TOPIC 1: LEAF SPRING

Spring

 A material that is energy absorbing

agent or a part with large elastic
defection

 Used in automobiles for the control of

the vibration as a damping agent.
Control of motion in machines
measurement of force.

 Stores energy and then relieves in a

theoretical time

Spring Application
 In a clutch – torsion springs are used to resist turning motion
 Suspension – Leaf and Coil springs to absorb vibration, provide better damping
 Engine – Springs are used in Tappet valves

What is a Leaf Spring?
 A leaf spring is a simple type of suspension spring commonly used in heavy duty
vehicles.
 Commonly known as flat spring are made out of flat plates.
 Are designed two ways: multi-leaf and mono-leaf.

History
Originating in medieval times, Leaf Spring was first called carriage or laminated springs. The
leaf spring system is tried and true, used on almost all vehicles up until the 1970s. Today, leaf
springs are most useful for trucks and vans hauling heavy loads.
The spring leaf is an arc-shaped, slender piece of steel, stacked with the same material in
smaller sizes and bolted together. Its construction creates a reinforced bow-like item. It is then
attached to the rear axle and the chassis. It provides support to any weight added to a vehicle,
preventing the axle from buckling in and snapping from the pressure of an extreme amount of
weight it was not designed to carry.

What does a Leaf Spring do?

The overall purpose of a leaf spring is to provide support for a vehicle. It also creates a
smoother ride, absorbing any bumps or potholes in the road. Additionally, leaf springs are used
to locate the axle, control the height at which the vehicle rides and keep the tires aligned on
the road.
Casual transportation is just one-way leaf springs have contributed to our transportation
industry. These days, leaf springs are more popular with heavy commercial vehicles like
trucks, SUVs and vans

Types of Materials for the production of the Leaf Springs:

 Hard drawn high carbon steel
 Oil temperes high carbon steel
 Light-duty springs
o Copper or nickel-based alloys
Typical components found on leaf spring assemblies. This one is a multi-leaf assembly.

Mono Leaf vs. Multi Leaf Springs

Mono Leaf Spring Multi Leaf Spring

A single leaf setup typically found on small Multiple leaves stacked on top of each other.
lightweight cars.

Both types of setups have a "main leaf" that features curved ends with round bushings built
into them known as eyes.

Since a mono leaf spring is comprised of The longest leaf serves as the main
only one leaf, that leaf serves as the main attachment leaf.
attachment leaf.
Mono leaves were developed by automakers the front eye of the main leaf is typically
who were trying to create a better ride for mounted directly to the vehicle frame,
lightweight passenger cars. shackles are often used at the rear to allow
flex as the leaf springs elongate under
compression. One end of the shackle is
attached to the vehicle frame, the other to
the rear eye.
Because these springs are thickest at their
center and thinnest at their end points, a
variable spring rate is produced which yields
a soft, flexible ride that stiffens up for better
control around corners.
"Split" mono leaf springs consist of two
 partial leaves that are bound together in the
center where they overlap for approximately
6 to 12 inches.
The overlapping creates a stiffer spring than
a standard mono leaf without adding much
weight.
Split mono leaves are popular choices for
older muscle cars used in drag racing, so
you won't find them as standard equipment.

Because leaf springs are best suited to heavy vehicles that carry large payloads, they're most
commonly found on solid axles of pickups, SUVs, and larger trucks not equipped with air
suspension. On these vehicles as well as older body-on-frame cars, leaf springs are mounted
longitudinally from front-to-rear alongside frame rails. On other occasions, leaf springs have
been mounted transversely from left-to-right on various front and rear suspensions.

Type of Leaf Spring

i. Elliptic Leaf Spring

The simple construction of this type is shown in figure. In this type, two semi elliptical springs
are connected in opposite manner to form an elliptical shape. The full elliptical spring is
attached rigidly to both the axle and the frame. Spring shackles are not necessary, since both
the top and bottom members will elongate by the same amount when compressed. This
arrangement was used in olden cars and not used now-a-days.

ii. Three quarter elliptic leaf spring

The figure shows the arrangement. The three-quarter elliptical spring is the combination of
quarter elliptical spring and semi elliptical spring. One end of the semi elliptical spring is
attached to the frame through shackle and the other end of the semi elliptical spring is
attached to the quarter elliptical spring by means of the shackle. The other end is bolted to the
frames and being rigidly held by I – bolt. This type of arrangement was more popular in olden
days and not used now-a-days.

