Spring Solid Height Calculator
Solid height is the stacked wire length of a fully compressed spring. Use the working spring pitch and solid height calculator for the end-type stack, travel to solid and working clearance to coil bind.
Solid height by end type
The end coils set how many wire diameters stack at coil bind. The calculator models the three common cases:
closed & ground: Ls = d*(Na + 2) closed/squared: Ls = d*(Na + 3) open/plain: Ls = d*(Na + 1)
Travel to solid
Free length minus solid height is the maximum available compression before coil bind. Production springs keep a working clearance on top of it for tolerance, set and surge.
travel = L0 - Ls
When to use the full calculator
Use the spring pitch calculator for geometry-only checks. Move to the compression spring calculator when you need rate, force, Wahl-corrected stress or buckling at the same time.
Frequently asked questions
Which end type should I pick?
Closed and ground is the most common production compression spring. Closed/squared (unground) stacks taller; open/plain ends are typical for light or low-cost springs.
Is solid height a safe operating point?
No. Running to coil bind overloads the wire and hides tolerance stack-up. Keep a working clearance to solid; the calculator reports it from your working deflection.
Related pages
- Spring pitch calculator - working solid height, pitch, travel and clearance calculator.
- Compression spring calculator - rate, stress, solid height and buckling in one pass.
- Spring force calculator - force at a deflection with travel checks.
- Spring buckling calculator - slenderness and critical deflection screen.
- Spring wire material properties - shear modulus and allowable-stress reference.