On or around Fri, 01 Jul 2005 09:29:25 +0100, Steve Taylor
<
[email protected]> enlightened us thusly:
>Austin Shackles wrote:
>
>>
>> The air suspension on the back of the LDV chassis is done with what looks
>> like a single leaf cut off behind the axle, and the airbag between that and
>> the chassis. The single leaf thus becomes a trailing link, referred to in
>> the documentation as a "flexi link" (!). It also has a panhard rod fitted.
>>
>> It also uses an electric compressor, air tank and a simple ECU for height
>> adjustment.
>>
>
>I wonder how it is for lateral stability ? I think something needs
>triangulating.
that's what the panhard rod is for. Effectively, it's like a
90/110/RR/disco front end, only facing the other way. The "flexi links"
provide for fore-an-aft location and articulation and the air springs
provide for springing and the panhard rod provides for lateral location.
Looks pretty simple, actually. The only thing about a panhard rod is that
it's inferior to the A-frame on the back of the RR etc. where larger
articulation is required. Ideally, you'd want long trailing arms which have
2 mountings to the chassis, one at the edge and one in the middle of the
vehicle, I reckon.
That would require more work than the panhard rod, though. The one on the
LDV is fairly obviosuly a factory-fit conversion of the normal leaf spring
system - the first one I actually saw was on a chassis-cab, and at the time
I thought it was indeed a conversion - twas only later that I discovered
that it was a factory option.
Might look into this for the minibus. It'd ride better, I bet. Might be
simpler and cheaper to fit lighter springs, though, if they're available.
--
Austin Shackles.
www.ddol-las.fsnet.co.uk my opinions are just that
"Quos deus vult perdere, prius dementat" Euripedes, quoted in
Boswell's "Johnson".
