FRONT AXLE AND SUSPENSION

SYSTEM
CHAPTER 4
 Front Axle
It is used to
1) Carry weight of front part of vehicle
2) Facilitate steering
3) Absorb shocks due to road surface variation
Function of Front Axle

1. It spins the front wheel with ease.

2. It maintains a softening effect with the help of a spring.
3. It holds the weight of front part of the vehicle.
4. It provides steering movement.
5. The spring transmits cushion effect to the automobile.
6. It governs the drive quality through shock absorber.
7. It holds the braking system.
8. It transfers power to the front wheels in case of four-
wheel drive.
9. It houses both the hub and wheels
Component of Front Axle

Axle Beam
Stub Axle
Swivel Pin ( King Pin)
Track rod
AXLE BEAM
Axle beams are produced by drop forging of steel
having 0.4% carbon or 1-3% nickel steel. The front
axle beam is composed into l-section in the centre part.
The sides are formed into either circular or elliptical.
L-section construction carries bending loads produced
by the load of the automobile and torque by braking of
wheels. The centre portion of the front axle is given a
downward swing to support the chassis height down.
This axle beam is then hinged with stub axles. Springs
are staged on the axle beam at equal distance from its
centre known springs pads or seats
AXLE BEAM

 Made from Steel drop forging (0.4 % carbon steel

or 1-3 % Nickel steel)

 Made of

1) I section at centre
2) Ends are made either circular or elliptical
With this construction it takes bending loads due to
load of vehicle and torque due to braking
They are straight axle, double drop axle and fully drop
axle
Earliest , the front axle were straight, later when engine
was located in front, it is necessitated dropping of axle
at centre in order to prevent interference .
Further, when the C.G of road vehicle had to be
lowered for the purpose of greater stability and safety
at high speed, entire centre portion of axle was
dropped.
Straight type axle still being used in vehicle where
high ground clearance is required as in the case of
farm tractor.
Other 2 in commercial vehicle.
STUB AXLE
Front wheel are mounted on stub axle, which are
connected to front axle by means of king pins.
Stub axle turns on a king pin which is light drive fit in
the axle beam located and locked by taper cotter pin or
some similar arrangement
Phosphors bronze bushes are used to bush the hole in
the stub axle fork
For a steering with a minimum effort , a roller thrust
Bearing is employed. this help the stub axle to rotated
in relation to fixed king pin.
TYPES
Elliot
This type of stub axle is connected to the front axle
by putting it in the yoke end with a kingpin and a
cotter to meet the two jointly. The swivel pin is
generally established in the stub axle forging with its
purposes turning in the forced closure of the axle
beam. Axle beam appears as a yoke and receives stub
axle. The thrust washer place at the top part of the
stub axle.
The reverse Elliot type stub axle makes the fork end
to pick up the front axle beam. The front axle end
forms eye, and the thrust washer place at the underside
of the front axle beam that is at the contact face with
the stub axle. The cotter pin in the joint that engages
the motion of the kingpin in the front axle. The
kingpin is free to turn in the phosphor bronze bushes
fixed in the eye of the fork end.
The thrust washer takes vertical load in the joint and
its use is to enhance the life of both the stub axle and
front axle. Stub axle forms as a yoke and holds the
front axle. Thrust washer is placed at the underside.
3) Lamoine type- L shaped steering knuckle is attached
with axle end by pivot, The thrust washer place
between the stub axle and front axle beam. Here the
cotter pin in the joint is employed to lock the front axle
in position. used in tractors
Reverse Lamoine

The front axle beam-ends forms eye to give support to

the stub axle. The stub axle and kingpin integrates to
establish an inverted L shape assembly to hold the front
axle.
The thrust washer is located at the underside, as
indicated in the figure . The cotter pin in the joint use
to engage the front axle in position. The kingpin is free
to go in the bushes fixed in the eye of the shaft. The
thrust washer holds the vertical load, and it enhances
the life of both the stub axle and front axle.
Reverse Elliot is most common because
1) Easier to manufacture
2) Load equally distributed
3) More adaptable to used with front brake
4) Allow simple steering
King Pin & Track Rod

