VARIATIONS
There are four general types of springs used in suspension systems.
The most popular is the coil spring. Other types include torsion bar, multileaf
spring, and air spring. The springs differ in action:
- The coil spring look and acts, as expected, like a
normal spring except it is much larger and stronger.
- The torsion bar converts vertical wheel movement into
twisting motion of a long bar. The metal bar resists the lengthwise twisting,
or torsion, caused by wheel movement.
- An air spring relies on compressed air contained in a
rubber bladder to withstand compression. The air pressure can be adjusted to
control the difficulty with which the bladder compresses.
- The multileaf spring is sometimes found on the rear of
vehicles. It uses multiple layers of metal to resist bending at the middle.