MODULE - IV

Suspension Systems
Topics to be covered:

 Need for Suspension System

 Types of Suspension Springs
 Constructional Details
 Characteristics of Single leaf, Multi leaf, Coil spring
 Torsion bar, Rubber, Pneumatic an Hydro-elastic Suspension Systems
 Independent Suspension System, Shock Absorbers
 Types and Constructional Details
Objectives of Suspension

1. To prevent the road shocks from being transmitted to vehicle components.

2. To safeguard the passengers from road shocks.
3. To preserve the stability of vehicle in pitching, rolling, while in motion.

Location

Between the axles and frame

Components of Suspension

 Spring

 Damper

 Mountings
BASIC DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
1. Vertical loading
→ Road irregularities such as bump or pit – consequences
→ front and rear suspension frequency difference ?
→ Ensuring Comfort
2. Rolling
3. Brake Dip and Squat
4. Side Thrust
5. Road Holding
6. Ride and Handling
7. Unsprung Weight
8. Miscellaneous – Soft/Hard
Automotive suspension design is a compromise between the three conflicting
criteria of

 Vehicle control

 Load carrying

 Passenger comfort
Comfort ride
–Soft springs are good for comfort ride, but excessive tire movement
Handling

–Increasing the stiffness of the spring leads to good handling, but the
suspension feel harsh.
SUSPENSION BASICS
 If a road was perfectly flat with no irregularities, suspensions wouldn't be necessary.

 According to Newton's laws of motion, all forces have both magnitude and direction.

 A bump in the road causes the wheel to move up and down perpendicular to the road

surface.

 The magnitude, of course, depends on whether the wheel is striking a giant bump or a

tiny speck. Either way, the car wheel experiences a vertical acceleration as it passes

over an imperfection.

 Under the downward force of gravity, the wheels can slam back into the road surface.
BASIC SUSPENSION MOVEMENTS
TYPES OF SUSPENSION SPRINGS
1.Leaf spring
(semi-elliptical, quarter elliptical, three quarter elliptical, transverse
spring and full elliptical spring)
2.Coil springs

3.Torsion bar

4.Rubber springs

5.Plastic springs

6.Air springs

7.Hydrolastic spring
LEAF SPRINGS
SEMI-ELLIPTIC LEAF SPRING

7
QUARTER ELLIPTIC LEAF SPRING
THREE QUARTER ELLIPTIC LEAF SPRING
TRANSVERSE MOUNTED SEMI ELLIPTIC
LEAF SPRING

Advantages: Compactness, lighter in weight, simplicity, low unsprung weight,

cheaper.
Disadvantages: Having rolling tendency while a vehicle runs fast on sharp corners.
FULL ELLIPTIC LEAF SPRING
It consists of two semi-elliptical springs which are jointed together
oppositely.
SUMMARY OF LEAF SPRING TYPES
HELPER SPRINGS
MATERIALS FOR LEAF SPRINGS
• Chrome – Vanadium Steel
• Silico – Manganese Steel
• Carbon Steel

Tapered Leaf Springs

Advantages:

1. Light weight ( 60 % of conventional leaf spring)

2. No interleaf friction in case of single taper leaf spring
3. Absence of squeaking
4. Stresses are lower than conventional springs and hence more life
5. Occupies less space
6. No collection of moisture in case of single leaf spring and hence no
fretting corrosion
LATEST TREND IN LEAF SPRINGS

Fibre composite leaf spring

1. 3 to 5 times lighter than conventional metallic leaf springs
2. Absence of squeaking
3. Fibre composite leaf springs are of mono-leaf design, there is no wear
due to friction on account of rubbing
4. No sagging with time, and hence less maintenance
5. No danger of sudden failure of springs due to laminated structure.
COIL SPRINGS
Coil spring suspension in the front axle

Torsion bar
TORSION BAR – CONTD..
Constructional Details

 It is simply a rod acting in torsion and taking shear stresses.

 Heat treated alloy steel

 Strain energy stored per unit weight is almost same as that of coil spring

 Lighter than coil spring and occupies less space

 Torsion tubes are preferable over the rods.

Disadvantages of torsion bar

1. Will not able to take driving torque and braking torque and hence additional linkages
have to be provided.

2. Absence of friction force  damping effect is negligible.

Torsion bar suspensions are used on combat vehicles or tanks like the T-72,
Leopard 1, Leopard 2, M18 Hellcat, and the M1 Abrams (many tanks from late in
World War II used this suspension), and on trucks and SUVs from Ford, Chrysler,
GM, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Nissan, Isuzu and Toyota
RUBBER SPRINGS

Compression shear Steel reinforced spring

Compression spring spring

Progressive spring Face shear spring Torsional shear spring

Interconnected (or) Linked Suspension
Systems
 Definition
 Special Characteristics
 Examples for interconnected suspension systems

