ABSTRACT

Leaf springs are one of the

oldest suspension components
they are still frequently used,
especially in commercial
vehicles. Weight reduction is
now the main issue in
automobile industries. In the
present work, existing mono
steel leaf spring of a Tata Bus is
taken for modelling and
analysis

DESIGN OF LEAF SPRING

For TATA Marcopolo 912

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Course of Design of Machine Elements

Course project: DESIGN OF LEAF SPRING OF

TATA MARCOPOLO 912 BUS
Under the guidance of
Prof. Sanagoudar

ByRoll No.

Name

001
018
019
020
025

Aakash Hoskoti
Arun Karchakatti
Ashvin Hudedagaddi
Ashwin Kulkarni
Darshan Pawar

U.S.N.

2BV13ME001
2BV13ME018
2BV13ME019
2BV13ME020
2BV13ME025

I. INTRODUCTION
Leaf springs are widely used in automobile and in railway. The leaf spring should
absorb the vertical vibrations and impacts due to road irregularities by means of
variations in the spring deflection so that the potential energy is stored in spring as
strain energy and then released slowly so increasing the energy storage capabilities
of a leaf spring and ensures a more compliant suspension system. Leaf springs are
probably one of the oldest forms of spring-type suspension systems, having been in
use since medieval times. Until recently, leaf springs were a common rear
suspension component of most automobiles. The introduction of light-weight
front-wheel drive vehicles has basically made the use of leaf springs unnecessary,
and automobile manufacturers are now using coil springs for both front and rear
suspension systems. Leaf springs are now generally used only for heavier
commercial-type vehicles such as trucks, vans, trailers, and railroad cars.
There are two basic types of leaf springs:
Mono-leaf
Multi-leaf.

Multi-leaf:

Analytical Design of the Leaf Spring:

Physical properties of Spring Materials used:

Material

Chrome-Vanadium
alloy
Steel(0.5% C )
Material

C40

Modulus of
Elasticity
MN/m2
0.206 106

Ultimate strength
MN/m2
950

Allowable Stress
MN/m2
550

1250

Modulus of
Elasticity
MN/m2
0.220 106

Ultimate strength
MN/m2
540

Allowable Stress
MN/m2
328

770

Design data of leaf spring:

Sl.No.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
10.

Design parameter

Value

Total Length of the spring eye to eye (2Lmm)

No. of full length leaves(if)
No. of graduated leaves including master leaf(ig)
Youngs Modulus of the spring material (N/mm2)
Allowable stress
Free Camber(mm)
GVW(Fkg)

1610
0
10
0.206 106
550
50.8
9000

Base width(mm)
Band length (lbmm)

4920
60

Design of Leaf Spring:

Data known:Total load = (Wt. of engine + Self wt of spring + Dead wt of vehicle chassis +
Dead weight of vehicle chassis + Wt. of passenger bus) F = 9000Kg = 88290N.

Assuming Centre of gravity at a distance of 2360mm behind front axle.

Free body diagram

By eqillibrium equations
Rf + Rr = 88920 N ------------------------ (a)
Taking moments about point O
Rb 4920 = 2360 88920
Rb = 42350.48 N
From eqn (a) we get
Rf = 88920 42350.48 = 45939.52 N
Therefore the design is based on front axle since it is heavily loaded.
Hence F =

Length L=

45939.56
2

2
2

= 22969.76 N

161060
2

(two leaf springs)

= 775mm.

Considering the leaf spring as pre-stressed

g =

3
2

bh2 =

322969.76775
10550

= 9709.94 -------------------------- (b)

63

y = (2)3
bh3 =

622969.767753
50.80207103 20

= 305034.49------------------------(c)

Assuming the width to height ratio typically as 9:1

i.e

= 9 b=9h ------ (d)

Substituting in the above equations (b) & (c) we get

eqn (b)

h = 3(9709.94)/9 = 10.25mm

eqn (c)

h = 4(305034.49)/9 = 13.56mm

Refering the Data handbook

standard height h = 14mm
therefore from eqn (d) b = 9h
= 9 14 = 126mm.
Nip C =

3
3

22969.767753
207103 1012614

= 149.39mm

Lengths of leaves:1st leaf =

=

effective length
1
1610
9

2nd leaf =

1610

3rd leaf =

1610

4th leaf =

9
1610
9

+ ineffective length

+ 60 = 238.88mm
2 + 60 = 417.76mm
3 + 60 = 596.64mm
4 + 60 = 775.52mm

5th leaf =

1610

6th leaf =

1610

7th leaf =

1610

8th leaf =

1610

9th leaf =

1610

5 + 60 = 954.4mm
5 + 60 = 1133.28mm
5 + 60 = 1312.26mm
5 + 60 = 1491.04mm
5 + 60 = 1669.92mm

Pin design
Since there is clearance between plate and eye
L2=L+4 = 126+4=130mm
We know that M=

FL2
8

22969.76130
8

= 373258.6 N-mm.

Bending stress of Pin material (b) = 164 MPa.

We know that b =

Where Z =

d3
32

Substituting these we get

164 =

373258.632
d3

d=28.51mm
Standard d=30mm
Therefore length of the master leaf = 2L + 2 (d+h) = 1610 + 276.46 = 1886.46mm

Conclusion:
Sl
no
1.
2.

Parameter
Thickness of
leaves
Width of the
leaves

Calculated value
mm
14

Actual value
mm
15

Error %

126

130

3.07
3.28

3.

Length of
master leaf

188.6

195

4.

Diameter of
the pin

28.6

35

6.67

In this work, we designed the leaf spring for Tata Marco polo 912 using analytical
approach. We determined different parameters of the leaf spring like thickness,
length using the analytical formulae. The values obtained by above approach
revealed that the closeness of the values were differing by 6.6% for
thickness(height), 3.07% for the width and also the length of each spring is
determined, the closeness of values are obtained by comparing the values with the
actual values.