Car suspension systems
This is the opening page for the car suspension and steering systems section of the you fix cars website. This page will be a brief overview of the core of the vehicle, which is the frame. All steering and suspension parts attach to the frame. Below will be articles that cover these individual attaching parts. If the frame is not straight or tweaked in an accident many drivability and even safety concerns can develop. The car suspension system has greatly changed through the years. Not only has technology brought about these changes so has the desire for sports car like handling, while maintaining a luxurious ride.
Car suspension frames
To provide a rigid structural foundation for the vehicle body and a strong place to anchor the suspension system a frame of some type is necessary. There are two basic frames in use in today's automobiles. There are several variations of the two main types. The conventional box frame construction is also called the body over frame type. In this instance the frame is the automobiles foundation. The body and all major parts of the vehicle or attached to this frame. It must provide the support and strength needed at the attachment points. The box frame is unique in that it is completely independent from the rest of the automobile. The first thing to roll down the assembly line is the bare naked frame.
These can and will usually out last the automobile itself (rust never sleeps). A unibody frame actually looks like part of the sheet metal of the car but with some characteristic differences. In some cases the manufacturing process will layer sheets of metal together and bond them to provide the backbone to attach car suspension components. The unibody design significantly lowers the total weight of the automobile and that in turn can increase fuel mileage.
Automobile springs
When people think of car springs, they often think of a coil or leaf spring. My first car was a 1974 Dodge charger that had a torsion bar front suspension. The vehicle I am driving today is a 2004 Chevrolet Blazer. My blazer also has the torsion bar type front springs. The span between these two vehicles is 30 years. I would think that if this type of front spring is still being used then It must be reliable. With a torsion bar suspension it is important to check ride height before aligning the vehicle.
If the spring is worn or damaged the other suspension elements can shift out of their proper alignment. Various kinds of car suspension springs are used in today's automobiles. These include the coil spring, the torsion bar, the leaf spring, and even air springs. Every automotive spring, I have ever seen uses some type of rubberized mount to attach the spring to the vehicle's frame. As with the heavy duty body mounts pictured above, these heavy rubber mounts are designed to last a lifetime of the vehicle without replacement.
But in some extreme use cases or vehicles that are older than 20 years replacement may be required at some point. All of the vehicle's weight above these frame mounted springs is considered as sprung weight. The weight of those components not supported by the car suspension springs is known as unsprung weight.
Diy repairs on car suspension or steering systems should only be performed by people with prior experience. If you have replaced ball joints and tie rod ends in the old days like me, then you will find modern procedures familiar and on some repairs easier. Driveway mechanics should always have their worked checked by a professional auto mechanic when in doubt. Forgetting a cotter pin or performing repairs over your head could get someone hurt.
Automotive steering and suspension helpA good front end alignment is hard to get. As a mechanic let me explain why this is. Discover my insider secrets to increasing your chances of getting a quality wheel alignment The struts or shocks is what keeps the tire on the road. Learn how to diagnose bad ones. Take a look at some information about replacing automotive shock absorbers Lets get into automobile steering parts. Things like idler arms and center links are popular up sells. But do they really need to be replaced? Can you do it yourself? See my opinions on the page about automotive steering parts Here is a true story about what happens when you trust someone to grease your front end. Learn about do it yourself chassis lubrication More steering parts covered next. Tie rod ends are often recommended by mechanics. The question to ask is, what is the free play specification and what was actually measured. Learn more about car steering parts Did you ever wonder why car-makers use the design of the their suspension as a sales tool. Or have you ever wondered how to check for defective parts on your own independent front suspension Modern steering racks are most often found on unibody cars. But are expanding to full frame trucks as well. See a brief overview of the problems and repairs associated with rack and pinion steering Are adaptive suspension systems ready for prime time? Does the words on the fly scare you? Here is my opinion on the latest active suspension systems Search my online auto repair content and the Internet at the same time.  Custom Search The home page provides a brief overview of what other types of auto repair information is covered here. This next link takes your from car suspension to auto repair answers
|
In most instances of full frame construction rubber body mounts are installed between the hard metal frame and the sheet metal of the body. 
