Automobile site - Behind the wheel

Automobile site - Behind the wheel

» What you need to know about the chassis of cars. How does the suspension of a modern car work in simple words? What does the chassis of a car consist of?

What you need to know about the chassis of cars. How does the suspension of a modern car work in simple words? What does the chassis of a car consist of?

The chassis of a car or chassis is designed for the most comfortable movement of the car on the roads. It looks like this: the chassis device is a connection of mechanisms that interact between the wheels and the load-bearing support of the machine.

What is a chassis

This is a special synthesis of components and assemblies that contribute to the movement of the vehicle.

Chassis device:

  • Front suspension;
  • Rear suspension;
  • Wheels.

Suspensions are needed in order to dampen or soften vibrations while driving off-road or over bumps. It is thanks to the suspension that the car smoothly overcomes all the unevenness of the road surface. It is important that the wheels of the car are rigidly coupled to the body part; only in this case can maximum driving safety be ensured. Therefore, the chassis of the machine must be strong and durable, with well-rotating joints.

A faulty vehicle chassis can lead to the most unpredictable and disastrous consequences - from vehicle skidding to accidents. To avoid such excesses, it is important to know the suspension design and be able to independently determine the failure of this important bunch of parts.

If during driving, when the driver switches gears, extraneous noise is detected - this is a signal. Often the reason for such sounds lies in a malfunction of the chassis.

The chassis design assumes that the suspension becomes a transmission link from the car body to the road surface. It is important that the trajectory of the wheels is identical, while the body is usually isolated from extraneous noise.

The most common problems associated with the chassis

The most common breakdowns of the chassis are:

  1. The car skids to the side. This problem arises for a number of reasons: when the geometry of the front wheels is violated, from surges in air pressure in the tire, due to deformation of the levers, when there is a large difference in wheel wear, when the parallelism of the axis of the rear and front axles is disrupted.
  2. The driver feels the car oscillate, sway when cornering and during braking. The reason for this may be failure of the shock absorbers or a broken spring or other suspension part.
  3. Excessive vibrations during driving indicate inadequate tire pressure, or wear on the wheel bearings or rear shock absorber, or a broken spring.
  4. While driving, you hear a knocking sound from the suspension - pay attention to the shock absorber or wheel rims - they may have become unusable.
  5. A creaking or knocking sound from the shock absorber indicates that it is about to wear out; perhaps the casing has become deformed or the piston and reservoir fastenings have become loose. Inspect everything carefully for fluid leaks.
  6. If the tire tread is worn unevenly, the wheels may be out of balance. It is also important to check the hinges and bushings - they could become loose. Damaged discs and broken geometry of the front wheels often lead to this problem.
  7. During braking, a distinct creaking noise is heard - this indicates a malfunction of the shock absorber, stabilizer or mounting parts, or a sagging spring.
  8. Shock absorbers are leaking. It is necessary to check the rod seals; perhaps the liquid is leaking due to foreign particles getting on the edge of the seal.
  9. The shock absorber does not provide the required resistance during the compression stroke. This may be due to a leak in the valve, wear on the guide sleeve or the stem.

If at least one of the above symptoms is observed, immediate action must be taken.

Chassis diagnostics

Chassis wear is one of the most common problems. Due to constant vibrations and vibrations, the walker fails. Therefore, it is very important to periodically carry out diagnostics every 20,000 km, or even faster. The chassis design of each car is the same, but the operating conditions are different. Therefore, if the car has not yet completed the measured mileage, but has been driven off-road or is showing signs of malfunction, it is better not to put off the check.

Diagnostics of the chassis must be carried out in specialized, proven car services in order to obtain accurate and reliable information. You should not do this yourself if you do not have qualifications and specialized equipment.

How does this happen

Modern diagnostics are carried out in several stages for greater reliability. Step by step it looks like this:

  • The primary stage of testing is collecting all the necessary information from the car owner, which allows you to detect the problematic segment so as not to test the entire device;
  • Then the vehicle is driven to a specialized stand;
  • During the testing process, the car will be inspected on a lift;
  • They will check it on the computer.

