Originally Posted by G_3_5

Facts:
I.)The design of a spring affects how well the vehicle will ride and handle. A spring that absorbs lots of energy will generally offer a comfortable ride. After all, it can absorb most of the road shock (energy) that is being generated by the road surface

II.)The other main part of a car's suspension is the shock absorber or damper. Contrary to its name, a shock absorber plays a minimal role in absorbing impacts taken by the suspension. That's the spring's job.

III.) There are only three things that affect spring rate:
1. Wire diameter. This affects rate since greater diameter wire is stronger than lesser diameter wire. So, when wire diameter is increased, spring rate increases.
2. Mean diameter of spring. Mean diameter is the overall outside diameter of the spring less one wire diameter. When mean diameter increases, the spring rate decreases.
3. Active coils. Determination of the number of active coils varies according to spring design. Count the total coils minus two for springs with both ends closed (includes all AFCOILS). Count the total coils minus one for springs with one end closed and one end open. As the number of active coils increases, the spring rate decreases.


Assumptions:
I have 2 coil springs with the same spring rate=504lbs or 9kg.

Hypothetical Spring Setups:
Spring A has a wire diameter of .5 inches, mean diameter of 2 inches and 10 active coils, and
Spring B has a wire diameter of .5 inches, mean diameter of 4 inches and 5 active coils


Question:
Will the different designs of Spring A and Spring B, with the same spring rate, absorb the same amount of energy-therefore, handle and feel the same?