DXL clutch spring question

[sam bennett]

I have several DXLs I'm checking out and I'm finding uninstalled spring heights all over the place. 

From one clutch a group of 6 springs ranges from .493" to .486" Δ 7 thou.
Another group of 6 from ranges from .456 to .471" Δ 15 thou.
The same condition exists in my 4 spring clutches.

Assuming they have the same springs rates, wouldn't it cause uneven pressure if installed in order to achieve the same height? 

In the group of springs with 15 thou Δ, with 10-32 screws that would be a difference of a 1/2 turn to get the same installed height, but now it has a different preload than the spring next to it?

Do I have this wrong, or does it not matter much for these clutches? I'm not looking to set and records, just trying to make stuff last.
Thanks

[steveohara]

Sam,

When dealing with springs that don't match up I ignore the measured length and focus on setting the springs to all have the amount of preload. The procedure is simple, back off the adjusting screw on each spring until the spring has no load on it and it can be rotated with very little effort. Don't go so far the spring is sloppy.
Once you have all the screw in the position that takes up all the slop and is just barely making contact with the springs you then turn the screws in to the desired preload by counting the turns or fractions of a turn.
Using this method I recommend that you never use less than 1.5 turns preload.
Since you have several clutches it might be a good idea to remove all the springs and measure them and sort them in order so that your groups of springs have as little variation as possible. I doubt you will ever notice any difference in performance but it "feels better" LOL
Make sure all your springs match for wire diameter and number of open coils.... there are some variations out there and you don't want to mix them.
Steve O'Hara