A leaf-sprung car can be made...

read full caption It is said that the leaf-spring suspension is the oldest suspension usedfor automobiles. The leaf-spring system was used more recently in '70sproduction cars, some of which are still in service today as race cars.Many racers even prefer to utilize the leafspring rear suspensiondesign in their fabricated Late Model Stock and Modified race cars. Like all other racing components, there is a science and methodology tothe use of leaf springs in stock cars, for both dirt and asphalt. Theconstruction of the car may depend on the type of leaf spring to be usedand where it will be raced. There are four basic designs of leaf springs that are used in stock carracing: 1. The monoleaf spring is a low-rate, thinner spring that serves tolocate the rear end laterally, like a Panhard bar, but offers littlespring rate to hold the car up nor much stiffness to bending to helpcontrol axle wrap-up. The design of the car must include additionalsprings to support the car and a system for controlling accelerating anddecelerating forces that will try to rotate the rear end. 2. Multileaf springs are just as described, made up of multiple leafs ofdiminishing length. These tend to be increasing rate springs and areuseful for supporting the car as well as controlling axle wrap-up. 3. Parabolic leaf springs can be a single-leaf or multileaf designwhereas the leaves are thicker near the axle and have a taperedthickness design out to the eyes. These, too, support the weight of thecar without the need for extra springs and do a fair job of controllingaxle rotation under acceleration and braking. They can provide a muchsmoother ride due to the fact that the leaves do not develop thefriction associated with standard multileaf designs. 4. Composites are fairly new in racing and have been further refinedrecently. These leaves come in various rates and, with the lower rates,will need additional springs to support the weight of the car.

Advantages to Using Leaf Springs

The monoleaf spring has just... read full caption From the information we have gathered from several excellent sources,leaf-spring suspensions are very forgiving on tacky and rough dirtsurfaces. The leaf cars seem to be a lot more consistent under thoseconditions.

The leaf performs several functions that other suspension systems mightneed additional hardware to serve. The leaf does the following: 1. Supports the chassis weight 2. Controls chassis roll more efficiently--high rear moment center andwide spring base. 3. Controls rear end wrap-up 4. Controls axle damping 5. Controls lateral forces much the same way a Panhard bar does. 6. Controls braking forces 7. Regulates wheelbase lengths (rear steer) under acceleration andbraking.

The multileaf spring has several... read full caption The reason the leaf-spring design is so good for higher g-forceconditions is the design has a very wide spring base. The wider apartthe springs are mounted, the fewer roll tendencies there are. Also, themoment center height can be fairly high with a leaf-spring design. Thisshortens the moment arm in the rear, producing less roll. There is much less rear steer when going over heavy bumps or holes inthe track, so the rough conditions that upset a bar car is welcomed bythe leaf-spring car. The overall cost of a race car is less when using leaf springs mostlybecause you don't need many of the mounts, linkages, and other hardwarethat must be used with three- or four-link rear suspensions. Also, a leaf spring can be used in conjunction with a coil or coiloverspring to enhance the spring rate adjustability function for chassissetup balance. Teams will often put a high-rate leaf spring on the leftrear and a low-rate monoleaf spring on the right rear along with acoilover spring and shock. They can change the spring fairly easily onthe right rear to adjust for changing track conditions. The left-rearspring also controls most of the axle wrap-up and is about half as stiffin that regard, as two stiff leaf springs would be. Disadvantages of the Leaf Spring

As the car rolls, the leaf... read full caption The leaf-spring system has some definite disadvantages when compared toa three- or four-link system. Although the typical bar-link type ofsystem does not handle tight, tacky, and rough dirt conditions, themoney race is usually run once the track has become slick. So at the endof the night, more times than not, the suspension that favors a slicktrack will win out. The steel leaf springs tend to lose shape, and that means the car losesride height. If the "sag" is uneven between the two springs, it canalter the amount of bite, wedge, or crossweight in the car, changing thehandling. Some teams go through three or more sets of springs perseason. Spring sag also changes the rear-steer characteristics of thecar.

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