A helical compression spring is made of hard-drawn spring steel wire 0.080-in in diameter and has an outside diameter of 0.880 in. The ends are plain and ground, and there are 8 total coils.
(a) The spring is wound to a free length, which is the largest possible with a solid-safe property. Find this free length.
(b) What is the pitch of this spring?
(c) What force is needed to compress the spring to its solid length?
(d) Estimate the spring rate.
(e) Will the spring buckle in service?