3rd class Automobile Technology chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX
SUSPENSION SYSTEM
6.1 Introduction
Street-driven cars and trucks use a suspension system to keep the tires on the road and to
provide acceptable riding comfort. A vehicle with a solid suspension, or no suspension,
would bounce off the ground when the tires hit a bump. If the tires are off the ground, even
for a fraction of a second, loss of control is possible. The purpose of the suspension is to
provide the vehicle with the following:
1. A smooth ride
2. Accurate steering
3. Responsive handling
4. Support for the weight of the vehicle
5. Maintenance of acceptable tire wear

6.2 UNSPRUNG WEIGHT

A suspension system has to be designed to allow the wheels to move up and down quickly
over bumps and dips without affecting the entire weight of the car or truck. In fact, the
lighter the total weight of the components that move up and down, the better the handling
and ride. This weight is called unsprung weight. The idea of very light weight resulted in
magnesium wheels for racing cars, which are very light yet strong. Aftermarket wheels that
resemble racing car wheels are often referred to as mag wheels. For best handling and ride,
the unsprung weight should be kept as low as possible.
Sprung weight is the term used to identify the weight of the car or truck that does not move
up and down and is supported or sprung by the suspension.

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6.3 SPRINGS
A suspension spring serves two purposes. First, it acts as a buffer between the suspension
and frame to absorb vertical wheel and suspension movement without passing it on to the
frame. Second, each spring transfers part of the vehicle weight to the suspension component
it rests on, which transfers it to the wheels. The basic method by which springs absorb road
shocks varies according to the type of spring.
Simply stated, leaf springs flatten, coil springs and air springs compress, and torsion bars
twist. What all springs have in common is that they somehow give way to absorb the vertical
force of the moving wheel during jounce, then release that force during rebound as they
return to their original shape and position.
6.3.1 SPRING MATERIALS
Most springs are made of a tempered steel alloy known as spring steel, consisting of chrome
silicon or chrome vanadium alloy. Tempering is a process of heating and cooling metal
under controlled conditions, which increases the resilience of the metal. Resilience is the
ability of the metal to return to, or spring back to, its original shape after being twisted or
compressed.
6.3.2 COIL SPRINGS
Coil springs are made of special round spring steel wrapped in a helix shape. The strength
and handling characteristics of a coil spring depend on the following:
1. Coil diameter
2. Number of coils
3. Height of spring
4. Diameter of the steel coil that forms the spring.
Coil springs are used in front and/or rear suspensions.
 The larger the diameter of the steel, the “stiffer” the spring.
 The shorter the height of the spring, the stiffer the spring.
 The fewer the coils, the stiffer the spring.
Springs are designed to provide desired ride and handling and come in a variety of spring
ends.
6.3.3 Leaf springs
Leaf springs are constructed of one or more strips of long, narrow spring steel. These metal
strips, called leaves, are assembled with plastic or synthetic rubber insulators between the
leaves, allowing for freedom of movement during spring operation. The ends of the longest
spring leaf are rolled or looped to form eyes. Rubber bushings are installed in the eyes of the
spring and act as noise and vibration insulators. SEE FIGURE 6-5.
The leaves are held together by a center bolt, also called a centering pin. SEE FIGURE 6-
6. One end of a leaf spring is mounted to a hanger with a bolt and rubber bushings directly
attached to the frame. The other end of the leaf spring is attached to the frame with movable
mounting hangers called shackles. SEE FIGURE 6-7.
The shackles are necessary because as the spring hits a bump, the slightly curved spring
(semi-elliptical) becomes longer and straighter, and the shackles allow for this rearward
movement. Rebound clips, or spring alignment clips, help prevent the leaves from
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separating whenever the leaf spring is rebounding from hitting a bump or rise in the
roadway. SEE FIGURE 6-8.
Single leaf steel springs, called mono leaf, are used on some vehicles. A single or mono leaf
spring is usually tapered to produce a variable spring rate. Leaf springs are used for rear

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suspensions on cars and many light trucks. A variable rate can be accomplished with a leaf
spring suspension by providing contacts on the mount that effectively shorten the spring

