Hi Rodney,
The stock springs were closer to 300 pounds per inch. The CAT springs
calculate out to 335 pounds per inch or so, and then there are springs that
are for the seriously competition-inclined, at 450 pounds per inch and up.
One of the problems with the CAT springs is that depending on exactly which
set you have, they will coil-bind before they reach the bump stops. That
condition, where the windings of the coil are compressed so they're touching
each other, results in a very harsh ride and can lead to chassis damage.
As Stephen Waybright noted, if you free up the swaybar action (by putting
bearings on the crossmember instead of the A-arms) then you remove a
significant source of extra stiffness and then you can run stiffer springs
without actually incurring a ride harshness penalty. That may seem
counterintuitive, but the way that the swaybar is constrained to move in the
stock setup causes a significant parasitic load on the suspension and
getting rid of it improves the compliance and lets the shocks, springs, and
swaybar do the job they were each intended for.
Best regards,
Theo
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