MODULE III

SUSPENSION SYSTEM ADVANTAGES

 Control spring and suspension movement.

 Provide consistent handling and braking.
 Prevent premature tire wear.
 Help keep the tires in contact with the road.
 Maintain dynamic wheel alignment.
 Control vehicle bounce, roll, sway, drive, and acceleration
squat.
 Reduce wear on other vehicle systems.
Independent front suspension system
Independent suspension system
means any arrangement that
connects the road wheels to the
frame , in which the rise or fall
of one wheel has no direct effect
on the other wheels. In other
words , in case of ordinary axle
arrangement the rise or fall of
one wheel causes that wheel
and the wheel at the other end
to get tilted by an angle. This
sets vibration of the wheels on
the stub axles causing wobbling.
When independent suspension
is used, this wheel wobbling is
eliminated.
Rear wheel independent suspension

 Though the rear wheels are not to

be steered, yet there is a
considerable difficulty in the rear
wheel springing if the power has to
be transmitted to the rear wheels.
But even the rear wheel
independent springing is coming
into prominence because of its
distinct advantages over the rigid
axle type.
 Figure shows one method of rear
wheel independent suspension.
Universal couplings A and B keep
the wheel vertical, while the sliding
coupling C is required to maintain
the wheel track constant, there by
avoiding scrubbing of the tyres.
Spring Shackles
Spring Shackles provide the
link by means of which the
chassis frame is connected to
the leaf spring. The shackles
provide swinging ability to the
leaf springs. Due to shock on
the road wheel, the spring
flattens up and increases in
length and during rebound the
spring assumes back its shape
there by decreasing in length.
The shackles make the springs
worthy to swing in and out.
Steering system
Steering
 It is the mechanism which changes the direction of rotation of the steering
shaft at right angles and provides a leverage or mechanical advantage
between the steering wheel and steering linkage.
 It is composed of the following components. Steering wheel,Steering
column,Steering gear

Steering wheel
 It is a circular wheel mounted at the steering shaft and acts as a control to
steer the vehicle. A horn push button is fitted at its hub.

Steering column
 It is a hollow shaft enclosed by a casing. At its upper end steering wheel is
attached and at the lower end steering gear is employed.

Steering gears
 Steering gear is enclosed in a casing known as steering gear box. The
functions of steering gear are as follows.
 It provides mechanical advantage and enables the driver to steer the vehicle
easily.
 The rotary movement of the steering shaft at right angle is converted into a
straight line motion by a drop arm.
Types
1. Worm and worm sector steering gear
2. Rack and pinion steering gear
3. Worm and double roller steering gear
4. Cam and double lever steering gear
5. Re circulating ball steering gear
Worm and worm sector steering gear
Rack and pinion steering gear
 This type of steering gear is used on
light vehicles like cars and in power
steering. Maruthi 800 cars employ this
steering gear. It is simple, light and
responsive. It occupies very small space
and uses lesser number of linkage
components compared to worm and
wheel type of gear.

 Figure shows the rack and pinion type

of steering gear along with its linkage.
The rotary motion of the steering wheel
is transmitted to the pinion of the
steering gear through universal joints.
The pinion is in mesh with a rack. The
circular motion of the pinion is
transferred into the linear rack
movement, which is further relayed
through the ball joints and tie rods to
the sub axles for the wheels to be
steered
Recirculating ball steering gear

A nut is mounted on the worm with

two sets of balls in the grooves of
the worm. The balls reduce the
friction between nut and worm. The
nut which has a number of teeth on
the outside is in mesh with worm
wheel sector. When the steering
wheel is turned, the balls in the
worm roll in the grooves and cause
the nut to travel along the length of
the worm. The balls are in two sets
re-circulated through the guide, as
shown in figure. The movement of
the nut causes the wheel sector to
turn an angle and actuate the link
rod through the drop arm that
results in desired steering of the
wheel.
Basic suspension movement
Bouncing
Pitching
Rolling
Yawing
Bouncing
 It is the vertical movement of the complete body. When
the complete body of the vehicle rises up and down, it is
known as bounce or bouncing. There may be front or
rear end bouncing

