Fibreglass Leaf Springs

[JohnnySomersett]

Anyone make them in the UK?

[stinkwheel]

urm am i missing something? fibreglass, springs??

[xbo11ox]

Corvettes have em as stanndard!

[Lewis]

Yea - optional on 1980s C3 Corvettes onwards and standard on all of 'em after 1983 (I think), utilise composite fibreglass transverse leafsprings.

I can't help feeling you'll struggle to find someone to make one......seeing as it's such a rare thing - only about 9 models of cars have ever actually utilised composite springs, despite all their benifits.

A damper/coil spring assembly would probably be a much more cost effective and 'easier' way of dealing with the issue More tuneable too, potentially, in this instance!

[Mike D]

Hunt out a Sherpa and rob its springs.

Stick with steel!

[JohnnySomersett]

There is a company in the US i found on Google the other day but cant find again becuse my browers will NOT let me go on google.COM grrrr

[escortmad79]

Fibreglass? :s

[MrT]

LDV Pilot vans have composite leaf springs.

[dollywobbler]

Composite springs were also used on FX4 taxis for a time. From the late Eighties I think.

[Lewis]

Johnny, this place?:

www.flex-a-form.com/

[JohnnySomersett]

May 25, 2008 16:39:01 GMT Lewis said:

Johnny, this place?:

www.flex-a-form.com/

Correct-a-mondo!

[stinkwheel]

well, you learn something new every day...................

have a non related picture or two of springy things to celebrate......................

[dollywobbler]

PSST! Only one of the above has springs!

[samyboy]

fiberglass..........ya what



guess they wouldnt take this kind of abuse???

[JohnnySomersett]

May 25, 2008 18:23:41 GMT samyboy said:

fiberglass..........ya what



guess they wouldnt take this kind of abuse???

Flex-Track - Our unique torque arrestor system designed to work with our Flex-A-Form suspension products will absorb the added torque from your wheels and direct the force instantly to the ground. Flex-Track produces up to thirty percent better starting torque while weighing less than ten pounds!



Flex-Track Keep your Wheels where they OUGHT TO BE - On The Ground!

Maybe!

[Lewis]

May 25, 2008 18:23:41 GMT samyboy said:

fiberglass..........ya what

guess they wouldnt take this kind of abuse???

Considering they've been used on, say, Callaway Corvettes with over 750ft.lb without issue, then yea, they'll take it. Factory Callaways always made over 450ft.lb too and never had any issues.

They're used on the new 6.2 litre 650BHP Callaway Corvettes with a minimum of 585ft.lb too - and there's quite a few Corvettes out there running double that with no issue and that's not in lightweight useage........

Composite leaf springs last much, much longer than conventional coils too!

Quick pros and cons cut and paste off the Wiki regarding the transverse composite setup:

Advantages
- 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. Volvo reported that the single composite leaf spring used in the rear suspension of the 960 Wagon had the same mass as just one of the two springs it replaced.[7]

- 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.

- 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 late model 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. As implemented on the C3 and C4 rearend with a rigid central mount, the anti-roll effect does not occur.

Disadvantages
- Packaging can be problematic; the leaf must span from one side of the car to the other. This can limit applications where the drivetrain, or another part, is in the way.

- Materials expense. Steel coils are commodity items; a single composite leaf spring costs more than two of them.

- Design complexity. Composite monoleafs allow for considerable variety in shape, thickness, and materials. They are inherently more expensive to design, particularly in performance applications.

- Cost of modification. Due to the specialized design and packaging, changing spring rates would require a custom unit. Coil springs in various sizes and rates are available very inexpensively.

- Susceptibility to damage. Engine fluids and exhaust modifications like cat-back removal might weaken or destroy composite springs over time. The leaf spring is more susceptible to heat related damage than conventional steel springs.

- Perception. Like pushrod engines, the leaf spring has a stigma that overshadows its advantages.

[rustingdeathtrap]

They use composite leaves in the front of sprinters nowadays because they don't crack like steel ones used to.
Also to be found on the back of later renault masters and traffics.

[Mr K]

woah, i didnt know they even existed! top informative thread!

[devilishdesigner]

I think I may need these for the back of the morrie. So damn cool.

[DutyFreeSaviour]

How cool is that! - I've seen 'composite springs' mentioned in blurb and it has NEVER registered in the noggin! Another day another idea