The types of suspension vehicle, and device diagnostics

What is the hub of the car is the most important? Almost all motorists will argue that, of course, the engine as it leads the car in motion. Others will say from the body of the transmission. But on the suspension of the car will not tell nobody. But it is the Foundation on which to build the machine. Suspension it defines the dimensions and features of the body. It also affects how the engine will be installed on a specific vehicle.

Suspension – this is an important and complex site. It requires detailed consideration.

Purpose and objectives

The car's Suspension (it is also called a suspension system) – a group of closely functioning together of the parts and devices. Their main feature consists in providing an elastic connection between the road and the car body. Suspension reduces the load on the sprung mass. In this case the load is distributed throughout the structure uniformly.

In a modern car this system consists of the following components:

• Elastic elements, providing the smoothness and reducing the effect of vertical dynamics.
• Damping element. He takes the load waves into heat energy, normalizes the dynamics of the movement. Guide piece in the suspension needed to handle the lateral and longitudinal kinetics on a moving wheel.

Regardless of the type and constructive features of a particular car, the suspension vehicle a common task. It is to dampen incoming vibration and noise and to smooth out the fluctuations that occur when driving on uneven surfaces. But depending on the features of the machine, the type of suspension will be different.

Device

Regardless of the type of suspension, it consists of main elements and parts, without which it is difficult to imagine a workable mechanism.

Among them there are several basic

1. Elastic Buffer, which performs the function of the analyzer. It fulfills the bumps in the road and all the information about them on the body. The composition of these nodes may enter various elastic elements-the springs, springs, torsion bars. They will be smooth emerged when riding the vibrations.
2. Distribution details. They connected with suspension, and body. This allows maximum transfer of energy. These include leverage, cross and double pull.
3. Shock Absorbers that allow you to resist the elastic elements. Distinguish between the shocks of two types – twin-tube or Monotube. Classification also divides data units on the oil, and pneumatic casamassina.
4. The suspension device of the vehicle and a rod. It provides lateral stability and stabilizes the body. Rod – part of a complex web of supports and lever systems attached to the body and designed to distribute loads in various maneuvers.
5. Fastener is a bolted joints and bushings. The most common fasteners are considered silent blocks, ball bearings.

Types of car suspensions

The history of the first systems out in the deep past. This is the beginning of the 20th century. Then the first solution to perform only the connecting function and the whole kinetics is transferred to the body. But then, after conducting numerous experiments, embodied in various hardware development, which have significantly improved the design and increased the potential for future exploitation. Before the modern time were able to get only a few types of suspensions of the vehicle.

MacPherson

This system was developed by the famous engineer Earl MacPherson. For the first time this design was used 50 years ago.

It is a lever, rack and stabilizer bar. This type is far from perfect, but it is available and popular – it is chosen by manufacturers for most front-wheel drive budget car.

Another system

Here the guide block is a not one but two levers. The system can be both the diagonal and transverse or longitudinal.

Link

This design is more advanced, and therefore has a lot of advantages. It provides a seamless and smooth running of the car, the improved characteristics of maneuverability. More often such decisions occur on premium luxury cars.

Torsion-linkage

It is similar in design to the above-described types of suspension cars. But in this type of springs are used instead of torsion bars which, even in the simplest scheme, greatly enhance the efficiency of the system. Themselves components easier to maintain, and to regulate their desire and goals that should be addressed.

Suspension "De Dion"

This design was developed by engineer from France, A. De Dion, reduces the load on the rear axle of the vehicle. Its main feature is that Carter, the main transmission is fixed not on the beam of the bridge, and on the body. Such decisions often occur on four wheel drive vehicles. On passenger cars this suspension is contraindicated – possible subsidence at the time of acceleration and deceleration.

Rear dependent

This is a well-know variant of the rear suspensioncar. Loved him in the Soviet Union.

Beam such design is mounted with springs and trailing arms. Despite the excellent controllability and stability in motion, there is a drawback. This is a significant weight of the rear beam.

Torsion-lever design

This is a hybrid of the dependent and independent suspension. As the elastic element is a torsion bar. One end is fixed to the body, another – to moving parts. This design is widely used in most budget cars, as for cost, it outperforms a dependent system.

There are semi-dependent rear suspension. These solutions use crossbar, which is connected by means of two longitudinal levers.

Swing axle

In this type lie at the heart of the axle shaft. By the end of them attached the hinges and the axis articulate with the tires. When the wheel is moving, it will be at an angle of 90° to the axle shaft.