Usually, after checking, the car owner receives information about the condition of such parts as levers, springs, shock absorbers, support cups, steering ends, ball joints, wheel bearings, and assemblies.

Qualified technicians will inspect the hydraulic system, brake pads, hoses, discs and drums. After testing, they will give a conclusion and recommendations for repair.

Repair of chassis

The chassis often malfunctions, so repairs are important and must be carried out in a timely manner, otherwise there is a risk of getting into a critical situation on the road. Based on the diagnostics conclusion, it becomes clear which parts of the chassis need to be repaired or replaced. The most common segments of chassis repair work are:

  • Front suspension;
  • Rear suspension;
  • The need to replace the strut, spring or shock absorber

The following chassis components may need to be replaced:

  • Silent block;
  • Spherical bearing;
  • Steering end;
  • Steering rack;
  • Steering gear;
  • Wheel bearing;
  • Grenade.

It is very important to purchase original spare parts for your car, otherwise repairs can become a nightmare for the car owner, and a waste of money - useless. By purchasing a low-quality or unsuitable part for a device, you can get a pig in a poke. The part may not fit, may not work as expected, or may fail very early without serving its useful life.

You should not skimp on diagnostics and repairs - a serviceable car is the key to your safety on the road.

Not really

Chassis- an important set of car components. It is thanks to it that any car can drive on various road surfaces safely and comfortably. However, not every car enthusiast, and especially a new one, knows what basic elements the car’s chassis includes, and what functions it generally performs. Auto-Gurman.ru will now tell you about all this.

Definition

The chassis is a special complex of vehicle components, the main purpose of which is to ensure comfortable movement of the vehicle on the road. It is a set of different mechanisms interacting with each other.

The chassis is the connecting element between the body and the wheels. Comfort and safety when driving depends on the serviceability of the chassis.

Device

The chassis of the car consists of:

Each of the listed elements performs its own function. But the result of their interaction is the same: a reduction in vibration, mechanical vibrations and shaking from the road.

Body and frame

The frame or body of many cars is directly involved in the formation of the chassis. The frames are more related to trucks and heavy-duty vehicles, and the body is more related to passenger cars. The latter has several hinged units and a frame to which all the main elements of the chassis are attached.

Suspension

Suspension is the main element in a car, which dampens and softens vibrations when driving on a bad or uneven road surface. It eliminates the rigid connection of the wheels with the body, which has a positive effect on driving comfort and safety. In addition, the suspension is a fairly durable mechanism that can withstand all shocks and vibrations from the road.

It is worth knowing that today’s suspensions come in two types: dependent and independent.

In the first type, both rear wheels are connected to each other by a special rigid beam. With an independent wheel, both wheels (mostly the front ones) are not connected to each other.

Bridges

An axle in a car is a special unit that connects the wheels on one axis. Bridges can also serve as support for the car frame. Due to the suspension, the axle is attached either to the frame or to the body.

Wheels

Well, here, for sure, everything is extremely clear. The main purpose of the wheels is known to everyone, so we - Auto-Guoman.ru - will not consider them in detail, but simply note that they are the most important element of the chassis.

Main functions

The chassis of the car performs several main functions:

Connects wheels or axles to the body.

Provides transmission forces that arise when the wheels interact with the road surface.

Provides the necessary movement of the wheels in relation to the body (load-bearing part) of the machine.

Reduces vibrations and vibrations when moving.

Provides comfort and safety.

That's all that Auto-Gurman.ru wanted to tell you about car chassis. Do not forget to regularly diagnose the suspension and other components. A fault found in time can protect you not only from large financial costs, but in some cases, save your life. After all, the chassis of a car is the main element responsible for traffic safety.

The set of components and assemblies of a vehicle that ensures its movement is called the chassis. The main components of the chassis are the front and rear suspension and wheels. In addition, the vehicle's chassis includes several additional devices: elastic and damping elements, guides, anti-roll bars, tires and wheel supports. The schematic diagram of the car's chassis is as follows.

