I own an automotive hot rod shop. What's AACA or OE Gold?

Try replacing them with valve springs from a 350 Chevy. They are available in various tensions and should be able to replace your seat springs, with enough machine work.

Well, at least this board is a lot like others I'm on. People just want to hit that keyboard just to hit it. Even if it has little to do with the OP issues. Thanks for NOTHING! I would NEVER treat my customers that way. So, since I'm in "your" house....I can only relate myself to being "your" customer. I'm on a lot of hot rod type boards and go out of my way to help others. You guys trying to help me? Not so much. Seems you'd rather criticize or suggest things that far from apply. Thanks for the lesson. I know better than to ask advice here ever again. If I forget...let me have it....AGAIN

You still have NOT explained AACA or OE Gold winners

Measure the k factor of the springs you have, and replace them with ones that have a lower k factor. Mcmaster-Carr has compression springs and they specify the k factor on the spec sheet, so order the length you need and the k factor. k factor is the stiffness, of course. k is like how many pounds does it take for the spring to deflect one inch.

https://www.mcmaster.com/#compression-springs/=j94qaf

Also consider preload. Are existing ones set up with a preload or not? Even if existing ones are not, when using weaker ones you may want to consider incorporating a preload

I am so confused by the OP. I just don't think he understands what the springs are supposed to do in a seat. The springs are nothing at all like the springs in a car's suspension. They are not there to make the ride cushy or fluffy, not their intended purpose so there isn't anything to fix.

So you can't fix a seat to make it a suspension seat, there really isn't such a thing. If you really want a bike to be cushy, you will need to put some sort of suspension on the bike which probably means a suspension seat post (best idea) and maybe front shocks.

As far as I can tell, the springs in most seats are there to absorb severe shocks, like when you fall off of a pot hole or hit a curb or something like that. Heck, I am 380 pounds and have found them to be useless and removed them and put normal "skinny guy" seats on my bike and don't notice any less cushy of a ride.

I didn't think you'd make such a big deal to see my cars. Here's a couple. I don't know what it proves.....but you asked. My Vette was on the cover of Hot Rod a few yrs ago.....but I still don't understand why you need to see my cars in order to answer my question. Yeah, I know..you're gonna bit*ch about the whitewall tires...further derailing my thread. As far as the others that don't understand....I guess you never will. Read all my posts. If you still don't understand what I'm trying to do, oh well. I can't spell it out any better. I'm trying to CHANGE something. Has ANYONE here ever wanted to CHANGE something to better suit themselves?

Well, I think you're wrong. Rigid Harleys had suspension seats for years to make up for the lack of suspension on the frame.

My shop

Street Racer,
You may not appreciate that the question that you're asking here is somewhat...um...unorthodox. Many of us have ridden bikes for 40+ years. All sorts of bikes, from banana seat ape-hanger street bikes to full loaded touring rigs; carbon racing bikes to full suspension all terrain mountain bikes. Some with full or partial suspension - others with minimal weight and not designed for plushness in any way.

All of this to say that I've never come across another rider who wanted to specifically modify a saddle to tune its springs to give isolation from the road. I've just not come across that. I suspect that many of the posters in this thread haven't either. So our answers - attempting to be helpful (maybe a bit condescendingly) wound up sounding obtuse and irrelevant to you. I gues that we're trying to tell you "it's not done that way", but that's not what you want to hear.

Hey - you probably have a pretty thick skin. Just blow off the responses that don't help, and accept the ones that try. You'll figure something out if you apply your skills and effort. Good luck.

Well, thanks for that. It may be one of the better responses so far. I WILL change what my seat springs do....to my liking. I just figured I'd ask here before hand.....just in case there WAS something I didn't know about that would've saved me some time. Years ago I met a guy that spent a small fortune adapting some kind of Ford intake manifold to fit a Cadillac engine. He thought no one made speed parts for modern Caddy engines....later to find out Edelbrock DID have one.... for a fraction of what he spent adapting the Ford intake. I'm trying not to follow in his footsteps. So, here I am, asking questions

Hey, this is the Internet. When you ask a question, people will examine it from all angles to try to address it. You might not like all the answers you get.

