Suspension system

Introduction
We know that any system used in vehicle to reduce road shocks and vibration known as
suspension system. Springs, shock absorber torsion
bar etc. are components of suspension system. Due to irregularity of roads when a vehicle
runs, it feels lot of vibration due to road irregularity and engine vibration. So if the car is
perfectly rigid this vibration transmitted into whole body of car which cause damage of its
body parts and also it is uncomfortable for the passengers too.
So the Suspension Springs are used to separate the Wheel of the vehicle to the body so when
the vehicle feel those vibration it transfer to the spring and the spring start oscillating
without transmitting this vibration to the vehicle body. So these springs are the main
component of suspension systems.
Today we used various types of vehicle according to load capacity and luxuriousness. So
there are different types of spring and suspension systems used in those different vehicles.

Objectives of suspension
1.To prevent the road shocks from being transmitted to the vehicle component.

2.To safeguard the occupants from road shocks.

3.To preserve the stability of the vehicle in pitching or rolling, while in motion.

Function of suspension system

Suspension springs are the link between wheels and car body. Their primary task is to compensate
uneven road surfaces and thus provide an assurance of high levels of ride comfort. Secondly, they
must ensure that the wheels always have safe contact with the road regardless of its condition.
Reliable transmission of drive, braking and transverse forces relies on these requirements being met.
As such, suspension springs are one of the most safety-critical components of modern vehicles. They
affect handling, roadholding and braking performance.

From the point of view of design, there are suspension springs with linear and progressive spring
rate. With linear springs, the spring force increases in proportion with the extent to which they are
squeezed together. Progressive springs start with a soft characteristic curve and become harder the
further they travel. Depending on the vehicle manufacturer's specification, suspension springs are
manufactured from constant wire (same wire diameter across entire spring length) or inconstant
wire (varying wire diameter across spring length).

Where inconstant wire springs are concerned, it is said that there are two springs in one: one soft
and the other strong. Progressive mini-block springs, for example, offer high levels of ride comfort at
low vehicle load and low compression at full load. The spring is therefore "soft" at low vehicle load
and "strong" at full load.
 Type of suspensions springs
1.Steel springs
(a) leaf springs (b) tapered leaf springs

(c) coil springs (d) torsional bar

2.rubber springs
(a) compression springs (b)compression-shear springs

(c) steel-reinforced springs (d) progressive springs

(e) face-shear springs (f) torsional shear springs

3.pastic springs
4.air springs
5.hydraulic springs

(1) steel springs

(1.a) Leaf springs
A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles.
Originally called a laminated or carriage spring, and sometimes referred to as a semi-elliptical spring
or cart spring, it is one of the oldest forms of springing, appearing on carriages in England after 1750
and from there migrating to France and Germany
 Fig.Rear leaf spring

A leaf spring takes the form of a slender arc-shaped length of spring steel of rectangular cross-
section. In the most common configuration, the centre of the arc provides location for the axle,
while loops formed at either end provide for attaching to the vehicle chassis. For very heavy vehicles,
a leaf spring can be made from several leaves stacked on top of each other in several layers, often
with progressively shorter leaves. Leaf springs can serve locating and to some extent damping as
well as springing functions. While the interleaf friction provides a damping action, it is not well
controlled and results in stiction in the motion of the suspension. For this reason, some
manufacturers have used mono-leaf springs.

Fig. repairing of rare leaf spring

A leaf spring can either be attached directly to the frame at both ends or attached directly at one
end, usually the front, with the other end attached through a shackle, a short swinging arm. The
shackle takes up the tendency of the leaf spring to elongate when compressed and thus makes for
softer springiness. Some springs terminated in a concave end, called a spoon end (seldom used
now), to carry a swiveling member.

The leaf spring has seen a modern development in cars. The new Volvo XC90 (from 2016 year model
and forward) has a transverse leaf spring in high tech composite materials, a solution that is similar
to the latest Chevrolet Corvette. This means a straight leaf spring, that is tightly secured to the
chassis, and the ends of the spring bolted to the wheel suspension, to allow the spring to work
independently on each wheel. This means the suspension is smaller, flatter and lighter than a
traditional setup.

Type of leaf springs

a) Quarter-elliptic
 Fig.quarter-elliptic

b) Semi-elliptic

Fig. semi-elliptic

c) Transverse

Fig. transverse

(1.b) tapered leaf springs

Advantage of tapered leaf spring are following

1.The stress are lower and more uniform compare to the conventional springs, thus giving longer
life.

2.They occupy- Lighter weight-nearly 60% of the corresponding conventional springs.

3.Absence of squeaking.

4.The stress less space.

 5.In case of single taper leaf spring, there is no collection of moisture between the leaves and
hence no fretting failure.

