1、 附录 Suspension systems When people think of automobile performance, they normally think of horsepower, torque and zero-to-60 acceleration. But all of the power generated by a piston engine is useless if the driver cant control the car. Thats why automobile engineers turned their attention to the sus
2、pension system almost as soon as they had mastered the four-stroke internal combustion engine. Double-wishbone suspension on Honda Accord 2005 Coupe The job of a car suspension is to maximize the friction between the tires and the road surface, to provide steering stability with good handling and to
3、 ensure the comfort of the passengers. In this article, well explore how car suspensions work, how theyve evolved over the years and where the design of suspensions is headed in the future. If a road were perfectly flat, with no irregularities, suspensions wouldnt be necessary. But roads are far fro
4、m flat. Even freshly paved highways have subtle imperfections that can interact with the wheels of a car. Its these imperfections that apply forces to the wheels. According to Newtons laws of motion, all forces have both magnitude and direction. A bump in the road causes the wheel to move up and dow
5、n perpendicular to the road surface. The magnitude, of course, depends on whether the wheel is striking a giant bump or a tiny speck. Without an intervening structure, all of wheels vertical energy is transferred to the frame, which moves in the same direction. In such a situation, the wheels can lo
6、se contact with the road completely. Then, under the downward force of gravity, the wheels can slam back into the road surface. What you need is a system that will absorb the energy of the vertically accelerated wheel, allowing the frame and body to ride undisturbed while the wheels follow bumps in
7、the road. A cars suspension, with its various components, provides all of the solutions described. Car Suspension Parts The suspension of a car is actually part of the chassis, which comprises all of the important systems located beneath the cars body. These systems include: The frame - structural,
8、load-carrying component that supports the cars engine and body, which are in turn supported by the suspension The suspension system - setup that supports weight, absorbs and dampens shock and helps maintain tire contact The steering system - mechanism that enables the driver to guide and direct the
9、vehicle The tires and wheels - components that make vehicle motion possible by way of grip and/or friction with the road So the suspension is just one of the major systems in any vehicle. With this big-picture overview in mind, its time to look at the three fundamental components of any suspension:
10、springs, dampers and anti-sway bars. Springs Todays springing systems are based on one of four basic designs: Coil springs - This is the most common type of spring and is, in essence, a heavy-duty torsion bar coiled around an axis. Coil springs compress and expand to absorb the motion of the wheels.
11、 Leaf springs - This type of spring consists of several layers of metal (called leaves) bound together to act as a single unit. Leaf springs were first used on horse-drawn carriages and were found on most American automobiles until 1985. They are still used today on most trucks and heavy-duty vehicles.
