fizzer07

Stupid question:
Why does Chevrolet put transverse leaf springs in corvettes?
Pretty much everyone seems to think coil overs are a significant upgrade and my stock suspension can be downright scary at the track with the side to side pendulum effect.
I suppose they're lighter/ lower center of gravity, or cheaper? What gives?

Spartan07

Saves weight and allows for a much wider tire to be used, in short.

C U IN REARVEIW

I agree about the sketchy handling on uneven surfaces.....I installedcoilovers and simply transformed the cars handling. Very predictable over bumps and surface changes.....the best mod to date on my car

Livefast1098

Curious about this also. Just purchased a 2011 with magna ride. Will that improve track performance? Reduce the pendulum effect?

EdsC6Z06

I'd say it's a combo cheap/proven design and has performed well.

JoesC5

Yet the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky were designed using the C5 architecture and they went with coil over springs to save weight and money.

Dan_the_C5_Man

I'd say "cost savings" would be the least important on their list, if at all. I have to assume the construction of the composite spring must be more expensive than what a traditional coil spring that use less exotic materials and are produced in quanties reaching a million to one (or greater) as compared to the transverse spring.

The primary benefits are packaging and lower center of gravity, as well as reduced unsprung weight.

JoesC5

A lot of info in this article

http://tech.corvettecentral.com/2012...vers-vs-leafs/

JoesC5

Here is a photo of coil overs installed on a C5 Z06. As you can see, there is nothing that affects packaging and if there is a wheel/tire rub to the springs, you have serious problems.



How does the leaf spring reduce unsprung weight vs the coil overs. Using the MTI Racing Penske Coil overs...."Utilizing an inverted mounting scheme our coilovers decrease your cars unsprung weight by placing the majority of the shocks mass on the chassis rather than the lower control arms."

The leafs weigh around 7.5 pounds each, so that would mean the actual coil springs would have to weigh over 4 pounds each. Doubtful. The C6 Z06 shocks and springs weigh a total of 35.5 pounds whereas the LG Motorsports coil over shocks weigh a total of 30.5 pounds, a savings of 5 pounds.

Also, raising the 4 pounds at each corner approximately 8-9 inches is going to raise the Center of gravity how much? 1/32" maybe?

fizzer07

Good stuff, that's what I was looking for!

Dan_the_C5_Man

You are making some assumptions, not the least of which is that I am "anti-coilover". Nothing could be further from the truth - I had CO's on my C5 FRC, and will have them on my CE (I am current working with a vendor on a custom solution).

The OP asked "why did GM select a traverse spring", and if you look at the article you posted after my post, you'll see my responses were on target.

Additionally, when it cones to un-sprung weight, you do realize only a portion of the stock spring is exposed as un-sprung, the rest is supported by the subframe? And on the packaging point, you realize the aftermarket is "cheating" in that they are using the shock mount to take the full sprung load (yes, I've seen Lou's video) which an OEM would not do - they would build a real spring perch, which would screw with the body lines (packaging).

marco383

Allow me, as an ex-Ford guy, one smartass comment. Since the original 260 (later 289) Cobras came out with transverse leafs in 1962, the '63 Corvette just had to replicate them.

carpe dm

JoesC5

As I previously pointed out, the LG Motorsports coil over shocks weigh 5 pounds LESS than the stock shocks and springs.

Also the coil overs do not restrict, in any way, the width of tire that can be used.

Don't confuse a coil over shock with MacPherson struts, or the huge coil springs used on the rear axle of a pickup truck.

ZRCLONE

As pointed out previously replacing the shocks with coil overs and eliminating the leaf spring may seam to be a huge improvement. However it is more the quality and valving of the shock absorber itself and nothing to do with the springs. Any springs job is to support the weight of the vehicle and the shocks job is to dampen and control suspension and body movement. Agreed also the stock shock mounts were not designed to support the weight of the vehicle.

LFZ

Not designed for it, but indeed strong enough.

SLOWRYDE

That was a great demonstration of the coil-overs strength and durability. Video still made me cringe!

Hib Halverson

Please, post how much weight was saved by going to coil springs on those cars.

Also the Pontiac Solstics/SaturnSky/Opel GT did not use "C5 architecture" at least not in the sense that suspension and chassis parts from the C5 were used on those cars. They used a platform called "Kappa" and while the Kappa platform may have been inspired by the C5/C6 there were no common major parts.

Dan_the_C5_Man

Well, technically, it was made to demonstrate how strong the aluminum frame / shock uprights were, and how they could be trusted to take the load during a large impact.

Of secondary importance was to show how LG's design would not "punch through" the shock bushing opening, since they are using a large, flat load-bearing surface (impossible for it to fit through the shock bushing hole, unlike a competitors product).

JoesC5

The four stock shocks and the two stock springs weigh a total of 35.5 pounds. The four LG Motorsports coil overs weigh a total of 30.5 pounds. That is a weight savings of 5 pounds, as I said in an earlier post.

Yes, the Kappa is based on the C5 architecture. One definition of Architecture...."having or conceived of as having a single unified overall design, form, or structure". I did not state that they were the same platform. The parts do not have to directly interchange to have the same architecture, nor even the same platform.. Just as the C6 is also based on the C5 architecture(design), and none of those parts(frame, suspension, etc) interchange.

As for interchangeability of major parts, which you apparently think defines "architecture", and "platform", you must know that the Corvette is a Y platform and has been since 1997. Tell me, what parts are interchangeable between a Y platform C7 and a Y platform C5?