Leaf Spring Advantages/Disadvantages
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 1,240
Likes: 2
From: Cedar Rapids Iowa
Leaf Spring Advantages/Disadvantages
I was recently thinking about the Top Gear program where they tested the C6. It seems like all they could talk about was the fact that the Corvette uses "old-fashioned" leaf springs. Can anyone tell me what is so bad and what is good about leaf springs especially since the leaf spring in the Corvette rear is nothing like the leaf spring arrangement, construction, or material on a late 60s Camaro. Just because something has been around a long time does not mean that it is bad.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,384
Likes: 8
From: Southwest Virginia
Did they say anything about the Corvette being the only production car still using the same transverse leaf spring technology that was first used back in the early 1900's in cars like the Ford model T? Amazing but it is a good setup. The weight of the spring is amazingly lite for their rate. The disadvantage of leaf springs when used in old rear drive cars is the springs move around so much they would not handle real well because the springs locates the suspension members like the rear axle. But in the Corvette the springs don't locate any part of the suspension, it is only used to lift the car. The big advantage of the transverse leaf spring is that it acts like a sway bar by design allowing much smaller sway bars than a non-transverse leaf spring suspension.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 7,218
Likes: 1
From: Cresskill NJ
I could be wrong, but I think technically they aren't even leaf springs since they are one-piece composite monosprings. Leaf springs rely partly on the ability of the individual "leaves" to slide past each other, which is not an issue with the monosprings.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 18
Likes: 11
Transverse mounted monoleaf spring advantages
The monoleaf transverse mounted leaf spring has many advantages over conventional coil spring or strut suspensions.
First it reduces unstrung weight by over 50%
Reduces overall suspension weight by 60%
Lowers the center of gravity by not having vertical towers -in fact the corvette has the lowest center of gravity than any production car.
Offers a very compact design enabling a Low front profile
And finally never fatigues.
Best of all the corvette has the fastest lap time at nurburgring of any production vehicle.
Keep in mind when you are at the top people want to knock you down!
First it reduces unstrung weight by over 50%
Reduces overall suspension weight by 60%
Lowers the center of gravity by not having vertical towers -in fact the corvette has the lowest center of gravity than any production car.
Offers a very compact design enabling a Low front profile
And finally never fatigues.
Best of all the corvette has the fastest lap time at nurburgring of any production vehicle.
Keep in mind when you are at the top people want to knock you down!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 941
Likes: 3
From: Grand Rapids MI
One disadvantage I can think of would be the limited amount of customization possible. If you want a spring rate that is different than one of the OEM corvette springs (base, z51, z06, etc) then it gets pretty difficult. In this area, an aftermarket coilover setup would have a great advantage. Coilovers are also desirable if you need a ride height that is dramatically different than stock (REALLY low, etc)
For 99% of corvette owners and their uses, the transverse spring setup will perform wonderfully.
Jack
For 99% of corvette owners and their uses, the transverse spring setup will perform wonderfully.
Jack
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,582
Likes: 137
From: SoCal CA
Plus Top Gear hates anything American. If were a Jag or Aston that used a transverse spring setup, they would praise them for being smart and using a proven technology that outperforms new.
The world hates that a $50k car from the fast food dependant US, as they see it, hangs with or outperforms exotics and luxury sport cars.
The world hates that a $50k car from the fast food dependant US, as they see it, hangs with or outperforms exotics and luxury sport cars.
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From: South Western Ontario
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Haymarket VA
Looks like Orangefanatic came up with some interesting factoids and had to dig deep to find a relevant thread to post them in...
How do you like the brand new C6 compared to the C5?
Last edited by WKMCD; Dec 19, 2012 at 05:12 PM.
advantage, advantages, bad, c5, c6, corvette, disadvantage, disadvantages, good, leaf, spring, springs, tech, transverse, tuning, z06