Suspension trailing arms

The Designs are divided into torsion and spring. Among the key differences the wheel is located almost next to the body. Use these solutions to small cars and trailers.

Design with longitudinal and transverse levers

This car suspension with longitudinal arm of the base. It is designed to relieve the support efforts that are in the body. This type of suspension is very heavy, making it unpopular in the market today.

In the case of wishbone, things are much better – design flexible with a good and proper setup. Support arms enable you to reduce the load on the attachment system.

Suspension with oblique levers

Structurally, it is very similar to the design with trailing arms. The difference is that the axis in which the swinging levers, there are at acute angles. Such types can be found on the rear axle of the car of German production. If you compare the necklace structure, where the longitudinal levers, the rolls turning at the semi-trailing arm lower. This is a big plus.

Suspension with double wishbone and trailing arms

Unlike single-lever designs, of this type on each axle has two levers. They are placed transversely or longitudinally. Connection you can use springs, torsion bars or leaf springs. Suspension is compact but unbalanced, if you need to move on bad roads.

Pneumatic and hydro-Pneumatic suspension

The double-wishbone system most commonly used in the pneumatic suspension of the vehicle. It is not considered an expensive option, but greatly increases the comfort while driving.

Pneumatic and hydropneumatic type is a sophisticated device. But provides a very smooth ride, excellent handling, advanced vibration damping. The pneumatic suspension of the car goes well not only with multi-link designs, but simple as "McPherson".

Electromagnetic systems

This is a more complex design, which is based on the electric motor. This system solves two problems at once by replacing the shock absorber and the elastic element. Manages the whole set of microcontroller device with a special sensor.

Suspension is safe, and switching is provided by means of electromagnets. This type has a high cost.

Semi-active or adaptive

Here oral suspension adapts to the road surface and driving style of the driver. It determines the level of damping independently and automatically adjusts to the desired operation mode. Adjustment is done with the help of electric magnets or liquids.

System of suspensions for pickups, trucks and SUVs

When designing the truck, the engineers used variants where the axis placed on the lateral and longitudinal springs. Some manufacturers do not change this design, although the progress reached in this area.

Now there are models that use a fully hydraulic suspension. A distinctive feature of the described suspension of the truck are simple bridges that are attached to the body with a bracket and are connected by springs.

SUVs and pickups harder and may differ significantly from one model to another. This approach due to the need of terrain. The basis of the structures lies the suspension, though there are snap decisions.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of the car's suspension should start with lifting the hood:

• While the car is on the ground, examine in what condition are the top mounts. First and foremost it is important that any gap between the Cup and the body. If it is equal to about one and a half inches, the upper pad should be changed.
• Next the car rocking. If it swings two more times, the shock absorbers should be replaced.
• Lift the Car and look at the side dampers. It is important that they do not have any stains.
• Then take the car in one of the wheels and swing left and right, up and down. In the first case inthe front suspension of the car you can hear the knocking rods or threaded clevises. With the help of an assistant you can learn the cause of the knock in more detail. You need to carefully take the tie rod and find out where the backlash – in the steering rack or at the tip.
• If there are foreign sounds when rocking the wheel up and down, it is time to change a ball bearing. But if the sounds are missing, not the fact that the ball is in order. Better make sure it is working correctly using the mount.
• Wheel is rotated. This is necessary to know the state of the wheel bearing. Next the wheel spin again, with one hand hold the spring. If it is a vibration, the bearing will soon fail.

• Using the mount under the car, check the bushings. Moving it in longitudinal and transverse direction. A small gap is allowable, but no more. The strong wear of the ball joint can be noticed if two hands to swing the lever near the ball – no backlash should not be. These gaps are also apparent in the course of movement of the car. When the wheel is under the front part hear a distinctive knock.
• At the end check the stabilizer bar of the suspension of the car VAZ – it's the condition of the bushings. Pry stick between the subframe and stabilizer, and then shake. If the bushing is damaged, the stabilizer will walk in it. Also check the stabilizer secured in the levers.

Rear suspension

The diagnostic Process this node starts the same way as in the first case. Ball joints is not here, so we can immediately start with the wheel bearings. Then look at the condition of the shock absorbers. This is all.

From the rear suspension to wait some sounds can be very long – it is silent, because of simple and reliable construction. The wear of the rear suspension can be felt only by the terrible handling.

Conclusion

There are a lot of Suspensions. They are all different, but most – the McPherson. How to diagnose in the garage conditions described above. But it is best not to trust their own feelings, and to go to the computer diagnostics, because suspension – is one of the main elements of the car.