How Car Suspensions Work Table of Contents Introduction to How Car Suspensions Work Vehicle Dynamics The Chassis Sprit Springs: Sprung and Unsprung Mass Dampers: Shock Absorbers Dampers: Struts and Anti-sway Bars Suspension Types: Front Suspension Types: Rear Specialized Suspensions: The Baja Bug Specialized Suspensions: Formula One Racers Specialized Suspensions: Hot Rods The Future of Car Suspensions Lots more Information Compare Prices for Car Suspensions When people think of automobile performance, they normally think of horsepower, torque and zero-to-60 acceleration. But all of the power generated by a piston engine is useless if the driver can t control the car That's why automobile engineers turned their attention to the suspension system almost as soon as they had mastered the four-stroke internal combustion engine Photo courtesy Honda Motor Co, Ltd Double-wishbone suspension on Honda Accord 2005 Coupe The job of a car suspension is to maximize the friction between the tires and the road surface, to provide steering stability with good handling and to ensure the comfort of the passengers. In this article, we'll explore how car suspensions work, how they ve evolved over the years and where the design of suspensions is headed in the future Vehicle Dynamics If a road were perfectly flat, with no irregularities, suspensions wouldn t be necessary. But roads are far
How Car Suspensions Work Table of Contents: › Introduction to How Car Suspensions Work › Vehicle Dynamics › The Chassis › Springs › Springs: Sprung and Unsprung Mass › Dampers: Shock Absorbers › Dampers: Struts and Anti-sway Bars › Suspension Types: Front › Suspension Types: Rear › Specialized Suspensions: The Baja Bug › Specialized Suspensions: Formula One Racers › Specialized Suspensions: Hot Rods › The Future of Car Suspensions › Lots More Information › Compare Prices for Car Suspensions When people think of automobile performance, they normally think of horsepower, torque and zero-to-60 acceleration. But all of the power generated by a piston engine is useless if the driver can't control the car. That's why automobile engineers turned their attention to the suspension system almost as soon as they had mastered the four-stroke internal combustion engine. Photo courtesy Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Double-wishbone suspension on Honda Accord 2005 Coupe The job of a car suspension is to maximize the friction between the tires and the road surface, to provide steering stability with good handling and to ensure the comfort of the passengers. In this article, we'll explore how car suspensions work, how they've evolved over the years and where the design of suspensions is headed in the future. Vehicle Dynamics If a road were perfectly flat, with no irregularities, suspensions wouldn't be necessary. But roads are far
from flat Even freshly paved highways have subtle imperfections that can interact with the wheels of a car. It's these imperfections that apply forces to the wheels. 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 HOW CAR SUSPENSIONS WORK Vertical/ Horizontal Acceleration VERTICAL ACCELERATION ACCELERATIO o2005 Hoas hftwons Without an intervening structure, all of wheel's vertical energy is transferred to the frame, which moves in the same direction. In such a situation, the wheels can lose contact with the road completely. Then under the downward force of gravity the wheels can slam back into the road surface. What you need is a system that will absorb the energy of the vertically accelerated wheel, allowing the frame and body to ride undisturbed while the wheels follow bumps in the road The study of the forces at work on a moving car is called vehicle dynamics, and you need to understand some of these concepts in order to appreciate why a suspension is necessary in the first place. Most automobile engineers consider the dynamics of a moving car from two perspectives: Ride-a car's ability to smooth out a bumpy road Handling-a car's ability to safely accelerate, brake and comer These two characteristics can be further described in three important principles-road isolation, road holding and cornering. The table below describes these principles and how engineers attempt to solve Principle Definition Goa Solution Absorb energy from road Allow the vehicle he vehicle's ability to bumps and Road absorb or isolate road body to ride undisturbed while dissipate it solation hock from the without causing passenger compartment undue rough roads scillation in the vehicle
from flat. Even freshly paved highways have subtle imperfections that can interact with the wheels of a car. It's these imperfections that apply forces to the wheels. 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. Without an intervening structure, all of wheel's vertical energy is transferred to the frame, which moves in the same direction. In such a situation, the wheels can lose contact with the road completely. Then, under the downward force of gravity, the wheels can slam back into the road surface. What you need is a system that will absorb the energy of the vertically accelerated wheel, allowing the frame and body to ride undisturbed while the wheels follow bumps in the road. The study of the forces at work on a moving car is called vehicle dynamics, and you need to understand some of these concepts in order to appreciate why a suspension is necessary in the first place. Most automobile engineers consider the dynamics of a moving car from two perspectives: • Ride - a car's ability to smooth out a bumpy road • Handling - a car's ability to safely accelerate, brake and corner These two characteristics can be further described in three important principles -road isolation, road holding and cornering. The table below describes these principles and how engineers attempt to solve the challenges unique to each. Principle Definition Goal Solution Road Isolation The vehicle's ability to absorb or isolate road shock from the passenger compartment Allow the vehicle body to ride undisturbed while traveling over rough roads. Absorb energy from road bumps and dissipate it without causing undue oscillation in the vehicle
The degree to which a with the road surface in various types of irectional changes and in a straight line Keep the tires in Minimize the contact with the transfer of (Example: The weight of ground,because vehicle weight a car will shift from the it is the friction from side to rear tires to the front tires Road Holding during braking. Because between the tires side and front the nose of the car dips and the road that to back, as this toward the road, this type ability to steer, of motion is known as dive. The opposite the tire's gnp accelerate during acceleration which shifts the weight of to the back. as centrifugal Transfer the force pushes he ability of a vehicle to car's center of Cornering travel a curved path gravity while comering from he vehicle to one side of the vehicle and A cars suspension, with its ts provides all of the solutions described Let's look at the parts of a typical suspension, working from the bigger picture of the chassis down to the individual components that make up the suspension prope The chassis he suspension of a car is actually part of the chassis, which comprises all of the important systems located beneath the cars body
Road Holding The degree to which a car maintains contact with the road surface in various types of directional changes and in a straight line (Example: The weight of a car will shift from the rear tires to the front tires during braking. Because the nose of the car dips toward the road, this type of motion is known as "dive." The opposite effect -- "squat" -- occurs during acceleration, which shifts the weight of the car from the front tires to the back.) Keep the tires in contact with the ground, because it is the friction between the tires and the road that affects a vehicle's ability to steer, brake and accelerate. Minimize the transfer of vehicle weight from side to side and front to back, as this transfer of weight reduces the tire's grip on the road. Cornering The ability of a vehicle to travel a curved path Minimize body roll, which occurs as centrifugal force pushes outward on a car's center of gravity while cornering, raising one side of the vehicle and lowering the opposite side. Transfer the weight of the car during cornering from the high side of the vehicle to the low side. A car's suspension, with its various components, provides all of the solutions described. Let's look at the parts of a typical suspension, working from the bigger picture of the chassis down to the individual components that make up the suspension proper. The Chassis The suspension of a car is actually part of the chassis, which comprises all of the important systems located beneath the car's body
HOW CAR SUSPENSIONS WORK Basic Components Control Arm口 Shock Absorber口 STeering Linkage 92005 Hows artworks Chassis hese systems include The frame-structural, load-carrying component that supports the car's engine and body, which are in tum supported by the suspension The suspension system -setup that supports weight, absorbs and dampens shock and helps maintain tire contact The steering system -mechanism that enables the driver to guide and direct the vehicle The tires and wheels-components that make vehicle motion possible by way of grip and/or friction with the road With this big-picture overview in mind, it's time to look at the three fundamental components of any suspension: springs, dampers and anti-sway bars prongs Today s springing systems are based on one of four basic designs bar coiled around an axis coil springs compress and expand to absorb the motion of the n Coil springs- This is the most common type of spring and is, in essence, a heavy-duty torsi
