SUSPENSION BASICS

There are two terms that we should be familiar with:

) Sprung mass - Refers to all vehicle components that are supported by the vehicle springs, such as: a) Vehicle body. b) Engine. c) Passengers.

There are two main parts that make up a suspension system, these are:

1) The spring. 2) The damper

A vehicle's primary form of suspension is the

Tyre it plays an important role in absorbing small road shocks.

There are two terms that we should be familiar with:.

Unsprung mass - Refers to all vehicle components between the spring and the road surface, such as: a) Brakes. b) Wheels. c) Wheel hubs/bearing.

Some vehicle components are even sprung at one end and unsprung at the other, such as:

a) Drive shafts. b) Steering gear. c) Suspension components.

The lower the unsprung mass the better

this will reduce the effect of road shocks on the vehicle body.

The purpose of a vehicle's suspension system is

to allow the road wheels to move up and down without transmitting the same movement to the vehicle frame. The suspension system absorbs road shocks and allows the wheel to follow the irregular contour of the road surface.