LV16 Suspension Systems

Suspension Systems (1)
LV 16
LV16 Suspension Systems - Copyright © Automotive Skills 2003 Ltd. All rights reserved.
Introduction
On completion of this module you will be expected to effectively:
• Describe the operating principles of suspension systems
• Identify the components used in independent suspension systems
• Describe the maintenance requirements of suspension systems
The Operating Principles of
Suspension Systems
(LV16)
Principle of Vehicle Suspension
Types of Vehicle Springs
Metallic Non-metallic
Leaf spring Rubber spring
Coil or helical spring Air spring
Torsion bar Hydro-pneumatic spring
Multi-Leaf Spring
Spring eyes
Centre bolt
Rebound clips
Leaf Springs
Leaf springs perform a dual role.

They act as a spring and hold the axle in place.
Unfortunately, when used alone, they tend to be

too stiff as a spring and too weak as a means of
holding the axle in place. Hence the widespread
us of coil springs and suspension locating
devices.
Use of Leaf Springs on Front Axle
Parts of a Leaf Spring
1 Spring eyes
Used to fix spring to chassis via shackle pins
2 Centre bolt
Keeps leaves in position and locates spring to axle
3 Rebound clips
Prevents overloading of main leaf during rebound
2
1
3
3
Components Used to Mount a Typical Leaf Spring
Three Leaf Spring with Pads
Single Leaf Spring
The curve of this spring is parabolic. It is lighter in

weight and has greater deflection than a multi-leaf
spring.
What is meant by the term parabolic ?
Coil Spring
Coil Spring
The majority of cars use coil springs on both front

and rear suspensions for the following reasons:
• simple design
• compact
• inexpensive to manufacture.
Typical Use of Coil Springs on Front
Suspension
Torsion Bar Spring
Rarely used on cars today. Useful where limited space
or suspension design prevents the use of coil springs.
• very simple design
• easy to adjust ground clearance.
Principle of the Torsion Bar Spring
Typical Torsion Bar Front Suspension
Ride height
Adjustments
Progress check 1
1. Name the three types of metal springs in order of

popularity:
1. leaf spring
2. coil spring
3. torsion bar spring
2. Give one advantage that a leaf spring has over a coil spring:
It will also hold the axle in place without using any

suspension arms or links
Progress check 1
3. What is a fixed shackle?
The front mounting on a leaf spring which is directly bolted to the

chassis.
4. Which vehicles are fitted with single taper leaf springs?
Light vans and pick-ups
Non-Independent Suspension Action
Vertical movement of RH wheel causes the

axle, body and LH wheel to move
Action of Independent Suspension
Each wheel moves up and down independently of the

other wheel causing little movement of the body
The Following Layouts are Examples
of Non-Independent Suspension Layouts
Some use leaf springs
others use coil springs
Some are steering axles

others are driven axles
Some axles are both whilst some are neither
Try and identify each type
Steered Front Axle Using Multi Leaf Springs
Use of Leaf Springs on Rear Axle
Single Leaf Spring on Non Driven Rear Axle
Coil Springs on Live Rear Axle
Live Rear Axle Using Coil Springs
Simple Torsion Beam Rear Suspension
Suspension Components
During this presentation you should try and identify
the following components
Trailing arms Swinging arms
Wishbones Parallel links
Track control arm Transverse links
Bump stops
Anti-roll bars
Stabiliser bars
The Need for Wheel/Axle Location
To ensure proper control of the vehicle the road

wheel should move only vertically over the
bumps in the road
There should be no lateral or side to side movement of

the wheel
It should not move in a longitudinal or front to

rear direction
Progress check 2
Suspension components
Apart from leaf spring suspension all other

suspension systems need some device to hold
the axle/wheel assembly in position.
Some form of triangulation system will be seen

in almost all types of suspension linkage.
Try and identify this in the following layouts.
Triangulation on Torsion Bar Suspension
1. Draw the connecting triangle
Triangle?
Triangulation by Means of Strut Bar and Lower Arm
Triangulation on Live Axle Using Arms and
Rods
Independent Suspension Systems
The following layouts are examples of both
Independent Front Suspension (IFS) and
Independent Rear Suspension (IRS).
Notice the MacPherson strut layout which is used
extensively on modern cars. It is a simple design
which uses a wishbone/arm at the bottom only.
Accurate control of the suspension geometry is
maintained using a long strut which pivots at the
top.
The strut houses the coil spring and damper.
MacPherson Strut
MacPherson Strut Unit
MacPherson Strut Rear Suspension
Double Wishbone IFS
Double Wishbone IRS
Semi Trailing Arms on Driven Rear Axle
Semi Trailing Arm IRS
Plan View of Swinging Half Axle Rear Suspension
Rear Wheel Suspension
Lateral Control Rod (Panhard Rod)
Progress check 3
1. Why is it necessary to locate the axle adequately ?
To prevent the wheel moving longitudinally