Pitching
 It is rocking chair action or rotating action about a
transverse axis through the vehicle parallel to ground.
Due to pitching, the front suspension moves out of phase
with the rear resulting in rocking effect
Rolling
 It is the movement about a longitudinal axis
produced by centrifugal force when cornering.
Yawing
 Motion about the perpendicular axis is called yawing
Wheels
This is the assembly of hub, disc, frame and tyre. The wheels
support the inner weight of the vehicle and also absorbs shocks. The
side thrust and the braking stress are resisted by all the wheel. The
wheel also transmits the driving and driven thrust through the tyres.
They also provide cushioning effect.
Requirements of an automobile wheel
 Should absorb road shocks
 Should carry load of the vehicle
 Should transmit propeller and brake force
 Be sufficiently strong to withstand the weight of the vehicle.
 Be flexible to absorb the road shocks
 Be enable to roll on the road surface
 Be properly balanced statically and dynamically
 Should be as light as possible
 Be easy to remove and mount
Types of wheel
 Disc wheel
 Spoked wheel
 Cast wheel
Disc wheel
 The main parts of disc
wheel are wheel rim and a
steel disc.
 The disc is welded to the
inner periphery of the
wheel rim.
 The wheel assembly is
bolted to the brake drum.
 Some slots are provided for
air cooling and a hole is
there in the rim to provide
seating for the tube valve.
Spoked wheel
 This type of wheel consists of a
separate hub connected to the rim
with a number of wire spokes.
 The header inner ends of the
spokes fit in the hub holes and the
threaded outer ends fit in the rim
holes, where mushroom headed
tubular nuts are screwed through
the rim holes to tighten the spokes.
 The forward sloping spokes absorb
braking torque and the rearward
sloping spokes convey driving
torque. The sideways inclination of
the spokes hold the wheel upright
against cornering loads and side
thrusts.
Light alloy Cast wheel

 Cast wheels are generally

used for cars while forged
wheels are preferred for
wheels of heavier vehicles.
 The main advantage of light
alloy cast wheel is their
reduced weight which
reduces unsprung weight.
 Moreover light alloys are
better conductors of heat
which helps the wheels to
dissipate any heat
generated by the tyres or
brakes.
WHEEL SIZE OR DIMENSIONS

The wheel is designated by its

 Rim width
 A letter identifying the rim profile
 Rim diameter
For example the codes 5.5 B-13 means
B type of rim with 5.5 inch nominal
width and 13 inch rim diameter.
TYRE SIZE
Tyres
Carcass or casing
The carcass is made of four or six layers of fabric. The
layers are called plies. Each layer is a sheet wound of
cotton or nylon imprignated with rubber. Greater strength
is obtained if each layer or sheet is placed at an angle to
the adjacent layer. The carcass is the basic structure of
the tyre which bears the shock loads, side thrusts and the
vehicle’s weight.

Beads
A number of coils of bronze plated steel wires which
retain this tyre on the rim are called beads. The plies of
cord are fastened to them and therefore serve as a metal
foundation of the tyre.

Tread
The portion of the tyre that comes in contact with the
road surface is known as the tread. The primary function
of a tread is to improve the tyres ability to transmit
driving and braking torques. The tread is bonded directly
on the casing. The materials used are natural or synthetic
rubber. Certain fillers such as carbon-black make it hard
and abrasion resistant.

Side walls
These protect the casing but are subjected to maximum
flexing action creating a large amount of heat buildup.
Side walls are made of a rubber compound.
TUBED TYRES

 It encloses a tube in which air is

forced to a high pressure as a
cushioning medium.
 The outer portion of the tyre which
rolls on the road is made of
synthetic rubber and is called
tread. At the inner edges, beads are
formed by reinforcing with steel
wires. The beads act as strong
shoulders , for bearing against the
wheel rim. Rayon cords are formed
into a number of plies. Where the
beads and cords give strength to
the tyre, the treads provide
resistance against slipping and
thicker surface at the outer
periphery.
Tubeless tyres