Get your loving at home.

I don't know how many replies you read, but there sure weren't much for actual answers. More like criticism, and "you can't do that" type of negativity...............Heck, read your own reply. Just a bunch of BULLSH*T from guys too antzy to just get their 2 cents in, whether or not it's helpful. I thought my question was pretty valid.

Just for fairness, I re-read the thread, and there were some helpful suggestions amongst the attempts to explain to you how a sprung saddle is supposed to work.

Your problem is that you gave no credit, no recognition, to those who tried to help, and only lashed out at the people trying to steer your thinking. How in the world is that going to curry favor with anyone?

As an engine wears the bores become tapered. During a rebuild the bores are bored to the next size to straighten them out. To me that's a fix.

I re-read too. DDDD was pretty much the better of the posts. However not really providing an answer to my actual question, but a good explanation as to my dilemma. If you read all the posts, did you not see anyone that deserved me lashing out at them? I did, and I did.

What I find interesting is a couple of suggestions to let some air out of the tires, while some saying the seat springs are not intended to be suspension. So, is the tire designed to act as suspension (NO), and the springs on the seat not? Pretty conflicting to me. I will modify or change the seat springs to do exactly what I want them to do. Obviously without help from my thread.

post #39 gave you your exact answer. You need different springs with a lower spring constant.

Also, of course the tire is supposed to act as suspension. That's the whole point of using pneumatic tires.

You may have missed my point on the tire Vs seat spring as suspension.

And did you thank him (or anyone) for trying? Not that I see -- just arguments when the answers aren't perfect.

My point is that you are going to spend way too much time and effort for very little realized gain. You would be far better off on sourcing a suspension seat post and keeping your intact saddle. Labor isn't free even if you do it yourself, it still is a tangible asset.

Suspension seat posts are adjustable so you can alter the preload as you wish. Doing so on a hacked up saddle won't nearly be as elegant.

You sound exactly like the guy who modified the Ford intake to work on a Caddy engine. You are trying to spend a large amount of time on solving a problem that has already been solved. I bet you could find a cheap suspension seatpost somewhere like your local bike coop.

Personally, I would just soften up the preload on the adjustable seat post and then put a normal non-spring saddle on it and ride. Is there a reason why you are so against a suspension seat post?

Also a Harley's hardtail suspension seat isn't feasible on a bike, apples and oranges.

1-I've spent no real time/effort yet. That's why I started this thread. The suspension seat posts I've seen so far don't work with my cruiser type seat and I'm not about to buy another seat

2-I sound exactly like the guy with the Ford Intake on the Caddy? I haven't invested in anything that stupid and expensive like he did without research first (this thread)

3-I'm not against the suspended seat post. Again, that's why I started this thread....to see if an improvement can be made to the springs I already own. If I absolutly can't get the result with my existing pieces, then I'll consider something else...like the seat post idea

4-I was pointing out that a rigid type motorcycle compensates the ride with seat springs to make up for lack of suspension. Isn't that what I'm trying to do here? I stand back and look at my bike, and the only thing I see between where my butt goes and the ground that may be adjustable is the seat springs. Everything else is pretty much solid. So, I figure that's as good a starting point as any. Make sense?

I think this thread's run it's course. I bought a cheap used Schwinn Cruiser this morning with a very rotten seat. But, the springs seem a lot softer than what I have on my C9. So, the next move will be to swap springs and see what that does for me. Thanks to all that made an effort!!!!!

Purchase one of these here: www.spongywonder.com
For those who want a bike seat, not a bicycle saddle.

Were you to spend $ on a USE, or, Cane Creek 'thud buster', suspension seat post,

these offer additional parts to tune the seat post resistance, to suit the rider weight.