Chassis These systems include: • The frame - structural, load-carrying component that supports the car's engine and body, which are in turn supported by the suspension • The suspension system - setup that supports weight, absorbs and dampens shock and helps maintain tire contact • The steering system - mechanism that enables the driver to guide and direct the vehicle • The tires and wheels - components that make vehicle motion possible by way of grip and/or friction with the road So the suspension is just one of the major systems in any vehicle. With this big-picture overview in mind, it's time to look at the three fundamental components of any suspension: springs, dampers and anti-sway bars. Springs Today's springing systems are based on one of four basic designs: • Coil springs - This is the most common type of spring and is, in essence, a heavy-duty torsion bar coiled around an axis. Coil springs compress and expand to absorb the motion of the wheels
Photo courtesy carDomain Coil springs
Photo courtesy Car Domain Coil springs
Leaf springs- This type of spring consists of several layers of metal(called "leaves")bound together to act as a single unit Leaf springs were first used on horse-drawn carriages and were found on most american automobiles until Photo courtesy HowStuffworks Shopper 1985. They are still used today on most trucks Leaf spring Torsion bars- Torsion bars use the twisting properties of a steel bar to provide coil-spring-like performance. This is how they work: One end of a bar is anchored to the vehicle frame. TI other end is attached to a wishbone, which acts like a lever that moves perpendicular to the torsion bar. When the wheel hits a bump, vertical motion is transferred to the wishbone and then through the levering action, to the torsion bar. The torsion bar then twists along its axis to provide the spring force. European carmakers used this system extensively, as did Packard and Chrysler in the United States, through the 1950s and 1960s Photo courtesy HowstuffWorks sho Torsion bar Air springs- Air springs, which consist of a cylindrical chamber of air positioned between the wheel and the car's body use the compressive qualities of air to absorb wheel vibrations. The conceptis actually more than a century old and could be found on horse-drawn buggies. Air springs from this era were made from air-filled, leather diaphragms, much like a bellows; they were replaced with molded-rubber air springs in the 1930s
• Leaf springs - This type of spring consists of several layers of metal (called "leaves") bound together to act as a single unit. Leaf springs were first used on horse-drawn carriages and were found on most American automobiles until 1985. They are still used today on most trucks and heavy-duty vehicles. • Torsion bars - Torsion bars use the twisting properties of a steel bar to provide coil-spring-like performance. This is how they work: One end of a bar is anchored to the vehicle frame. The other end is attached to a wishbone, which acts like a lever that moves perpendicular to the torsion bar. When the wheel hits a bump, vertical motion is transferred to the wishbone and then, through the levering action, to the torsion bar. The torsion bar then twists along its axis to provide the spring force. European carmakers used this system extensively, as did Packard and Chrysler in the United States, through the 1950s and 1960s. Photo courtesy HowStuffWorks Shopper Torsion bar • Air springs - Air springs, which consist of a cylindrical chamber of air positioned between the wheel and the car's body, use the compressive qualities of air to absorb wheel vibrations. The concept is actually more than a century old and could be found on horse-drawn buggies. Air springs from this era were made from air-filled, leather diaphragms, much like a bellows; they were replaced with molded-rubber air springs in the 1930s. Photo courtesy HowStuffWorks Shopper Leaf spring
Photo courtesy HSW Shopper Based on where springs are located on a car-ie, between the wheels and the frame -engineers often find it convenient to talk about the sprung mass and the unsprung mass Springs: Sprung and Unsprung Mass of the vehicl loosely defined as the mass between the road and the suspension springs. The stiffness of the springs affects how the sprung mass responds while the car is being driven. Loosely sprung cars, such as luxury is prone to dive and squat during braking and acceleration and tends to experience body sway or rol cars(think Lincoln Town Can, can swallow bumps and provide a super-smooth ride; however, such a during cornering. Tightly sprung cars, such as sports cars(think Mazda Miata), are less forgiving on bumpy roads, but