Quote:
Originally Posted by muddafakka
They need to make a twin turbo Vette...just because.
Are they still using leaf springs nowadays?
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they use TRANSVERSE leaf springs, which aren't the buggy style bullshit you're thinking of.
Advantages of transverse leaf springs
- Less unsprung weight. Coil springs contribute to unsprung weight; the less there is, the more quickly the wheel can respond at a given spring rate.
- Less weight. The C4 Corvette's composite front leaf weighed 1/3 as much as the pair of conventional coil springs it would replace.
- Weight is positioned lower. Coil springs and the associated chassis hard mounts raise the center of gravity of the car.
- Superior wear characteristics. The Corvette's composite leaf springs last longer than coils, though in a car as light as the Corvette, the difference is not especially significant. No composite Corvette leaf has ever been replaced due to fatigue failure, though steel leafs from 1963 to 1983 have been. As of 1980, the composite spring was an option on the C3. [see Michael Lamm external link below]
- As used on the Corvette, ride height can be adjusted by changing the length of the end links connecting the leaf to the suspension arms. This allows small changes in ride height with minimal effects on the spring rate.
- Also as used on the Corvette, the leaf spring acts as an anti-roll bar, allowing for smaller and lighter bars than if the car were equipped with coil springs.
i know jeremy clarkson likes to talk shit, but in reality, it's a great design with proven performance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvette_leaf_springs