General Description Leaf Spring

The front suspension has two primary purposes:

The front suspension absorbs the impact of the tires travelling over irregular road surfaces and dissipates this energy throughout the suspension system. This process isolates the vehicle occupants from the road surface. The rate at which the suspension dissipates the energy and the amount of energy that is absorbed is how the suspension defines the vehicle's ride characteristics. Ride characteristics are designed into the suspension system and are not adjustable. The ride characteristics are mentioned in this description in order to aid in the understanding of the functions of the suspension system. The suspension system must allow for vertical movement of the tire and wheel assembly as the vehicle travels over irregular road surfaces while maintaining the tire's horizontal relationship to the road.

This suspension system utilizes a straight axle and leaf springs. Leaf springs are tapered bars of spring steel. Several bars of progressively shorter lengths are stacked one on top of the other in order to achieve the appropriate ride characteristics. The leaf springs extend from the front of the vehicle across the axle to a point on the frame approximately one-third of the way from the front of the vehicle. The leaf springs mount to the frame by a bushing. The spring pack has a gentle arc that attaches to the axle at the apex of the arc. When the vehicle travels over irregular road surfaces the force tends to straighten out the spring pack. The springs offer a resistance to this motion and return to their original (at-rest) position, thus absorbing the impact.

A shock absorber is used in conjunction with this system in order to dampen out the oscillations of the leaf spring. A shock absorber is a basic hydraulic cylinder. The shock is filled with oil and has a moveable shaft that connects to a piston inside the shock absorber. Valves inside the shock absorber offer resistance to oil flow and consequently inhibit rapid movement of the piston and shaft. Each end of the shock absorber is connected in such a fashion to utilize this recoil action of a leaf spring alone.

Front suspensions systems utilize a stabilizer shaft. The stabilizer bar connects between the left and right lower control arm assemblies through the stabilizer link and stabilizer shaft insulators. This bar controls the amount of independent movement of the suspension when the vehicle turns. Limiting the independent movement defines the vehicle's handling characteristics on turns.