Pre-load

[Pte Socks]

Ok, stupid question here, but its got me kinda concerned. I have Eibach springs and when looking at my car the other day I noticed the pre-load was at the bottom, ie, at the tire end. Does this seem completely backwards to everyone else or am I just imagining that the pre-load is supposed to be at the top, where the mount is.

[rys99grandam]

What do you mean preload. Where the spring sits on the strut how the coils are compacted?

[Jchiasson]

I just googled for preload and it would appear to be something to do with spacers that compress the spring more than what would be the norm.
For instance if your ride height is 10 inches, putting a 1/4 inch preload would shorten the height to 9.75 inches but the compression initially would be greater say instead of 100 lbs to 125 lbs... from the site I read:
However, preload affects only the first inch of travel. After the first inch of travel, the spring will still gain only 100 pounds with each additional inch of travel, no matter how much the preload. This is where a lot of people blow it. Ideally, a light preload will let the wheel react to small bumps properly. Way too much preload will make the finest shock (or forks) feel miserable on the small bumps, then the suspension will still wallow through the mid- stroke.

http://www.off-road.com/dirtbike/tech/2002spring/

From what I see in the Haynes manual there is nothing labeled "preload", but at the top they do show a spring seat / insulator.

[rys99grandam]

Hmmm Weird.

I can give you spring seat /isolators if you'd like just say what you need.

[Pte Socks]

hehehe maybe I wasnt really obvious. Pre-load is the part of a spring that is basically, more tightly wound than the other section. If you look on many lowering springs, they apply a small amount of preload to the rear springs for give certain benefits ie, a greater amount of spring tension for a part of the coil. I was wondering where the preload should be located. I had originally thought you want the spring preload at the top, but upon looking at my car, I realised they were at the bottom, I was just checking if this was correct or not.

[Pte Socks]

this is rediculous? Can anyone help at all here? I thought for sure at least someone else with this popular setup might tell me what they have