iii. Transverse leaf spring

The figure shows the arrangement. In this arrangement, a semi- elliptical leaf spring is
mounted transversely along the width of the vehicle. The springs are placed, so inverted that
the longest leaf
is located at the bottom. The mid portion is fixed to the frame by means of U-bolt. The specialty
of this arrangement is the use of two shackles. The rolling tendency of this type leads to its
unsuitability for vehicles.

iii. Semi-elliptical leaf spring

The simple construction is shown in the figure. This type of arrangement is mostly used in
automobile and it resembles the semi. ellipse in shape. The leaf spring is made-up of a
number of steel leaves. Each leaf is of a different length, but with equal width and thickness.
The uppermost longest leaf having bushes at its two ends, is called the master leaf. The one
end of the spring is rigidly fixed to the vehicle frame while the other end is attached with the
help of shackle. The shackle accommodates the variation in the length while vehicle driving on
rough terrains. This type of spring arrangement is requires less maintenance, easy to repair
and it has long life.
iiii. Quarter Elliptic Leaf Spring
The figure shows the simple arrangement. The one end is fixed on the side member of the
frame by means of U Clamp or I Bolt while the other end is freely connected to the front axle.
In such springs the camber is provided on the upward side so that the leaves tend to straighten
when the front axle beam is subjected to shock load. The cost and the weight of this type
spring is low. This is also known as the cantilever type leaf spring and it was used in olden
days.

Common Problems of Leaf Springs:

 Corrosion. The biggest enemy to nearly all forms of metal is rust, which can spread
over the surfaces of metal objects and ultimately eat right through. Once rust has taken
 hold, it's generally difficult to clear away. Therefore, a rusted set of leaf springs should
be replaced before the actual leaves begin to snap, break and fail on a given vehicle at
dangerous moments.
 Cracks. The most tell-tale sign that leaf springs need to be replaced is when cracks
appear on the leaves. Often times the end result of rust, cracks could cause the leaf
springs to fail outright, which would leave your back-rear suspension in peril, especially
if your vehicle carries a heavy load. Similarly, if parts of a leaf have chipped off, it's
definitely time for new leaf springs.
 Leaning. If the truck seems to lean to one side, it's an indicator that a newly installed
leaf spring on one side is ill-matched to the other or that one spring has given out. Leaf
springs need to be compatible on both sides for even distribution of rear-end gravity
suspension. Therefore, it's important that leaf springs of the same model be used on a
given vehicle. On older vehicles, it's generally best to replace both leaf springs at once,
even if only one of the leaf springs has shown noticeable signs of wear.
 Suspension sag. Monitor the performance of the rear suspension to your vehicle. Does
your truck sag in back when loaded with heavy objects? If your headlights are pointing
upward and your seat feels like a rocking chair, chances are your leaf springs are failing
to provide sufficient gravity absorption. Does your vehicle sway heavily when you drive
over speed bumps? This shouldn't be happening if your rear axles are equipped with
optimal leaf springs.

Leaf spring maintenance: Leaf springs need any maintenance, but they need to be
regularly inspected with the truck lifted on a hoist for signs of wear or damage (e.g.
cracks, fractures, wear marks, splits) as well as for loose U-bolts and other joints. If new
leaf springs are installed, it's a good idea to re-torque U-bolts during the next service.
Some manufacturers recommend pressure washing leaf springs after driving on
unpaved roads to avoid squeaking. 

Advantages Of Leaf Springs

 Leaf springs are the simplest setup, with the fewest number of moving parts to wear out.
 Unlike coil springs, leaves serve to keep the rear axle in place so the need for complex
suspension linkages is eliminated.
 When a lot of weight is being carried, leaf springs spread the load out more evenly
across the vehicle's chassis than coil or torsion bar springs.
 Additionally, the friction produced between multiple leaves as they slide helps damp the
natural up-down rebounding effect of springs - making the ride steadier and reducing
the work that shock absorbers must do.
 Not expensive to repair comparatively.
 The material of leaf spring is made of steel so that means it is very strong and withstand
heavy load.

Disadvantages Of Leaf Springs

  When leaf springs are bolted directly to rear axles, torque generated during hard
acceleration or braking can cause axle wind-up which creates vibration, rear-end squat,
and nose-diving.
 This mounting also requires leaf springs to have a stiffer spring rate - reducing ride
comfort levels that softer springs would provide.

References:
https://www.generalspringkc.com/blog/what-is-a-leaf-spring/
https://www.generalspringkc.com/blog/how-to-properly-measure-leaf-spring-size-for-your-
vehicle/
http://studymateriall.com/what-is-leaf-spring-and-how-leaf-springs-assembled-types-of-leaf-
springs/
https://www.carid.com/articles/coil-leaf-and-torsion-bar-describing-the-3-different-kinds-of-
springs.html#Leaf_Springs