King Pin
It secure stub axle to axle beam by pins which are
made of case hardened steel
Track Rod

2 stub axle arm of front axle are connected to each

other by means of track rod through ball or knuckle
joint
This length of track rod can be joint by screw and nut,
hence both end are threaded.
Length of track rod increase and decrease the toe-in.
SUSPENSION SYSTEM
DEFINITION

Automobile frame and body are mounted on front and

rear axle not directly but through some form of spring
and and shock absorber.
This is done to damp to road road shock to frame.
All these part perform this function are collectively
called a suspension system.
Suspension Movements

1) Bouncing
Vertical Movement of Complete body, Depending upon front end
or rear end
2) Pitching
It is the rocking chair or rotating action about transverses axis
through the vehicle parallel to ground.
due to this front suspension move out of phase with rear
3) Rolling
It is the movement of vehicle about its longitudinal axis produced
due to centrifugal force act during cornering

Combination of Rolling and Pitching called as Diagonal Pitch

FUNCTION

To Prevent road shock from being transmitted to

vehicle frame.
Preserve stability of vehicle in pitching or rolling
Provide good road holding while driving, cornering
and braking
Maintain proper steering geometry
TYPES

as per construction
1) Conventional or rigid
2) Independent

As per position
1) Rear End
a) Longitudinal leaf spring rear end suspension
b) Transverse leaf spring rear end suspension
c) Coil spring
2) Font end independent suspension
a) Wishbone type or parallel link type
b) Mac-Pherson strut
c) Vertical guide type
d) Trailing link type
e) Swing half axle type

3) Air or pneumatic
4) Hydraulic type
Rear End Suspension
1) Leaf spring
 Semi elliptical leaf spring are widely used for
suspension system in light and heavy commercial
vehicle.
 In car this are used for rear suspension.
 Leaf spring carry lateral load, brake torque, driving
thrust and shock.
 Use of longer spring give soft suspension
 Helper spring are employed on heavy duty vehicle
in addition to main leaf spring. This allow for wide
range of loading.
COIL SPRING TYPE

It is circular in for best energy storing shape for a

given weight
Energy stored per unit volume is double then leaf
spring
Compact space
Take only shear and bending stress, for torque reaction
and side thrust alternative arrangement have to be
provided.
Do not have noise problem and static friction
CONVENTIONAL & INDEPENDENT
ADVANTAGES of INDEPENDENT

1) Softer Suspension, because low spring rate enable large

wheel movement.
2) On beam axle spring deflection affect the caster angle.
especially when braking or accelerating causing axle to
twist between stub axle and spring seats. This thing is
overcome.
3) Unsprung weight is low
Weight of chassis and body to relative to that wheel
and axle is known as unsprung weight
4) Engine and frame can be placed relatively lower which
means more space for passenger
Mac- Pherson

It contain Telescopic strut type shoch absorber, single

arm and diagonal stay.
It has only one wishbone arm
Strut is fixed to body at upper end and connected to
bottom by joint at lower arm
Lower part of strut also carries stub axle.
Coil spring and hydraulic damper surround the upper
part of strut which take care of road roughness, shock
and vibration.
Wishbone Type

It consist of 2 wishbone arm pivoted to frame

Upper wishbone arm is shorter in length then lower
arm
Helical coil spring is located in between the lower
wishbone and underside of cross member.
Weight of vehicle is transmitted from body and cross
member to coil spring through which it goes to lower
wishbone arm
Because of V shape of arm, wishbone not only
position the wheel and transmit the vehicle load to
spring but also resist acceleration, braking and side
force
When vehicle come across a bump and wheel is tended
to move up, the lower and upper arm moves up and coil
spring is compressed so shock absorber damps the
vibration setup in coil spring due to road irregularities .
Swinging Half Circle Suspension
Wheel are mounted rigidly on the half circle while
other end is pivoted to chassis is member at middle of
car.
Disadvantage of this system is that during shock the
up and down movement of the wheel cause to change
the camber angle so affect the wheel track.
Advantage is work independently so not affect other
wheel.
Trailing Arm suspension