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once it is compressed to a certain point. This provides a smoother ride when the load is light
and still provides a stiffer spring when the load is heavy. To provide additional load-carrying
capacity, especially on trucks and vans, auxiliary or helper leaves are commonly used. This
extra leaf becomes effective only when the vehicle is heavily loaded. Leaf springs are used
on the front suspension of many four wheel- drive trucks, especially medium and heavy
trucks. SEE FIGURES 6-9 and 6-10.
6.3.4 COMPOSITE LEAF SPRINGS
Since the early 1980s, fiberglass-reinforced epoxy plastic composite leaf springs have been
used on production vehicles. They save weight: An 8-pound spring can replace a
conventional 40-pound steel leaf spring. The secret to making a strong plastic leaf spring is
the glass fibers running continuously from one end of the spring to the other, and the use of
70% fiberglass with 30% epoxy composite. The single leaf composite spring helps isolate
road noise and vibrations. It is more efficient than a multi leaf spring because it eliminates
the interleaf friction of the steel leaves and requires less space. SEE FIGURE 6-11. Leaf
spring rate increases when the thickness increases, and decreases as the length increases.
6.3.5 TORSION BARS
A torsion bar is a spring that is a long, round, hardened steel bar similar to a coil spring
except that it is a straight bar. One end is attached to the lower control arm of a front
suspension and the other end to the frame. When the wheels hit a bump, the bar twists and
then untwists. General Motors pickup trucks use torsion-bar front suspension longitudinally.
Many manufacturers of pickup trucks currently use torsion bar- type suspensions, especially
on their four-wheel-drive models. SEE FIGURE 6-12. Torsion bars allow room for the front
drive axle and constant velocity joint and still provide for strong suspension. As with all
automotive springs, spring action is controlled by the shock absorbers. Unlike other types of
springs, torsion bars may be adjustable for correct ride height. SEE FIGURE 6-13.

Most torsion bars are labeled left or right, usually stamped into the end of the bars. The
purpose of this designation is to make sure that the correct bar is installed on the original side
of the vehicle. Torsion bars are manufactured without any built-in direction or preload.
However, after being in a vehicle, the bar takes a set; reversing the side the torsion bar is
used on causes the bar to be twisted in the opposite direction. Even though the bars are
usually interchangeable, proper ride height can be accomplished even if the bars were
installed on the side opposite from the original. But because the bar is being “worked” in the
opposite direction, it can weaken and break. If a torsion bar breaks, the entire suspension
collapses; this can cause severe vehicle damage, as well as a serious accident.

6.3.6 AIR SPRINGS

Some electronically controlled suspension systems use air springs. A basic air spring consists
of a rubber air chamber, generally closed at the bottom by a piston fitted into a control arm,
or by a strut shock absorber.
Electronically controlled suspension systems that use air springs as the only springs are
available on some Hummer, and many Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln vehicles. Some air
springs are in effect auxiliary springs inside a coil spring strut. In these designs, the coil
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spring supports the weight of the vehicle, while the air spring raises or lowers the body to
adjust ride height according to load. SEE FIGURE 6-14

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6.4 SUSPENSION PRINCIPLES
Suspensions use various links, arms, and joints to allow the wheels to move freely up and
down; front suspensions also have to allow the front wheels to turn. All suspensions must
provide for the following supports:
1. Transverse (or side-to-side) wheel support. As the wheels of the vehicle move up and
down, the suspension must accommodate this movement and still keep the wheel from
moving away from the vehicle or inward toward the center of the vehicle. The control arm
pivots on the vehicle frame. The wheels attach to a spindle that attaches to the ball joint at
the end of the control arm. Transverse links are also called lateral links.
2. Longitudinal (front-to-back) wheel support. As the wheels of the vehicle move up and
down, the suspension must allow for this movement and still keep the wheels from moving
backward whenever a bump is hit.