 This type of tyre does not

need a separate tube, instead the
air under pressure is filled in the
tyre itself, for which purpose a
non return valve is fitted to the
rim.
 The inner construction of the
tyre is almost same as that of a
tubed tyre, except that it is lined
on inside with a special air
retaining liner made up of a
halogenated butyl rubber like
chlorobutyl or bromobutyl for
better air impermeability together
with high heat and weather
resistance.
Advantages of tubeless tyres

1. Temporary puncture repairs are made without removing the

wheel. A rubber plug is inserted at the place of puncture
2. Such tyres are easily mounted on rims
3. Better air sealing qualities are obtained
4. Impart more resistance to impact loads, but are unsuitable for
spoked and corroded wheels
5. Being lighter , unsprung weight is reduced, reducing wheel
bounce, which also means fuel saving
6. Since there is no tube in the tubeless tyres, heat can be passed on
to the atmosphere directly, resulting in better cooling there by
increasing the tyre life
7. Since the inner liner in the tubeless tyres is not stretched like the
tube, it retains the air better resulting in its slower leakage.
TYRE MATERIAL

 Rubber used in tyres is a blend of the natural and

synthetic rubbers to which various chemicals are
added to obtain desired properties like wear
resistance, less internal friction etc..
 As an example carbon black is added to the tread
rubber to improve resistance to wear.
 For beads , bronze plated high tensile steel wire is
used.
TYRE TREAD PATTERN

Pattern (a) : Good midways

adhesion, good grip
Pattern (b) : Little sideways adhesion
but good fore and aft grip. Rapid ,
irregular wear and noisy running.
Pattern © : Good sideways, fore and
aft grip. Irregular wear on hard
roads, noisy running.
Pattern (d) : Good wear resistance
and steering characteristic. Used
on trailers and farm implements
Pattern (e) : Used on rough and loose
surfaces, giving maximum grip
and sideways stability
Inflation pressure
 This depends upon tyre size, tyre type, speed and load. The
inflation pressures are recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.

Under inflation causes the following defects.

 Uneven tread wear, more wear at the sides
 Lack of directional stability
 Increased rolling resistance leading to increased fuel consumption
 Excessive flexing of sidewalls

Over inflation causes the following defects

 Reduced tread contact area with the road surface. This results in
rapid wear in the tread at the centre.
 Reduced tyre grip
 Reduced impact resistance
 Increased vibrations resulting in uncomfortable ride
 Increased stresses may cause tread separation and cracks in the
side walls
TYRE WEAR

Causes of tyre wear

 Incorrect inflation
 Incorrect camber, castor, or toe-in
 Excessive breaking acceleration
 Worn steering mechanism
 Worn king pins
 Out of balance wheel
 Misalignment
 Over loading, wrong loading
 Defective breaks
 Bleeding of air in tyre
 Careless driving, unequal tyres
 Incorrect rotation of tyres
 BRAKING SYSTEM

 Brake is the mechanism in motor vehicles for slowing down and

stopping. Braking is the method of slowing down and bringing
down the vehicle to rest at the shortest possible distances.
 While operating the braking system, kinetic energy of the moving
vehicle is converted into heat and gets dissipated.
 The function of the brake is to slow down, to stop and to hold the
vehicle and also to help in the energy conversion and heat
dissipation.

Need of brakes
 To stop the vehicle
 To control speed , when and where required quickly and efficiently
 To control the vehicle while descending along a slope
 To keep the vehicle in the required place after bringing it to rest
even when the operator is not present.
CLASSIFICATION OF BRAKES

