The Suspension System On A Car Explained
"Suspension," when discussing cars, refers to the use of front
and rear springs to suspend a vehicle's "sprung" weight. The
springs used on today's cars and trucks are constructed in a
variety of types, shapes, sizes, rates, and capacities. Types
include leaf springs, coil springs, air springs, and torsion
bars. These are used in sets of four for each vehicle, or they
may be paired off in various combinations and are attached by
several different mounting techniques. The suspension system
also includes shocks and/or struts, and sway bars. Back in the
earliest days of automobile development, when most of the car's
weight (including the engine) was on the rear axle, steering was
a simple matter of turning a tiller that pivoted the entire
front axle. When the engine was moved to the front of the car,
complex steering systems had to evolve. The modern automobile
has come a long way since the days when "being self-propelled"
was enough to satisfy the car owner. Improvements in suspension
and steering, increased strength and durability of components,
and advances in tire design and construction have made large
contributions to riding comfort and to safe driving. Cadillac
allegedly produced the first American car to use a steering
wheel instead of a tiller. Two of the most common steering
mechanisms are the "rack and pinion" and the standard (or
recirculating-ball) systems that can be either manual or
assisted by power. The rack and pinion was designed for sports
cars and requires too much driver muscle at low speeds to be
very useful in larger, heavier cars. However, power steering
makes a heavy car respond easily to the steering wheel, whether
at highway speeds or inching into a narrow parking place, and it
is normal equipment for large automobiles. The suspension system
has two basic functions, to keep the car's wheels in firm
contact with the road and to provide a comfortable ride for the
passengers. A lot of the system's work is done by the springs.
Under normal conditions, the springs support the body of the car
evenly by compressing and rebounding with every up-and-down
movement. This up-and-down movement, however, causes bouncing
and swaying after each bump and is very uncomfortable to the
passenger. These undesirable effects are reduced by the shock
absorbers. The above information is directly from the Auto
Insight program, which you can buy online from
AutoEducation.com. Common Problems: