• Journal of Industrial Technology
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• v.19
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• pp.31-42
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• 1999

This paper presents a method for evaluating the performance of a leaf spring suspension and an air spring suspension systems for trucks in terms of ride and handling. Leaf springs, which generally have non-linear progressive force-deflection characteristics, are modeled using beam and contact elements. The leaf spring analysis model shows good correlation with experimental results. Each component of an air spring suspension system, which is a single leaf, air spring, height control valve, compressor and linkages, is modeled appropriately. Non-linear characteristics of air spring are accounted for using the measured data, and pressure and volume relations for height control system is also considered. The wheel rate of the air suspension is taken lower but roll stiffness is taken higher than those of leaf springs to improve ride and handling performance, which is verified through driving simulations.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.82-91
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• 1995

Many kind of springs are used in the suspension of automotive vehicles and among these the leaf spring and the air spring are included. These two springs have not been generally used together in one suspension, but recently the automotive models which use these two springs together increase. This reason is due to the merit of the combination of two type springs. The merits are two. One is the character of air spring, that is, the natural frequen- cy of system is constant in spite of variable weight. The other is the character of leaf spring, that is, the suspension mechanism is simple. The combination spring is used in medium size and special purpose bus. In this paper, we formulate the condition which the leaf spring must satisfy to be optimal design in the combination spring. And experiment is performed to prove the theory. The results are that the combination spring is better than leaf spring in the ride, and that the purposed theory is good for the combination spring design.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.29 no.2 s.233
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• pp.270-276
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• 2005

This paper develops the flexible computational model of a heavy truck by interfacing the frame modeled as a flexible body to the heavy truck's computational model composed of rigid bodies. The frame is modeled by the finite element method. Three torsional modes and three bending modes of the frame are considered for the interface of the heavy truck's computational model. The actual vehicle test is conducted off road with a velocity of 20km/h. The vertical accelerations at the cab and front axle are measured in the test. For the verification of the developed computational model, the measured vertical acceleration profiles are compared with the simulation results of the heavy truck's flexible computational model. E grade irregular road profile of ISO is used as an excitation input in the simulation. The verified flexible computational model is used to compare the vibration characteristics of a front suspension system having a multi-leaf spring and that having a tapered leaf spring. The comparison results show that the front suspension having a tapered leaf spring has a higher vertical acceleration at the front axle but a lower vertical acceleration at the cab than the suspension system having a multi-leaf spring.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.1127-1132
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• 2003

Suspension system of vehicle have enough endurance during its life time to protect passenger. Spring is one of major part of vehicle. Thus, a fatigue strength evaluation for leaf spring based on road load response was carried out. At first, strain of leaf spring is measured on the city condition and proving ground condition. And next, the damage analysis of road load response data was carried out. And fatigue test of leaf spring were also carried out. Based on -N life relation, fatigue life of leaf spring was evaluated at belgian mode, city mode and drawing test specification. After that, it is compared the design life of leaf spring and evaluated fatigue life by belgian mode, city mode and drawing test specification. From the above, the maximum load-fatigue life relation of leaf spring was defined by test. and new test target of belgian mode and city mode was proposed to accept design specification of leaf spring. It is expect that proposed test target can verify leaf spring fatigue endurance at specific road condition.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.16 no.12 s.117
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• pp.1215-1223
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• 2006

A leaf spring suspension has been widely used since it can carry big load and its simplicity. But one major drawback is the poor ride performance because of the friction in the system and the high stiffness coefficient. To overcome these, an air spring suspension can be used. The air spring suspension system can improve the ride of the heavy vehicle significantly and also it can adjust the height to the loading and unloading. The road tests for the truck with the leaf spring suspension and air spring suspension are performed to compare the ride quality of the two systems. To develop the air spring suspension system tailored to the target truck, chassis development procedure using CAE has been applied.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.836-839
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• 2006

This paper presented comparison of vibration characteristics of a 5-ton truck at the two kinds of rear axle suspension, a conventional leaf spring suspension and an air spring suspension. Vibration at the selected location in the freight compartment and the rear axle were measured while the vehicle was running on various kinds of road at the specified speed. At all kinds of the driving conditions used in the test the air spring suspension showed good performance of vibration attenuation, especailly at the frequency range of under 5 Hz.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference
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• 2006.05a
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• pp.332-339
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• 2006

A leaf spring suspension has been widely used since it can carry big load and simplicity. But one major drawback is the poor ride performance because of the friction in the system and the high stiffness coefficient. To overcome these, air spring suspension can be used. The air spring suspension system can improve the ride of the heavy vehicle significantly and also it can adjust the height to the loading and unloading. A truck with the leaf suspension system is modified with the air suspension system and the performance of the vehicle is compared using the suggested method. The existing leaf suspension can be replaced with the air suspension system to improve the performance.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.99-105
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• 2008

Multi-leaf springs are widely used for a major suspension component in many commercial vehicles. The modeling technique of multi-leaf springs is one of the most difficult problems in suspension modeling as the elements have complicated nonlinear characteristics such as a hysteresis behavior due to the friction. In this paper, hysteretic characteristics with the static and dynamic test are modeled and are simulated with three links and joints in MSC.ADAMS. Simulation results showed good agreements with test results. Using this methodology, it is expected that dynamic characteristics of suspension system with multi-leaf spring can be more accurately evaluated in vehicle dynamics.

• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.6 no.6
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• pp.671-676
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• 2005

Spring is one of major suspension part of the light commercial vehicle (LCV). In the manufacturing process it is shot-peened to improve its fatigue strength. In this paper, residual stresses by shot peening were calculated through finite element analysis, and the effects of these residual stresses on fatigue strength of leaf spring were evaluated. Fatigue tests were performed with two kinds of specimens; one is actual leaf spring assembly, and the other is simulated 3-point bending specimen. Fatigue tests were performed under the loading condition that was measured on the proving ground. From the results, the maximum load-fatigue life relation of leaf spring was defined, and test results of 3 point bending specimen are in good agreement with those of leaf spring assembly. The effects of residual stresses by shot peening on fatigue strength of leaf spring is not large in the high load range, however, in the low load range, its effects were not negligible.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.36-42
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• 2010

In this study, the deformation and stress are analyzed through modal and harmonic response analysis at resonance on leaf spring. The displacement range of 7 to 14 mm is shown at natural frequencies as 6 kinds of resonance modes. The maximum deformation is shown as 8.8781mm at Mode 2. The maximum displacement and stress at leaf spring are shown as 0.0458 mm and 72.533 MPa respectively on 1200 Hz. The comfortability of passenger becomes better on leaf spring at suspension system by use of this design model.