they minimize body motion well, which means they can be driven aggressively, even So, while springs by themselves seem like simple devices, designing and implementing them on a car to balance passenger comfort with handling is a complex task And to make matters more complex, springs alone can t provide a perfectly smooth ride. Why? Because springs are great at absorbing energy, but not so good at dissipating it. Other structures, known as dampers, are required to do this Historical Suspensions Sixteenth-century wagons and carriages tried to solve the problem of "feeling every bump in the road"by slinging the carriage body from leather straps attached to four posts of a chassis that looked like an upturned table Because the carriage body was suspended from the chassis the system came to be known as a"suspension"-a term still used today to describe the entire class of solutions. The slung-body suspension was not a true springing system, but it did enable the body and the wheels of the carriage to move independently Semi-elliptical spring designs, also known as cart springs, quickly replaced he leather-strap suspension. Popular on wagons, buggies and carriages he semi-elliptical springs were often used on both the front and rear axles They did, however, tend to allow forward and backward sway and had a By the time powered vehicles hit the road, other, more efficient springing systems were being developed to smooth out rides for passengers Dampers: Shock Absorbers Unless a dampening structure is present, a car spring will extend and release the energy it absorbs from
Photo courtesy HSW Shopper Air springs Based on where springs are located on a car -- i.e., between the wheels and the frame -- engineers often find it convenient to talk about the sprung mass and the unsprung mass. Springs: Sprung and Unsprung Mass The sprung mass is the mass of the vehicle supported on the springs, while the unsprung mass is loosely defined as the mass between the road and the suspension springs. The stiffness of the springs affects how the sprung mass responds while the car is being driven. Loosely sprung cars, such as luxury cars (think Lincoln Town Car), can swallow bumps and provide a super-smooth ride; however, such a car is prone to dive and squat during braking and acceleration and tends to experience body sway or roll during cornering. Tightly sprung cars, such as sports cars (think Mazda Miata), are less forgiving on bumpy roads, but they minimize body motion well, which means they can be driven aggressively, even around corners. So, while springs by themselves seem like simple devices, designing and implementing them on a car to balance passenger comfort with handling is a complex task. And to make matters more complex, springs alone can't provide a perfectly smooth ride. Why? Because springs are great at absorbing energy, but not so good at dissipating it. Other structures, known as dampers, are required to do this. Historical Suspensions Sixteenth-century wagons and carriages tried to solve the problem of "feeling every bump in the road" by slinging the carriage body from leather straps attached to four posts of a chassis that looked like an upturned table. Because the carriage body was suspended from the chassis, the system came to be known as a "suspension" -- a term still used today to describe the entire class of solutions. The slung-body suspension was not a true springing system, but it did enable the body and the wheels of the carriage to move independently. Semi-elliptical spring designs, also known as cart springs, quickly replaced the leather-strap suspension. Popular on wagons, buggies and carriages, the semi-elliptical springs were often used on both the front and rear axles. They did, however, tend to allow forward and backward sway and had a high center of gravity. By the time powered vehicles hit the road, other, more efficient springing systems were being developed to smooth out rides for passengers. Dampers: Shock Absorbers Unless a dampening structure is present, a car spring will extend and release the energy it absorbs from
a bump at an uncontrolled rate. The spring will continue to bounce at its natural frequency until all of the energy originally putinto it is used up. A suspension built on springs alone would make for an extremely bouncy ride and, depending on the terrain, an uncontrollable car. Enter the shock absorber, or snubber, a device that controls unwanted spring motion through a process known as dampening. Shock absorbers slow down and reduce the magnitude of vibratory motions by turning the kinetic energy of suspension movement into heat energy that can be dissipated through hydraulic fuid. To understand how this works, it's best to look inside a shock absorber to see its structure HOW CAR SUSPENSIONS WORK Twin-tube Shock Absorber Upper Mount