Fig. tapered leaf spring

(1.c) coil springs

We all have seen coil spring in our daily routine many times. The helical spring used is
suspension system is same as we see. It is mainly used in the independent suspension .

Fig. coil spring

It is also used in the conventional rigid axle suspension as they can be well accommodated in
restricted spaces. The energy stored per unit volume is almost double in the case of coil
spring than the leaf springs.
 Fig. coil spring

These springs do not have noise problems but they does not take torque reaction and side
thrust for which alternative arrangement have to be provided.

(1.d) torsional springs

It is simply a rod which acting under the torsion and taking shear stresses. It is often used
with independent suspension.

Fig. torsional spring

One end of the bar is fixed to the frame and the other end is fixed to the end of the wheel
arm and supported in the bearing. The other end of the wheel arm is connected to the wheel
hub. When the wheel strikes a bump it start vibrating up and down, thus torque on the
torsion bar which acts as a springs.

(2) Rubber springs

The rubber springs are also used in suspension because it store greater energy per
unit weight than the steel. So it is more compact than other springs. It has also
excellent vibration damping property. One more advantage of using rubber is that it
is not suddenly fail like steel so there is less risk.

(2.a) compression spring

This type of spring is still being used because it is reliable, simple in construction, can resist
occasional overload of large magnitude, and have large damping effect.

Fig. compression springs

This type of spring is still used because of following advantage

I. It is reliable of simple construction and required no bonding.

II. It provides a rising rate characteristic.
III. It can resists occasional overload of large magnitude.

(2.b) compression-shear spring

In this type of spring the load is carried partly by shear and partly by compression.
(2.c) steel-reinforced spring
It consists steel helical spring bonded in a rubber body. The steel spring carrying only 20% of
load.

(2.d) progressive spring

It has initially an exceedingly small rate which rises rapi9dly as the central cavity closes.

Shock absorbers
In their simplest form, shock absorbers are hydraulic (oil) pump like devices that help to
control the impact and rebound movement of your vehicle's springs and suspension. Along
with smoothening out bumps and vibrations, the key role of the shock absorber is to ensure
that the vehicle’s tyres remain in contact with the road surface at all times, which ensures the
safest control and braking response from your car.

Fig. shock absorbers

 What do shock absorbers do?
Essentially, shock absorbers do two things. Apart from controlling the movement of springs and
suspension, shock absorbers also keep your tyres in contact with the ground at all times. At rest or in
motion, the bottom surface of your tyres is the only part of your vehicle in contact with the road.
Any time that a tyre's contact with the ground is broken or reduced, your ability to drive, steer and
brake is severely compromised. Despite popular belief, shock absorbers do not support the weight of
a vehicle.

Firstly, a little bit of science. Shock absorbers work by taking the kinetic energy (movement) of
your suspension and converting it to thermal energy (heat) that is then dissipated into the
atmosphere through the mechanism of heat exchange. But it's nowhere near as complicated as it
may sound.

As mentioned, shock absorbers are basically oil pumps. A piston is attached to the end of a
piston rod and works against hydraulic fluid in the pressure tube. As the suspension travels up and
down, the hydraulic fluid is forced through orifices (tiny holes) inside the piston. Because the orifices
only allow a small amount of fluid through the piston, the piston is slowed which in turn slows down
spring and suspension movement.

Shock absorbers automatically adjust to road conditions because the faster the suspension
moves, the more resistance they provide

Types of shock absorbers

Although all shock absorbers do the same job, different types of vehicles and suspension designs
require different types of shock absorbers which can appear radically different.

No matter the application, all shock absorbers fit into one of three broadly defined types
conventional telescopic shock absorbers, struts or spring seat shocks.

(1) Conventional telescopic shock absorbers

This is the simplest type of shock absorber and is generally replaced rather than repaired. This
type of shock absorber can be found on both front and rear suspension systems and is relatively
inexpensive.

(2) Strut type shock absorbers

Although they do the same basic job, struts replace part of the suspension system and must be
more ruggedly built to cope with greater loads and forces. Although most commonly seen on the
front and rear of small to medium cars, larger cars are now tending towards strut based suspension
design. The strut category is further divided into sealed and repairable units. As the name suggests,
sealed units are designed to be fully replaced, whilst repairable (McPherson) struts are able to be
fitted with replacement strut cartridges.
 (3) Spring seat shocks
The spring seat type shows characteristics of both telescopic and strut type shock absorbers. Like
struts, a spring seat shock is a suspension unit and damping device in a single unit. Unlike struts
however, they are not designed to be subject to high side loads. Built using similar components to
conventional shock absorbers, spring seat shocks are also sealed requiring full replacement.
 The chassis
A chassis consists of an internal vehicle frame that supports an artificial object in its
construction and use, can also provide protection for some internal parts. An example of a
chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame (on which the body is
mounted). If the running gear such as wheels and transmission, and sometimes even the
driver's seat, are included, then the assembly is described as a rolling chassis.