A trailing-arm suspension, sometimes referred

as trailing-link is a vehicle suspension design in
which one or more arms (or "links") are connected
between the axle and a pivot point (located on
the chassis of a motor vehicle).
It is typically used on the rear axle of a motor vehicle.
A leading arm, as used on the Citroën 2CV and
the M422 Mighty Mite, has an arm connected between
(and perpendicular to, and to the rear of) the axle and
the chassis. It is used on the front axle.
When vehicle come across bump, Wheel move up and
down and it wind and unwind the spring, some
torsional bar is also used in place of coil spring.
Does maintain the camber and keep wheel track
constant
Vertical Guide Suspension
Kingpin is directly attached to cross member of frame
In this system Castor, Camber Angle or track of wheel
not altered as wheel rise or fall.
Disadvantages of less stability.
Rubber Suspension
The Weight of suspension system is major contribution to
overall vertical weight. Rubber spring is the unique
advantages of lowest weight and can store more energy per
unit weight as compared to spring type. But stiffness is less.

TYPES OF SPRING
1) Compression Spring- Compressed about vertical axis
2) Compression Shear Spring- Compressed as well as shear
load
3) Progressive Spring- progressive magnitude of stiffness
4) Steel reinforced spring-helical coil spring bounded in
rubber, It increase stiffness
Advantages & Disadvantages
Light in Weight
Store more energy per unit weight
Less noisy
More reliable because rubber not fail suddenly
Excellent vibration damping properties

DISADVANTAGES
Cannot withstand heavy load with rigidity
Require guiding or strengthening material
Air Suspension

Now a days pneumatic suspension used in some

tourist vehicle to improve riding comfort of passenger.
It consist of 4 air bag , Compressor, air filter, leveling
valve, check valve, pressure regulator.
Each air bag is filled with compressed air which
support the weight of vehicle.
Air get further compressed and absorb the shock when
wheel encounter a bump on the road
Pressure in the reservoir is maintain is about 20
kg/cm2.
Air is admitted into 4 air bags through 2 circuit, in
one circuit a pressure reduced to 12 kg/cm2 by
pressure regulator
This pressure is kept in air bag through leveling
valve if pressure in one of bag is low, the leveling arm
moves and air is admitted low pressure air bag
through inlet valve.
Outer circuit pressure maintain at 20 kg/cm 2 for
additional loading of vehicle, which maintain sane
distance between frame and wheal for all the 4
wheals.
SHOCK ABSORBER
In the suspension system if spring is rigid then it not absorb
shocks properly and if spring is flexible then continue to
vibrate for long time after expansion, that's why it must
compromise between flexibility and stiffness.
When vehicle strike a bump spring is compressed enough
and only little vertical upward motion transfer to frame.
When wheel come down from bump spring expand very
rapidly. if this rebound not controlled then spring start
vibrating. To control this vibration shock absorber used.
When Wheel fall over a hole, spring expand and unable to
take a full load. Shock absorber take a part of this load
TYPES

1) Mechanical
2) Hydraulic
a) Van type
b) Piston Type
c) Telescopic type
TELESCOPIC SHOCK ABSORBER

It consist of Cylinder, Piston inside the cylinder, piston

rod, 2 way valve, one is connected with piston and
another with bottom of cylinder, mounted on vehicle
with the help of upper and bottom eye. cylinder is
placed inside the tube.
Cylinder completely filled with Hydraulic oil(60%
Transformer oil+40% Turbine Oil)