Car chassis diagram

To give our article greater practical value, we will consider the design of the chassis using the example of one of the most popular cars among domestic motorists - the VAZ 2109.

Front axle

The front axle of the “nine” has a telescopic suspension equipped with coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. The transverse arm is of lower design, equipped with braces and anti-roll bars.

Due to the use of a front-wheel drive design on this car model, the technical complexity of the front axle, as one of the main elements of the chassis, is quite high, despite the relatively small number of components that make up the design. It consists of:

    Struts with shock absorbers.

    Cross lever.

    Steering knuckle.

    Stretch systems.

    Mounting units to the body (transmission).

Rear axle

The design of the rear axle is much simpler, since it does not contain elements associated with the transmission (with the exception of rear-wheel drive vehicles). In addition, the rear axle bears a smaller load than the front part of the chassis. The relatively mild operating mode allowed the developers to significantly simplify both the circuit diagram of this unit and its design.

An article about car suspension - history, types of suspensions, classification and purpose, features of operation. At the end of the article there is an interesting video on the topic and photos.


The content of the article:

An automobile suspension is made in the form of a structure of individual elements, which together connect the base of the body and the axles of the vehicle. Moreover, this connection must be elastic so that there is depreciation as the vehicle moves.

Purpose of the suspension


The suspension serves to dampen vibrations to a certain extent and to soften shocks and other kinetic influences that negatively affect the contents of the car, loads, as well as the design of the car itself, especially when driving on poor-quality road surfaces.

Another role of the suspension is to ensure regular contact of the wheels with the road surface, as well as transmitting engine traction and braking forces to the road surface so that the wheels do not violate the desired position.

When in good condition, the suspension works correctly, making it safe and comfortable for the driver to drive the car. Despite the apparent simplicity of the design, the suspension is one of the most important devices in a modern car. Its history goes back a long way, and the suspension has gone through a lot of engineering since its invention.

A little history about car suspension


Even before the automobile era, there were attempts to soften the movement of carriages, in which the wheel axles were originally fixedly attached to the base. With this design, the slightest unevenness in the road was instantly transmitted to the body of the carriage, which was immediately felt by the passengers sitting inside. At first, this problem was solved with the help of soft pillows that were installed on the seats. But this measure was ineffective.

For the first time, so-called elliptical springs were used for carriages, which were a flexible connection between the wheels and the bottom of the carriage. Much later, this principle was also used for cars. But at the same time, the spring itself changed - from elliptical it turned into semi-elliptical, and this made it possible to install it transversely.

However, the car with such a primitive suspension was difficult to control even at the lowest speeds. For this reason, suspensions were subsequently mounted in a longitudinal position on each wheel separately.

Further development of the automotive industry allowed the suspension to evolve. Today, these devices have dozens of varieties.

Suspension functions and technical data


Each type of suspension has individual characteristics, covering a set of operating properties that directly affect the controllability of the machine, as well as the safety and convenience of the people in it.

However, despite the fact that all types of car suspensions are different, they are produced for the same purposes:

  • Dampening vibration and shock from uneven road surfaces in order to minimize loads on the body shell, as well as to improve the comfort of the driver and passengers.
  • Stabilizing the position of the car while driving by regularly contacting the rubber with the road, as well as reducing possible body roll.
  • Maintaining the required geometry of the position and movement of all wheels to ensure precision maneuvering.

Types of suspensions by elasticity


In terms of elasticity, suspensions can be divided into three categories:
  • hard;
  • soft;
  • screw.
A stiff suspension is typically used on sports cars because it is best suited for fast driving, where a quick and precise response to driver maneuvers is required. This suspension gives the car maximum stability and minimum ground clearance. In addition, thanks to it, the resistance to roll and body sway increases.

Soft suspension is installed in the majority of passenger cars. Its advantage is that it smooths out road irregularities quite well, but on the other hand, a car with such a suspension design is more prone to stalling and at the same time handles worse.

