Know How : Chevrolet Corvette Leaf Spring Suspension. (en)
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Since 1963, transverse leaf springs have been an integral part of the suspension of GM's Chevrolet Corvette. This article concerns the practical differences between leafs and coils, popular misconceptions, and the design considerations that led to their inclusion in the Corvette.
Traditional use of leaf springs
A leaf spring is a long, flat, thin, and flexible piece of spring steel or composite material that resists bending. The basic principles of leaf spring design and assembly are relatively simple, and leafs have been used in various capacities since medieval times. Most heavy duty vehicles today use two sets of leaf springs per solid axle, mounted perpendicularly to support the weight of the vehicle. This Hotchkiss system requires that each leaf set act as both a spring and a horizontally stable link. Because leaf sets lack rigidity, such a dual-role is only suited for applications where load-bearing capability is more important than precision in suspension response.
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traditional leaf spring
Corvette C5 rear suspension
Leaf springs on the Corvette
All six generations of the Corvette have used leaf springs in some capacity. The basic arrangement for each generation is listed as follows:
* C1 (1953�1962):
Front: Independent unequal-length double wishbones with coil springs.
Rear: Rigid axle supported by leaf springs and longitudinal control links.
* C2 (1963�1967), C3 (1968�1982):
Front: Independent unequal-length double wishbones with coil springs.
Rear: Independent suspension with trailing and lateral links supported by a centrally mounted leaf spring.
* C4 (1984�1996):
Front: Independent unequal-length double wishbones with transverse fiberglass mono-leaf spring mounted to allow for anti-roll effect.
Rear: Independent suspension with trailing and lateral links supported by a centrally mounted fiberglass mono-leaf spring.
* C5 (1997�2004), C6 (2005�):
Front: Independent unequal-length double wishbones with transverse fiberglass mono-leaf spring mounted to allow for anti-roll effect.
Rear: Independent unequal length double wishbones with transverse fiberglass mono-leaf spring mounted to allow for anti-roll effect.
In the C2 and subsequent generations, a leaf spring is mounted transversely in the chassis and used in conjunction with several independent suspension designs. Common to these post-C1 Corvettes, the leaf acts only as a spring, and not a suspension arm or a link. Because it is not required to stabilize the wheels, the leaf functions in much the same manner as a coil spring. This configuration obviates the drawbacks and imprecision associated with leaf springs in a traditional Hotchkiss suspension layout.
Motion of a transverse leaf spring
The following images show the movements of an independent suspension using a transverse leaf spring. For all images:
* The suspension arms are green
* The chassis is blue
* The uprights are gray
* Leaf springs are dark gray
* Pivot links connecting the ends of the springs to the suspension arms are red
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1 - A transverse leaf spring suspension at rest, with separate right and left springs.
2 - The same split-spring configuration with the left wheel in compression.
Illustrations #1 and #2 show independent left and right leaf springs mounted rigidly to a chassis. In the first illustration, the suspension is at rest. As a left wheel moves up in the second illustration, the left spring flexes upward, but the right spring remains unaffected. Because the two springs are not connected, the movement of one wheel has no effect on the spring rate of the opposite wheel. While the C2, C3, and C4 Corvettes used a continuous spring instead of the split spring of the illustration, left and right spring rates remained independent because the spring was rigidly mounted at its center to the chassis.
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3 - A single transverse leaf spring suspension similar to that used on the C5 and C6 Corvette.
4 - The same single-leaf suspension with both wheels compressed upward.
Illustrations #3 and #4 show an independent suspension with a single transverse leaf spring, an arrangement similar to that used on the C5 and C6 Corvettes and the front of the C4 Corvette. While at rest in illustration #3, the leaf forms a symmetric arc between the left and right sides of the suspension with equal force applied to each. Under the compression of both wheels in illustration #4, the widely-spaced chassis mounts allow the spring to pivot; the ends of the spring flex upward and the center moves down. Spring force remains even between both sides.
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At static ride height the leaf spring applies the same 300lb to each side of the suspension
In compression the spring force has increased to 500lb but is still even between both sides
20th October 2012
Know How : Chevrolet Corvette Leaf Spring Suspension. (en)