To prevent the wheel moving laterally
2. Which of the following configurations provides stable axle

location a) a square b) a triangle c) a circle?
A triangle
3. Give two advantages of an independent suspension

system
Better control of wheel geometry

Increased wheel travel and articulation
Progress check 3
1. What is the purpose of the stabiliser bar?
a) To reduce wear to all components

b) To prevent the wear of the vehicle lowering under a heavy load
c) To reduce roll when cornering
d) To improve the performance of drum brakes
Non-Metallic Springs
The following are examples of non-metallic spring

materials commonly used on light vehicles:
• rubber springs
• hydro-pneumatic springs
• air springs.
These springs are used with independent

suspension systems
Suspension Using Rubber Spring
Rubber
spring
Notice the large lever ratio because of the stiff spring

Exploded View of IFS Using a Rubber Spring
spring
Hydro-Pneumatic Suspension Using Gas
Spring
Details of Hydro-Pneumatic Suspension Unit
The water based fluid is used only to transmit load

from suspension linkage to the nitrogen gas spring
Layout of Air Suspension on a Vehicle
Air Suspension Units
Anti-Roll Bar
Anti-Roll Bar
Anti-Roll Bar
Anti-Roll bar
Progress check 4
1. Name three types of non-metallic springs in order of
simplicity:
1. rubber spring
2. hydro-pneumatic spring
3. air spring or air suspension
2. Name a simple torsion bar, which performs a dual role and

name these roles:
The anti-roll bar, which also acts as a tie rod
3. What is purpose of a suspension damper?
a) To enable the vehicles centre of gravity to be lowered

b) To absorb the road spring energy
c) To limit the wheel movement
d) To reduce roll at high speed
Use of Suspension/Steering Ball Joints
Ball joints are now almost universally used to
allow movement of the suspension arms and
act as steering pivot points.
They have the following advantages:
• simplicity
• self adjusting for wear
• maintenance free
Ball Joint Details
Main Lower Suspension Ball Joint
Use of Rubber Bump and Rebound Stops
Use of Rubber Bushes
Used on suspension
arms and mountings
They are simple, maintenance

free and insulate body from
noise and vibration
Details of Rubber Bushes
rubber
Spring Dampers
These are used to absorb some of the energy stored
in the spring. This reduces the likelihood of the
vehicle body bouncing as it passes over bumps in
the road surface.
Almost all dampers or shock absorbers as they

are sometimes called, are hydraulic telescopic
Spring Oscillation
Principle of Hydraulic Dampers and Coil
Springs
Hydraulic Damper Action
Bump
Rebound
Bump
Rebound
Twin Tube
Twin Tube
Mono-Tube Gas
Progress check 5
1. Name the two types of hydraulic spring damper:

Twin tube
Mono-tube
2. What material is used to reduce noise and vibration and where

on the suspension is it used?:
Rubber and it is used on suspension arms and mountings. It is
also used for bump and rebound stops
3. A number of vehicles are fitted with gas filled shock absorbers.

Which type of gas are these units filled with?
a) Nitrogen
b) Carbon monoxide
c) Oxygen
d) Carbon dioxide
Published by Automotive Skills
201 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5AB
Tel: 020 7436 6373, Fax: 020 7436 5108
www.automotive-skills.org.uk
Automotive Skills wishes to thank the Sector Skills Development

Agency (SSDA) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for
supporting the development of this Technical Certificate Learning
Material. It was produced in association with PROAUTO Ltd.
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Copyright © Automotive Skills 2003. All rights reserved.

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Suspension Systems (1)

• Identify the components used in independent suspension systems

• Describe the maintenance requirements of suspension systems

Leaf spring Rubber spring

Coil or helical spring Air spring

Torsion bar Hydro-pneumatic spring

Leaf springs perform a dual role.

Unfortunately, when used alone, they tend to be

The curve of this spring is parabolic. It is lighter in

What is meant by the term parabolic ?

The majority of cars use coil springs on both front

• very simple design

• easy to adjust ground clearance.

1. Name the three types of metal springs in order of

It will also hold the axle in place without using any

3. What is a fixed shackle?

The front mounting on a leaf spring which is directly bolted to the

4. Which vehicles are fitted with single taper leaf springs?

Light vans and pick-ups

Vertical movement of RH wheel causes the

Each wheel moves up and down independently of the

Some use leaf springs

others use coil springs

Some are steering axles

Try and identify each type

Wishbones Parallel links

Track control arm Transverse links

To ensure proper control of the vehicle the road

There should be no lateral or side to side movement of

It should not move in a longitudinal or front to

Apart from leaf spring suspension all other

Some form of triangulation system will be seen

Try and identify this in the following layouts.

To prevent the wheel moving longitudinally

2. Which of the following configurations provides stable axle

3. Give two advantages of an independent suspension

Better control of wheel geometry

a) To reduce wear to all components

The following are examples of non-metallic spring

These springs are used with independent

Notice the large lever ratio because of the stiff spring

The water based fluid is used only to transmit load

2. Name a simple torsion bar, which performs a dual role and

3. What is purpose of a suspension damper?

a) To enable the vehicles centre of gravity to be lowered

They have the following advantages:

• self adjusting for wear

They are simple, maintenance

Almost all dampers or shock absorbers as they

1. Name the two types of hydraulic spring damper:

2. What material is used to reduce noise and vibration and where

3. A number of vehicles are fitted with gas filled shock absorbers.

Automotive Skills wishes to thank the Sector Skills Development

No part of this learning material may be produced, reproduced, stored

Copyright © Automotive Skills 2003. All rights reserved.

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