLEARLY see the results were nearly spot on with just a few 10ths off in one direction or the other.

[@jiaweilai1501]

The sound of the videos is not good

[@TonyMcMahonRC]

Ok

[@djanubi]

No its fine !