6.4 SHOCK ABSORBERS

6.4.1 PURPOSE AND FUNCTION
Shock absorbers are used on all conventional suspension systems to dampen and control the
motion of the vehicle’s springs. Without shock absorbers (dampers), the vehicle would
continue to bounce after hitting bumps.
The major purpose of any shock or strut is to control ride and handling. Standard shock
absorbers do not support the weight of a vehicle. The springs support the weight of the
vehicle; the shock absorbers control the actions and reactions of the springs. Shock absorbers
are also called dampers.
Most shock absorbers are direct acting because they are connected directly between the
vehicle frame or body and the axles. SEE FIGURE 6-15. As a wheel rolls over a bump, the
wheel moves toward the body and compresses the spring(s) of the vehicle. As the spring
compresses, it stores energy. The spring then releases this stored energy, causing the body of
the vehicle to rise (rebound). SEE FIGURE 6-16.
After the energy in the spring is used up, the body starts downward, causing the spring to
compress. Without shock absorbers, the energy released from the spring would be very rapid
and violent. The shock absorber helps dampen the rapid up-and-down movement of the
vehicle springs by converting energy of movement into heat by forcing hydraulic fluid
through small holes inside the shock absorber.

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6.4.2 SHOCK ABSORBER OPERATION

The hydraulic shock absorber operates on the principle of fluid being forced through a small
opening (orifice). SEE FIGURE 6-17. Besides small openings, pressure relief valves are
built into most shock absorbers to control vehicle ride under all operating conditions. The
greater the pressure drop of the fluid inside the shock and the greater the amount of fluid
moved through the orifice, the greater the amount of dampening; therefore, larger shock
absorbers can usually provide better dampening than smaller units.

6.4.3 GAS-CHARGED SHOCKS

Most shock absorbers on new vehicles are gas charged. Pressurizing the oil inside the shock
absorber helps smooth the ride over rough roads. This pressure helps prevent air pockets

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from forming in the shock absorber oil as it passes through the small passages in the shock.
After the oil is forced through small passages, the pressure drops and the oil expands. As the
oil expands, bubbles are created. The oil becomes foamy. This air-filled oil does not
effectively provide dampening. The result of all of this aeration (air being mixed with the oil)
is lack of dampening and a harsh ride.
The use of higher-pressure radial tires and lighter vehicle weight has created the need for
more effective shock absorbers. To meet this need, shock absorber design engineers use a
pressurized gas that does not react chemically with the oil in the shock. If a substance does
not react with any other substances, it is called inert. The gas most often used is nitrogen,
which is about 78% of our atmosphere. Typical gas-charged shocks are pressurized with 130
to 150 PSI (900 to 1,030 kPa) to aid in both handling and ride control. Some shocks use
higher pressures, but the higher the pressure, the greater the possibility of leaks and the
harsher the ride.
Some gas-charged shock absorbers use a single tube that contains two pistons that separate
the high-pressure gas from the working fluid. Single-tube shocks are also called mono tube
or DeCarbon after the French inventor of the principle and manufacturer of suspension
components. SEE FIGURE 6-18.
6.4.4 AIR SHOCKS/STRUTS
Air-inflatable shock absorbers or struts are used in the rear of vehicles to provide proper
vehicle ride height while carrying heavy loads. Many air shock/strut units are original
equipment. They are often combined with a built-in air compressor and ride height sensor(s)
to provide automatic ride height control. Air-inflatable shocks are standard shock absorbers
with an air chamber and a rubber bag built into the dust cover (top) of the shock. SEE
FIGURE 6-19
Air pressure is used to inflate the bag, which raises the installed height of the shock. As the
shock increases in height, the rear of the vehicle is raised. Typical maximum air pressure in
air shocks ranges from 90 to 150 PSI (620 to 1,030 kPa). As the air pressure increases in the
air-inflatable reservoir of the shock, the stiffness of the suspension increases. This additional
stiffness is due to the shock taking weight from the spring, and therefore the air in the air
shock becomes an air spring. Now, with two springs to support the vehicle, the spring rate
increases and a harsher ride often results.
It is important that the load capacity of the vehicle not be exceeded or serious damage can
occur to the vehicle’s springs, axles, bearings, and shock support mounts.

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