In the case of vehicles

The term rolling chassis means the frame plus the "running gear" like engine, transmission, drive
shaft, differential, and suspension.
An under body (sometimes referred to as "coackwork"), which is usually not necessary for
integrity of the structure, is built on the chassis to complete the vehicle.
For commercial, a rolling chassis consists of an assembly of all the essential parts of a truck
(without the body) to be ready for operation on the road. The design of a pleasure car chassis will
be different than one for commercial vehicles because of the heavier loads and constant work
use. Commercial vehicle manufacturers sell "chassis only", "cowl and chassis", as well as
"chassis cap" versions that can be outfitted with specialized bodies. These include motor, fire
engine, ambulance, box truck, etc.
 The main functions of a chassis in motor vehicles are.
1. To support the vehicle's mechanical components and body
2. To deal with static and dynamic loads, without undue deflection or distortion.
These include:

 Weight of the body, passengers, and cargo loads.

 Vertical and torsional twisting transmitted by going over uneven surfaces.
 Transverse lateral forces caused by road conditions, side wind, and steering the
vehicle.
 Torque from the engine and transmission.
 Longitudinal tensile forces from starting and acceleration, as well as compression
from braking.
 Sudden impacts from collisions.

Types of frame according to the construction.

 Ladder type frame
 X-Type frame
 Platform frame
 Perimeter Frame

1.ladder type frame

So named for its resemblance to a ladder, the ladder frame is one of the simplest and oldest
of all designs. It consists of two symmetrical beams, rails, or channels running the length of
the vehicle, and several transverse cross-members connecting them.

Fig. ladder type frame

Originally seen on almost all vehicles, the ladder frame was gradually phased out on cars in
favor of perimeter frames and unitized body construction. It is now seen mainly on trucks.
This design offers good beam resistance because of its continuous rails from front to rear,
but poor resistance to torsion or warping if simple, perpendicular cross-members are used.
Also, the vehicle's overall height will be greater due to the floor sitting above the frame
instead of inside it.
2.x-type frame
This is the design used for the full-size American models of General Motors in the late 1950s
and early 1960s in which the rails from alongside the engine seemed to cross in the
passenger compartment, each continuing to the opposite end of the crossmember at the
extreme rear of the vehicle. It was specifically chosen to decrease the overall height of the
vehicles regardless of the increase in the size of the transmission and propeller shaft humps,
since each row had to cover frame rails as well. Several models had the differential located
not by the customary bar between axle and frame, but by a ball joint atop the differential
connected to a socket in a wishbone hinged onto a crossmember of the frame.

Fig. x-type frame

The X-frame was claimed to improve on previous designs, but it lacked side rails and thus
did not provide adequate side-impact and collision protection. This design was replaced by
perimeter frames.

4.perimeter frame
Similar to a ladder frame, but the middle sections of the frame rails sit outboard of the front
and rear rails just behind the rocker / sill panels. This was done to allow for a lower floor pan,
especially at the passenger footwells, to lower the passengers' seating height and therefore
reduce the overall vehicle height in passenger cars. This became the prevalent design
for body on frame cars in the United States, but not in the rest of the world, until the uni-body
gained popularity. It allowed for annual model changes introduced in the 1950s to increase
sales, but without costly structural changes. As of 2014, there are no perimeter frame
automobiles sold in the United States after the Ford Motor Company phased out the Panther
platform in 2011, which ended the perimeter frame passenger car in the United States (the
Chevrolet Corvette has used a variation of the perimeter frame since 1963, but its fourth
generation variant to its current generation as of 2016 has elements of the perimeter frame
integrated with an internal endoskeleton which serves as a clamshell).
 Fig. perimeter frame

In addition to a lowered roof, the perimeter frame allows lower seating positions when that is
desirable, and offers better safety in the event of a side impact. However, the design lacks
stiffness, because the transition areas from front to center and center to rear reduce beam
and torsional resistance, hence the use of torque boxes, and soft suspension settings.

3.platform frame
This is a modification of the perimeter frame, or of the backbone frame, in which the passenger
compartment floor, and sometimes also the luggage compartment floor have been integrated into
the frame as loadbearing parts, for extra strength and rigidity. Neither floor pieces are simply sheet
metal straight off the roll, but have been stamped with ridges and hollows for extra strength.

Platform chassis were used on several successful European cars. The most well-known of this is the,
on which it is called body on pan construction. Another German example are the mercedes banz cars
of the 1950s and 1960s, where it was called a "frame floor" in English-language advertisements.