Suspension is the system of tires, tire air, springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels and allows relative motion between the two. The main functions of the suspension system basically include maximizing the contact between the tires and the road surface, providing steering stability and good handling, evenly supporting the weight of the vehicle (including the frame, engine, and body), and ensuring the comfort of passengers by absorbing and dampening shock. A vehicle's suspension system works hard to withstand a considerable amount of stress compared to other major vehicle systems. Browse through this category for various suspension systems available in Zambian stores.
Modern springing systems are based on four basic designs. Get to know these four spring classes: leaf springs, coil springs, torsion bars, and air springs.
There are three basic types of suspension components: linkages, springs, and shock absorbers. The linkages are the bars and brackets that support the wheels, springs and shock absorbers.
The suspension system's primary function is to maximize the overall performance of a vehicle as it cruises down the road. The suspension system also helps to absorb bumps in the road and provide a safe and comfortable ride.
Suspensions that you may encounter.
- Multi-Link Suspension.
- Rigid Axle Suspension.
- Macpherson Suspension.
- Independent Suspension.
- Rigid suspension – Leaf Spring.
- Trailing Arm Suspension.
- Double Wishbone Suspension.
- Air Suspension.
There are two types of springs used in suspensions: coil spring and leaf spring. Coil springs are one of the most common springs, and you can see them on most cars. Leaf springs were used in older cars, and you can also find them on heavy-duty vehicles such as trucks with solid axles.
Front suspension operation is pretty straightforward. All suspension systems include springs and dampers of some kind. When the vehicle travels down the road, the springs support the vehicle and absorb impacts from bumps, while the dampers control the spring oscillations.
Ways to sort out a rear axle.
- Dependent. Dependent suspension – also known as a 'live' axle – is where the wheels are linked to each other in some fashion.
- Independent.
- MacPherson strut.
- Multi-link and dual wishbone.
- Semi-independent.
- Torsion beam.
The main components of the suspensions system include the springs, shock absorbers, struts, control arms, and more. Being exposed on the bottom of your vehicle, these parts are constantly exposed to debris, rocks, speed bumps, potholes, and other driving occurrences which can potentially damage components
Twin-tube shocks are the best choice if you are looking to equip your vehicle for comfortable daily driving. The twin-tube design is the most common suspension design found in cars, light trucks, vans, and SUVs. Its technology focuses on improved handling and control characteristics.
Types of Car Suspensions
The Double Wishbone suspension also has an independent design, so the turning angle and suspension movement will not affect the geometry angle, because the angle will remain constant. The Double Wishbone suspension has drawbacks due to the fairly large space it requires. On top of that, when you want to replace a shock breaker or shock absorber, the disassembly process takes a long time.
Multi-Link is a suspension developed by Double Wishbone and Multi-Link into a suspension that has a fairly complicated construction design because it has separate parts that are held together by joints. This suspension also has component ends that pivot on two sides of the arm. Construction is made by manipulating the direction of the force that will be received by the wheel.
Rigid Axle suspension is usually placed at the rear of the car. The main feature of this suspension is its wheels on the rear left and right. The two wheels are connected into one axle which is commonly referred to as the axle. The rigid axle suspension has 2 models at once, namely the Axle Rigid model which is equipped with leaf springs, and the Axle Rigid model which is equipped with a coil spring or often referred to as a spring.
Macpherson is a suspension whose name is taken from its inventor, Earle Macpherson. Lots of cars around the world use Macpherson suspension.
Many automotive manufacturers like this suspension, because it has an affordable price and also has fairly simple components. The Macpherson suspension has an upright shape and is supported by shock absorbers which are used as the centre point of the corner caster in the car. This suspension is also very easy to obtain because it's distributed widely.
Double Wishbone Suspension - Double Wishbone is a type of suspension that has 2 arms that support the suspension system, namely the upper and lower arms. With this suspension, the car can run stably.
Independent suspension is a specially designed suspension because the right and left wheels at the rear are not connected directly but instead by axle joints.
If the rear wheel steps on a hole, of course, the car will not rock and this is because only the left suspension moves. Independent suspension is indeed widely used in luxury cars. The independent suspension has a more complex construction and the axle movements are mutually independent. This suspension is also equipped with two flexible joints. This type of suspension is still fairly expensive, so its use is mostly in luxurious cars.
Rigid - Leafspring is one type of suspension that is widely applied in cars circulating in Indonesia and is mostly used in commercial type cars or old type cars. This suspension is usually used at the rear of the car because this suspension is stiff. This suspension has a fairly simple and simple construction. This type of suspension usually consists of an Axle Housing that is intentionally tied using a U-Bolt already attached to the frame. Cars that use this suspension usually have a fairly high level of resistance.
Trailing Arm is a type of suspension whose instructions are almost the same as 3 Links - Rigid, even though the working system is very different. The way it works is also different from the 3 Links - Rigid or other types of suspension.
The Trailing Arm suspension has connected from the right side to the left. This type of suspension is usually placed at the back of the car.
Air Suspension is one of the developed suspensions that has excellent performance, so this type of suspension is widely used in luxury cars. Even in luxury cars, the car's suspension can be adjusted using a computer and this allows the adjustment to be done properly.