Piston Reserve Cylinder Pressure Lower Mount EXTENSION COMPRESSION CYCLE CYCLE a2005 Hown tuftwork a shock absorber is basically an oil pump placed between the frame of the car and the wheels. the upper mount of the shock connects to the frame (i.e, the sprung weight), while the lower mount connects to the axle, near the wheel (i.e, the unsprung weight. In a twin-tube design, one of the most common types of shock absorbers, the upper mount is connected to a piston rod, which in turn is connected to a piston, which in turn sits in a tube filled with hydraulic fluid. The inner tube is known as the pressure tube, and the outer tube is known as the reserve tube. The reserve tube stores excess hydraulic fluid When the car wheel encounters a bump in the road and causes the spring to coil and uncoil, the energ of the spring is transferred to the shock absorber through the upper mount, down through the piston rod and into the piston Orifices perforate the piston and allow fluid to leak through as the piston moves up
a bump at an uncontrolled rate. The spring will continue to bounce at its natural frequency until all of the energy originally put into it is used up. A suspension built on springs alone would make for an extremely bouncy ride and, depending on the terrain, an uncontrollable car. Enter the shock absorber, or snubber, a device that controls unwanted spring motion through a process known as dampening. Shock absorbers slow down and reduce the magnitude of vibratory motions by turning the kinetic energy of suspension movement into heat energy that can be dissipated through hydraulic fluid. To understand how this works, it's best to look inside a shock absorber to see its structure and function. A shock absorber is basically an oil pump placed between the frame of the car and the wheels. The upper mount of the shock connects to the frame (i.e., the sprung weight), while the lower mount connects to the axle, near the wheel (i.e., the unsprung weight). In a twin-tube design, one of the most common types of shock absorbers, the upper mount is connected to a piston rod, which in turn is connected to a piston, which in turn sits in a tube filled with hydraulic fluid. The inner tube is known as the pressure tube, and the outer tube is known as the reserve tube. The reserve tube stores excess hydraulic fluid. When the car wheel encounters a bump in the road and causes the spring to coil and uncoil, the energy of the spring is transferred to the shock absorber through the upper mount, down through the piston rod and into the piston. Orifices perforate the piston and allow fluid to leak through as the piston moves up
and down in the pressure tube. Because the orifices are relatively tiny, only a small amount of fluid, under great pressure, passes through This slows down the piston, which in turn slows down the spring Shock absorbers work in two cycles --the compression cycle and the extension cycle. The compression cycle occurs as the piston moves downward, compressing the hydraulic fluid in the chamber below the piston. The extension cycle occurs as the piston moves toward the top of the pressure tube, compressing the fluid in the chamber above the piston. a typical car or light truck will have more resistance dunng its extension cycle than its compression cycle. With that in mind, the compression cycle controls the motion of the vehicle's unsprung weight, while extension controls the heavier, sprung weight All modern shock absorbers are velocity-sensitive -the faster the suspension moves, the more resistance the shock absorber provides. This enables shocks to adjust to road conditions and to control all of the unwanted motions that can occur in a moving vehicle, including bounce, sway, brake dive and acceleration squat. Dampers: Struts and Anti-sway Bars Another common dampening structure is the strut-basically a shock absorber mounted inside a coil provide structural support for the vehicle suspension. That means struts deliver a bit more than shock absorbers, which dont support vehicle weight--they only control the speed at which weight is transferred HOW CAR SUSPENSIONS WORK Basic macPherson Strut desig Shock absor and sprin Car Fram Arm
