Rubber Springs for Vehicle Suspension

Abstract

The authors believe that rubber is especially suitable as a suspension medium because of its intrinsic properties, and also because of the variety of forms into which it can be made, and that it will therefore take its place alongside steel springs as an accepted vehicle suspension. A research programme of both field and laboratory testing has been carried out to confirm the suitability of rubber for suspension purposes, and to develop some modern forms of rubber springs.

Laboratory work included, in addition to the fatigue testing of a wide diversity of spring types, the development of a method of strain measurement for springs of irregular shape, and the determination of a basic parameter of fatigue applicable to any type of rubber spring. Service testing included the investigation of endurance characteristics, optimum values for the static deflexion, damping and low temperature properties, permanent set and noise isolation.

As a result the authors consider that their tests have demonstrated the practicability of rubber as an automotive suspension medium, and that it can afford a simplification of the design by providing wheel location, a measure of inherent damping, and so long as the design is studied from the beginning to include rubber suspension, competitive cost in volume production. Rising rate characteristics, a degree of noise isolation and satisfactory fatigue life are readily obtained.