A helical suspension is needed in cases where there is a need for variable rigidity. It is made in the form of shock absorber struts, on which the traction force of the spring mechanism is adjusted.

Suspension travel


Suspension travel is generally considered to be the distance from the lower position of the wheel in a free state to the upper critical position at maximum compression of the suspension. The so-called “off-road capability” of the car largely depends on this parameter.

That is, the longer the stroke, the larger the unevenness the car can go through without hitting the limiter, and also without sagging the drive axle.


Each pendant contains the following components:
  1. Elastic device. Takes on the loads provided by road obstacles. May consist of a spring, pneumatic elements, etc.
  2. Damping device. It is necessary to dampen body vibration when overcoming road irregularities. All types of shock-absorbing devices are used as this device.
  3. Guiding device. Controls the required displacement of the wheel relative to the body body. It is made in the form of transverse rods, levers and springs.
  4. Anti-roll bar. Suppresses body tilts in the transverse direction.
  5. Rubber-metal hinges. Serve for elastic connection of parts of the mechanism with the machine. Additionally, to a small extent they act as shock absorbers - they partially dampen shocks and vibrations.
  6. Suspension travel limiters. The movement of the device is recorded at the critical lower and critical upper points.

Classification of pendants

Suspensions can be divided into two categories - dependent and independent. This division is dictated by the kinematics of the suspension guide device.


With this design, the car's wheels are rigidly connected by a beam or a monolithic bridge. The vertical arrangement of paired wheels is always the same and cannot be changed. The design of the rear and front dependent suspensions is similar.

Varieties: spring, spring, pneumatic. Installation of spring and air suspensions requires the use of special rods to secure the axles from possible displacement during installation.

Advantages of dependent suspension:

  • high load capacity;
  • simplicity and reliability in use.
Flaws:
  • makes it difficult to control;
  • poor stability at high speed;
  • insufficient comfort.


With independent suspension installed, the wheels of the car are able to change their vertical position independently of each other, while continuing to be in the same plane.

Advantages of independent car suspension:

  • high degree of controllability;
  • reliable machine stability;
  • increased comfort.
Flaws:
  • the device is quite complex and, accordingly, costly in economic terms;
  • reduced durability in operation.

Note: there is also a semi-independent suspension or the so-called torsion beam. Such a device is a cross between independent and dependent suspensions. The wheels continue to be rigidly connected to each other, but, nevertheless, they still have the ability to move slightly separately from each other. This opportunity is provided by the elastic properties of the bridge beam that connects the wheels. This design is often used for rear suspensions of inexpensive cars.

Types of independent suspensions

McPherson suspension


Pictured is McPherson suspension


This device is typical for the front axle of modern cars. The ball joint connects the hub to the lower control arm. Sometimes the shape of this lever allows the use of longitudinal thrust. A shock-absorbing strut equipped with a spring mechanism is attached to the hub block, and its upper part is fixed at the base of the body shell.

The transverse rod, which connects both levers, is mounted on the bottom of the car and serves as a kind of counteraction to the tilt of the car. The wheels turn freely thanks to the shock absorber strut bearing and ball mount.


The rear suspension design is made in the same way. The only difference is that the rear wheels cannot turn. Instead of the lower arm, transverse and longitudinal rods are installed, which secure the hub.

Advantages of MacPherson suspension:

  • simplicity of the product;
  • takes up little space;
  • durability;
  • affordable price both for purchase and repair.
Disadvantages of McPherson suspension:
  • ease of control at an average level.

Double wishbone front suspension

This development is considered quite effective, but also very complex in design. A second wishbone is used to secure the hub at the top. To provide elasticity to the suspension, either a spring or a torsion bar can be used. The rear suspension is designed in exactly the same way. This suspension assembly gives the car maximum ease of handling.


In these devices, elasticity is provided not by springs, but by pneumatic cylinders filled with compressed air. With such a suspension, you can change the height of the body. In addition, with this design, the vehicle's ride becomes smoother. Typically installed on luxury cars.