and down in the pressure tube. Because the orifices are relatively tiny, only a small amount of fluid, under great pressure, passes through. This slows down the piston, which in turn slows down the spring. Shock absorbers work in two cycles -- the compression cycle and the extension cycle. The compression cycle occurs as the piston moves downward, compressing the hydraulic fluid in the chamber below the piston. The extension cycle occurs as the piston moves toward the top of the pressure tube, compressing the fluid in the chamber above the piston. A typical car or light truck will have more resistance during its extension cycle than its compression cycle. With that in mind, the compression cycle controls the motion of the vehicle's unsprung weight, while extension controls the heavier, sprung weight. All modern shock absorbers are velocity-sensitive -- the faster the suspension moves, the more resistance the shock absorber provides. This enables shocks to adjust to road conditions and to control all of the unwanted motions that can occur in a moving vehicle, including bounce, sway, brake dive and acceleration squat. Dampers: Struts and Anti-sway Bars Another common dampening structure is the strut -- basically a shock absorber mounted inside a coil spring. Struts perform two jobs: They provide a dampening function like shock absorbers, and they provide structural support for the vehicle suspension. That means struts deliver a bit more than shock absorbers, which don't support vehicle weight -- they only control the speed at which weight is transferred in a car, not the weight itself
Common strut design Because shocks and struts have so much to do with the handing of a car, they can be considered critical safety features. Worn shocks and struts can allow excessive vehicle-weight transfer from side to side and front to back. This reduces the fire,s, ability to grip the road, as well as handling and braking Anti-sway Bars Anti-sway bars(also known as anti-roll bars) are used along with shock absorbers or struts to give a moving automobile additional stability An anti-sway bar is a metal rod that spans the entire axle and effectively joins each side of the suspension together. Photo courtesy HSW Shopper Anti When the suspension at one wheel moves up and down, the anti-sway bar transfers movement to the other wheel. This creates a more level ride and reduces vehicle sway. In particular, it combats the roll of a car on its suspension as it corners. For this reason, almost all cars today are fitted with anti-sway bars as standard equipment, although if they re not, kits make it easy to install the bars at any time Suspension Types: Front So far, our discussions have focused on how springs and dampers function on any given wheel. But the four wheels of a car work together in two independent systems-the two wheels connected by the front axle and the two wheels connected by the rear axle. That means that a car can and usually does have a different type of suspension on the front and back. Much is determined by whether a rigid axle binds the wheels or if the wheels are permitted to move independently. The former arrangement is known as a dependent system, while the latter arrangement is known as an independent system. In the following sections, we'll look at some of the common types of front and back suspensions typically used on mainstream cars Front Suspension-Dependent Systems Dependent front suspensions have a rigid front axle that connects the front wheels. Basically, this looks
Common strut design Because shocks and struts have so much to do with the handling of a car, they can be considered critical safety features. Worn shocks and struts can allow excessive vehicle-weight transfer from side to side and front to back. This reduces the tire's ability to grip the road, as well as handling and braking performance. Anti-sway Bars Anti-sway bars (also known as anti-roll bars) are used along with shock absorbers or struts to give a moving automobile additional stability. An anti-sway bar is a metal rod that spans the entire axle and effectively joins each side of the suspension together. Photo courtesy HSW Shopper Anti-sway bars When the suspension at one wheel moves up and down, the anti-sway bar transfers movement to the other wheel. This creates a more level ride and reduces vehicle sway. In particular, it combats the roll of a car on its suspension as it corners. For this reason, almost all cars today are fitted with anti-sway bars as standard equipment, although if they're not, kits make it easy to install the bars at any time. Suspension Types: Front So far, our discussions have focused on how springs and dampers function on any given wheel. But the four wheels of a car work together in two independent systems -- the two wheels connected by the front axle and the two wheels connected by the rear axle. That means that a car can and usually does have a different type of suspension on the front and back. Much is determined by whether a rigid axle binds the wheels or if the wheels are permitted to move independently. The former arrangement is known as a dependent system, while the latter arrangement is known as an independent system. In the following sections, we'll look at some of the common types of front and back suspensions typically used on mainstream cars. Front Suspension - Dependent Systems Dependent front suspensions have a rigid front axle that connects the front wheels. Basically, this looks
