Intensive development of the automotive industry has led to the creation of new types of engines, chassis, modernization of security systems, etc. In this article we will talk about independent suspension of the car. It has a number of features, advantages and disadvantages. It is this type of body suspension that we now consider.
Suspension on trailing and slanting arms
It is worth noting immediately that there are a large number of types of pendants. All of them were designed to improve the technical characteristics of the car and increase ride comfort. Some types are better suited for off-road, while others do a great job with city driving. First of all, let's talk about independent suspension on trailing arms. This design was popular in the 70-80s in French cars, and later found application in scooters. As an elastic element, torsion bars or springs are used. The wheel is connected to the trailing arm, and the latter is connected to the car body (movably). The advantages of such a system are the simplicity and low cost of maintenance, and the disadvantages are the roll and the change in the wheelbase during car movement.
As for the oblique levers, the key difference from the above construction is that the swing axis of the trailing arm is at an angle. This approach has minimized the change in wheelbase and roll. But the handling was still far from ideal, since when passing irregularities, the camber angles of the wheels change. Often, this arrangement was used on the rear independent suspension of cars.
Swinging axle shafts
Another popular type of independent suspension. The device is quite simple. There are two half shafts, on the inner ends of which there are hinges connecting to the differential. Accordingly, the outer end of the axle shaft is rigidly attached to the wheel hub. As elastic elements, all the same springs or springs are used. One of the main advantages of this design is that the wheel remains perpendicular to the axis constantly, even when hitting obstacles. Actually in this type of suspension, longitudinal arms are also used, which reduce vibration from the roadway.
As for the shortcomings, they are here. When driving over rough terrain in broad terms, not only the camber changes, but also the track width. This significantly reduces vehicle handling. This disadvantage is most noticeable at speeds of 60 km / h and above. As for the strengths, it is the simplicity of design and relatively cheap maintenance.
Suspension on trailing and trailing arms
One of the most expensive species, which is extremely rare due to the complexity of the design. In fact, the suspension is made according to the "MacPherson" type with slight differences. The designers decided to remove the load from the mudguard and therefore placed the spring a little further than the shock absorber. One end rests on the engine compartment, and the second - in the cabin. To transfer force from the strut to the spring, the designers added a swing arm. He could move in a vertical longitudinal plane. In the center, the lever was connected to the spring, one end of it was attached to the shock absorber, and the second to the partition.
Actually, almost all joints are hinged, and this is a significant drawback, since MacPherson was famous for their small number. Actually, such an independent front suspension is found on Rover cars. It has no particular advantages, therefore it is not popular, and it is difficult and expensive to service it.
On double wishbones
This type of suspension is common enough. It has the following construction. Transverse levers are attached on one side to the body, usually movably, and on the other hand, to the suspension strut. In the rear suspension, the strut is not swivel with a ball bearing and with one degree of freedom. For the front suspension - a swivel stand and two degrees of freedom. In this design, various elastic elements are used: coil springs, springs, torsion bars or hydropneumatic cylinders.
Often the design involves mounting the lever to the cross member. The latter with the body is fixed rigidly, that is, motionless. This implementation allows you to completely remove the front suspension of the car. From a kinematic point of view, the suspension is devoid of drawbacks and is preferred for installation on racing cars. But the service is expensive due to the large number of ball bearings and the complexity of the work.
Classic mnogoryichazhka
Structurally, the most complex type of pendants. It is similar in principle to a suspension with double wishbones. Most often put on the back of a car class "D" or "C". In such a suspension, each lever determines the behavior of the wheel. It is due to this design that it is possible to achieve maximum controllability and the effect of “steering” the rear axle. The last advantage allows you to not only enter the turns better, but also slightly reduce the turning radius.
From an operational point of view, there are no flaws. All the disadvantages are that it uses not one independent suspension arm, but much more. Each of them is equipped with a pair of silent blocks and ball bearings. Therefore, the service costs decent money.
Rear independent suspension on the VAZ
The classic torsion link suspension mounted on the rear axle is considered semi-independent. The design has both its advantages and disadvantages. To improve handling, car owners often install an independent suspension. It is not difficult to guess that all alterations are performed on front-wheel drive cars.
The suspension itself is sold complete. According to the manufacturer, it does not require modifications and is mounted as a unit without making changes to the design of the car. But in practice this is not entirely true. The muffler barrel is in the way, so you should buy a shorter version. Not without refinement of the mounts. Some need to be finalized with a file, while others should be placed in the right places for this. But most importantly, this design significantly increases the controllability of the car, although to demolish the rear axle will be sharper and less predictable.
Some important tips
When choosing a car, it is advisable to pay attention to the type of suspension. Independent is an excellent choice for city driving, and independent is indispensable for traveling through bumps and trips to the country. The advantage of the latter is that the clearance remains unchanged. This is true for off-road and completely pointless for asphalt. Many modern SUVs have a spring rear beam, while the front usually has a multi-link.
To summarize
You should never forget about servicing the chassis of the car, and the suspension in particular. Indeed, even a mnogoryichazhka with "killed" silent blocks and ball bearings will not give a sense of security and comfort. In addition, traveling on such a car is life threatening. Therefore, timely maintenance is mandatory. Currently, the most preferred type of suspension can be considered multi-link. But its maintenance is quite expensive, although much depends on the operating conditions and the quality of spare parts. The dependent suspension is suitable for trucks and SUVs where cross-country ability, maintainability in the field and reliability, rather than comfort, are important.