Coil springs are the most commonly used springs for suspension systems because they are easy to manufacture, efficient in performance, and low in price. The definition of a spring in physics is to store energy. When we apply a fixed force to the spring, it will deform. When we remove the force, the spring will have a tendency to return to its original shape, but the amplitude of the spring's vibration when it rebounds. It often exceeds its original length, and it will not slow down the free vibration caused by the spring rebound until there is frictional resistance. This work to slow the free vibration of the spring is usually the task of the shock absorber.
The general spring is the so-called "linear spring", that is, when the spring is stressed, its compression deformation follows the "Hooke's law" in physics: F=KX, where F is the applied force, K is the elastic force coefficient, and X It is the amount of deformation. For example, when a linear spring is subjected to a force of 40Kg, it will cause a compression of 1cm, and then every increase of 40Kg of applied force by 1cm will definitely increase the amount of compression. In fact, there are other pressures on the suspended springs. Even when the springs are fully extended, the springs are still under pressure to allow the springs to be fixed on the car.
In the traditional suspension design of spring and shock-absorbing cylinder, the spring acts as the body and absorbs uneven roads and other forces.tireCaused by the impact, and the so-called other forces here include acceleration, deceleration,brake, Turning and other forces on the spring.More importantly, it is necessary to maintain during the elimination of vibrationtireContinuous contact with the road maintains the tracking of the car. Improving the contact between the tire and the road is our primary consideration for improving handling. The main function of the spring is to maintain the comfort of the car and keep the tires in full contact with the ground. Using the wrong spring will have a negative impact on the driving quality and handling.
Just imagine if the spring is completely stiff, the suspension system will not work. When the car jumps up when encountering uneven roads, the tires will also completely leave the ground. If this happens when accelerating, braking or turning, the car will lose track. If the spring is very soft, it is easy to "sit on the bottom", which means that the suspension travel will be exhausted.
If sitting on the bottom occurs when cornering, it can be considered that the spring coefficient becomes infinite (there is no compressed space), and the body will have an immediate weight transfer, resulting in loss of tracking. If this car has a long suspension stroke, then it may be possible to avoid the "sit bottom" situation, but the relative body will also become very high, and a very high body means a very high center of gravity of the body. The high or low has a decisive impact on the handling performance, so too soft shock absorbers will cause handling obstacles.
If the road is absolutely flat, then we don't need springs and suspension systems. If the road is rough, a softer spring is needed to ensure that the tire is in contact with the road. At the same time, the travel of the spring must be increased. The choice of spring hardness is determined by the ruggedness of the road. The more rugged the spring, the softer the spring, but how soft it is is a key issue. Usually this requires accumulation of experience and is also an important issue for various car manufacturers and teams. Generally speaking, a soft spring can provide better comfort and maintain better tracking performance when traveling on a rougher road. However, when traveling on general roads, the suspension system will swing up and down greatly, which will affect the handling.
In a car equipped with good aerodynamic components, the soft spring will cause the height of the car to change when the speed is increased, resulting in different handling characteristics at low and high speeds.
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