AIR SPRINGS

Advantages of air suspension over other types

AIR SUSPENSION

PROF.C.KANNAN, SMEC, VIT

UNIVERSITY
AIR SUSPENSION – CONTD..
HYDROLASTIC SUSPENSION
INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION

It is a term used to describe any arrangement, by which the wheels are

connected to the carriage unit in a manner such that the rise and fall of one
wheel has no effect on the others. Almost all the passengers cars now use the
independent front suspension, in which the coil spring arrangement is the
most common.
Drawback of rigid axle suspension

When a vehicle with rigid axle suspension encounters road irregularities, the
axle tilts and the wheels no longer remain vertical. This causes the whole of
the vehicle to tilt to one side. Such a state of affair is not desirable. Besides
causing rough ride, it also causes wheel wobble. The road adhesion is also
decreased. In order to avoid this, the wheels are sprung independent of each
other, so that tilting of one does not affect the other.
INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION
MERITS & DEMERITS OF INDEPENDENT
SUSPENSION
Merits
1. The elastic strain energy stored in coil springs is greater than leaf springs.
Hence lighter springs can be used in the case of independent suspension.
2. Unsprung weight is reduced, which ultimately reduces the tyre scrub and
hence increases the tyre life.
3. Compared to rigid axle, soft springs can be used without increasing rolling
effect. Softer springs increase the riding comfort.
4. Improved steering precision, since wheel movements are not linked.
5. In an independent suspension, the springs can be located apart enough, to
obtain understeer conditions.
6. With independent suspension, steering geometry is not altered.
7. Since there is no solid axle, the engine and chassis can be positioned
relatively in lowered positions, which means engine position can be moved
forward resulting in more passenger space.
Demerits
1. Initial cost is high
2. Greater maintenance is required, because of larger number of bearings

3. Misalignment of steering geometry due to wear of components requires

frequent attention.
4. More rigid sub frame or chassis frame is required.
5. Forces due to unbalanced wheels are more pronounced and transmitted easily to
the steering wheel.
The front end suspension is more complicated than the rear end suspension.
Because the front wheels not only move up and down with respect to vehicle
frame, but also swing at various angles to the vehicle frame for steering. The
front end suspension may be of two types.
(a) Rigid axle suspension
(b) Independent front suspension system
TYPES OF FRONT INDEPENDENT
SUSPENSION SYSTEM
1.Mac Pherson strut type

2.Parallel link type (or) Wish bone type

3.Vertical guide type

4.Swinging suspension

5.Trailing link type

6. Multi-link type
1. MACPHERSON STRUT TYPE
MACPHERSON STRUT TYPE – CONTD..
It provides with a compact suspension arrangement
Used for both the front as well as rear suspension
It consists of two arms at the lower side with a spring combined with a damper above it.
The upper end is connected to the body shell while the lower is connected to chassis
frame.  Lower unsprung weight
 Camber does not change with
up & down movement of wheel
 Maximum room in engine
compartment.
 Suitable for FF layout.

•Mac Pherson of GM
Motors – 1947
•India – Maruti 800
•With antiroll bar -
Volkswagen Jatta, Passat
Cars
2. WISHBONE TYPE Location of Spring and
damper

A -Arms ?

Due to V shape,
wishbones not only
position the wheel, but
also transmit vehicle load
Double Wishbone type and resist acceleration,
braking and side force.

Tyre scrub and tyre wear

minimum – how ?

Drawback: small change in

camber angle changes
It is a further development of the Macpherson strut design.

• It consists of two arms known as upper and lower arm.

• The spring-damper arrangement is provided either between the two arms or above
the upper arm.

• In the first case, the lower arm takes up the entire load of the vehicle.

• In the second case it is the upper arm which takes the entire load transferred by the
spring.

• The second configuration is not commonly used, as its space requirement is more.
3.MULTI-LINK SUSPENSION
• It consists of multiple link arms (up to five) instead of two in the double
wishbone suspension.
• Each link at the end is provided with a ball-joint connection so that there
is no bending moment.
• Used in Audi A4,A8 and Mercedes.
4. VERTICAL GUIDE SUSPENSION

Merits: Wheel base, wheel track and wheel altitude are constant
Demerits: Decreased stability
5. SWINGING SUSPENSION
In this, wheels are mounted rigidly on half
axles. The axles are pivoted on their ends to
the chassis member at the middle of the
vehicle. The suspension has shock absorber
as well as coil spring. The main disadvantage
of this type is that up and down movement
of the wheel cause the camber angle to vary.
REAR AXLE INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION – DE
DION AXLE
REAR AXLE INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION – TRAILING
LINK
ANTIROLL BAR (OR ) STABILIZER ROD
DAMPER

The function of a damper is to dampen the vibration/ bouncing of the spring,

as without it, the spring would go on bouncing for longer period.

They are long black tubular devices filled with oil, gas or combination of both.
This provides the resistance to the spring’s motion.
DAMPER OR SHOCK ABSORBER
Importance of Damper – Contd..
IMPORTANCE OF DAMPER
CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DAMPER
(TELESCOPIC TYPE)

Fig. Principle of working of

hydraulic damper

Types of hydraulic dampers

• Mono tube
• Twin-tube