Hydraulic suspension

In this design, the shock absorbers are connected to a closed circuit filled with hydraulic oil. With such a suspension, you can adjust the degree of elasticity and ground clearance. And if the car has electronics that provide adaptive suspension functions, then it can adapt itself to a wide variety of road conditions.

Sports independent suspensions

They are also called coilovers or coilover suspensions. Made in the form of shock-absorbing struts, the degree of rigidity of which can be adjusted directly on the machine. The lower part of the spring has a threaded connection, and this allows you to change its vertical position, as well as adjust the size of the ground clearance.

Push-rod and pull-rod suspensions


This design was developed specifically for racing cars with open wheels. Based on a two-lever design. The main difference from other varieties is that the damping mechanisms are installed in the body. The design of these two types is identical, the only difference being the placement of those parts that are subject to the greatest stress.

Push-rod sports suspension. The load-bearing component, called the pusher, functions in compression.

Pull-rod sports suspension. The same part that experiences the greatest stress works in tension. This solution makes the center of gravity lower, making the car more stable.

However, despite these small differences, the effectiveness of these two types of suspensions is approximately at the same level.

Video about car suspension:

How does the chassis of a car work? In most passenger cars, the function of supporting the engine, chassis, transmission, control mechanisms, additional equipment, transported cargo, driver and passengers is carried by their body, and not by the frame, as, for example, in motorcycles, buses and trucks. In addition, the body replaces all negative electrical wires, providing the basis for all electrical equipment in the vehicle. The car body contains a frame and attachments. And the frame, in turn, consists of a bottom, front, rear, stamped panels, wings and roof. The car is mounted directly on the frame and consists of two suspensions - front and rear, tires and wheels.

This is a series of devices whose function is to connect the wheels of a car and its body. The suspension is designed to transform, soften and absorb impacts from the road surface, which are transmitted to the body. There are two types of suspensions: dependent and independent. The peculiarity is that it allows the wheels, which are located on a common axis, to move in a vertical plane independently of each other. But a dependent suspension does not provide such an opportunity; both wheels are rigidly connected to one another.

Let's take a closer look at the design of the car's chassis. Let's start with the front suspension.

It consists of:

  • wheel hubs;
  • brake disc;
  • ball pin of the upper support;
  • steering knuckle;
  • lower support ball pin;
  • compression progress buffer;
  • suspension springs;
  • shock absorber;
  • upper suspension arm;
  • lower suspension arm;
  • stabilizer rods.

The chassis of the car is connected to its body through such parts as springs and shock absorbers. The task of the springs is to soften the shocks transmitted to the body from the road, but at the same time the car begins to sway and then the shock absorbers come into play, dampening the suspension’s own vibrations. Another important element that the car's chassis has is called When the car begins to roll heavily on the side in a turn, it twists and corrects the position of the car body. The car's chassis lasts longer, tire wear is reduced, and is reduced thanks to another trick in its design, namely, installing the wheels at a certain angle relative to the horizontal and vertical planes.

Rear suspension. Device

She can also be both dependent and independent. It consists of:

  • compression progress buffer;
  • suspension springs;
  • rubber bushings for shock absorber lugs;
  • additional compression buffer;
  • rear brake pressure regulator;
  • shock absorbers;
  • pressure regulator drive lever.

Vibration damping is carried out in exactly the same way as for the front one.

Another part of the chassis is tires and wheels. It is transmitted to the wheels from which it drives the vehicle. Tires soften the impact of road unevenness due to their own elasticity and the compressed air inside them. The wheel is attached to the hub using nuts and bolts and consists of a tire and a rim. Tires come with or without a tube. The tubeless tire is tightly connected to the rim using a special shoulder on it. The components of a tire are the carcass (cord), sidewalls, tread, and beads. The basis of the tire is the cord; it is made of nylon, wire, fiberglass and the like. Tires can be summer, winter or all-season depending on their design. They are also divided into radial and diagonal. Radial ones are more elastic, but diagonal ones have greater strength, especially on the sidewalls.