Types of Rear Suspensions
Auto suspension has been put in place to ensure optimum ride quality since the inception of the automobile over a century ago. The technology has come a long way in this time, and many successful versions have been tested and applied. Among these configurations, two types remain to be the most effective and used in just about every car and truck on the road today.
Other People Are Reading
-
Types
-
In the world of automotive suspension, there are only two main types of rear suspension configurations used in vehicles today: solid axle and independent suspension. The solid axle is the older of the two types and, as the name suggests, is composed of one straight, solid axle that stretches from wheel to wheel. The newer, independent suspension is a product of the latter half of the 20th century, and instead of having one single component attaching the rear wheels, two axles are used to give the wheels independent movement.
Applications
-
Solid rear axles have been used since the inception of the automobile up to the vehicles produced today. They used to be installed on all vehicles made, they are now most commonly seen on trucks and some front-drive cars. Independent rear suspension was originally developed for passenger cars, and though these cars continue to be the primary users of this suspension type, some SUVs are now equipped with independent rear suspension.
-
Performance
-
Solid rear axle suspension allows for a large amount of suspension travel (the amount the suspension is allowed to move up and down) and therefore is commonly preferred for off-road vehicle applications. Independent rear suspension has been tuned and developed to perform best in road conditions. This configuration has proved to be the best choice for performance automobiles like sports cars and luxury touring cars.
Benefits
-
The solid rear axle is a basic type of suspension and, because of that, does not require a large number of components. The basic configuration offers a system that is not susceptible to breaking and, if it does, will not require extensive repair work. When independent rear suspension is used in a car, it can offer a much more comfortable ride and better road performance than that of solid axles.
Other Types
-
Air-ride suspension is a relatively new suspension technology. This system is composed of large airbags that can inflate and deflate (manually or automatically) to adjust the ride quality of the vehicle. This was first designed for use in commercial truck applications, but has found its way for use in luxury and custom cars.
-