1. By application
(a) Feed break or service break
(b) Hand brake or parking brake
2. By method of power
(a) Mechanical (b) Hydraulic © Vacuum
(d) Electrical (e) Air
3. By method of operation
(a) Manual (b) Servo system
© Power operation
4. By construction
(a) Drum Brake (b) Disc Brake
Drum brake
 In this type of brakes, a drum is attached to the axle hub
whereas on the axle casing is mounted a back plate. The
back plate is made of pressed steel sheet. It provides
support for the expander, anchor and brake shoes. It also
protects the drum and shoe assembly from mud and dust.
 Two brake shoes are mounted on back plate with friction
linings. On or two retractor spring are used to separate
brake shoe from drum when the brakes are not applied.
The brake shoe is anchored at one end, whereas on the
other ends force is applied by means of some brake
actuating mechanism which forces the brake shoe against
the revolving drum, so the friction force is generated
between drum and the shoe and brake applied.
 An adjuster is also provided to compensate for wear of
friction lining with use. This brake is widely used in
motorcycle and the cars.
Disc brake
 Disk brake consists of a cast iron disc bolted to the wheel
hub and a stationary housing called caliper. The caliper
is connected to some stationary part of the vehicle and it
cast in two parts, each part containing a piston. In
between each piston and the disc there is a friction pad
held in position by retaining pins, springs plates etc.
 There are arrangements in the caliper for the fluid to
enter or leave each housing. Each cylinder contains a
rubber sealing ring between the cylinder and the piston.
 When the brakes are applied, hydraulically actuated
piston move the friction pads into contact with the disc,
applying equal and opposite forces on the disc. On
releasing the brakes, the rubber sealing rings act as
return springs and retract the pistons and the friction
pads away from the disc.
MECHANICAL BRAKES

 It is the type of braking system in which the

brake force applied by the driver on the brake
pedal is transferred to the final brake drum or
disc rotor through the various mechanical
linkages like cylindrical rods, fulcrums, springs
etc. In order to de accelerate or stop the
vehicle.
 Mechanical brakes were used in various old
automobile vehicles but they are obsolete now
days due to their less effectiveness.
HYDRAULIC BRAKE SYSTEM
 It is the type of braking system in which the brake
force applied by the driver on brake pedal is first
converted into hydraulic pressure by master
cylinder (for reference read article on master
cylinder) than this hydraulic pressure from master
cylinder is transferred to the final brake drum or
disc rotor through brake lines.
 Instead of mechanical linkages, brake fluid is used in
hydraulic brakes for the transmission of brake pedal
force in order to stop or de accelerates the vehicle.
 Almost all the bikes and cars on the road today are
equipped with the hydraulic braking system due to it
high effectiveness and high brake force generating
capability.
Master cylinder
 It is the heart of the hydraulic braking system.
 It consist of two main chambers named as fluid
reservoir and compression chamber.
 Push rod is operated by foot brake.
 Push rod moves the piston to left against the spring
force, till it covers the by-pass port. - Further
movement of piston increase the pressure in the
compression chamber.
 When sufficient pressure has built-up, the inner
rubber cup of the fluid check valve is deflected,
forcing the fluid pressure in the line.
 This pressurized fluid enters the wheel cylinder or
the caliper and moves the pistons there by applying
the brake.
Bleeding of brakes
 Sometimes, in the hydraulic brake system, air enters
through the joints. Since the air is compressible, high
braking pressure is distributed and pedaling action is
not effective. So, any air trapped in the system must be
removed. The procedure adopted to remove the air out
of the hydraulic braking system is called bleeding.

 A bleeding valve is provided on the shoe expander or the

disc caliper. For bleeding the master cylinder is topped
up with the brake fluid and the pipe is connected to the
bleeding valve. The other end of this pipe is dipped in
the brake fluid contained in some jar. When the brake
pedal presses , bleeder valve opens, some air bubbles
will come out of the pipe and escape through the brake
fluid. The bleeder valve is now closed. This procedure is
repeated till the entire air is removed out from the wheel
cylinder.
Air or Pneumatic brake system
 It is the types of braking system in which
atmospheric air through compressors and valves is
used to transmit brake pedal force from brake pedal
to the final drum or disc rotor.
 Air brakes are mainly used in heavy vehicles like
busses and trucks because hydraulic brakes fails to
transmit high brake force through greater distance
and also pneumatic brakes generates higher brake
force than hydraulic brake which is the need of the
heavy vehicle.
 The chances of brake failure is less in case of
pneumatic brakes as they are usually equipped with
a reserve air tank which comes in action when there
is a brake failure due to leakage in brake lines.
 High end cars these days are using air brakes system
due to its effectiveness and fail proof ability.