Torsion beam suspension, also known as a torsion bar or torsion spring suspension, is a vehicle suspension system. One end of a long metal bar is attached firmly to the vehicle chassis; the opposite end terminates in a lever, mounted perpendicular to the bar, that is attached to the axle of a wheel. Vertical motion of the wheel causes the bar to rotate along its axis and are resisted by the bar's torsion resistance. The effective spring rate of the bar is determined by its length and diameter. A torsion spring is a ribbon, bar, or coil that reacts against twisting motion. ... Vehicles are non-living means of transportation. ... The front suspension components of a Ford Model T. Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. ... An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. ... A driving wheel on a steam locomotive. ... Look up torsion in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

The main advantages of torsion beam suspension are durability, easy adjustability of ride height, and small profile along the width of the vehicle. It provides a longer travel than leaf spring systems, and takes up less of the vehicle's interior volume compared to coil springs. A major disadvantage is that torsion bars, unlike coil springs, usually cannot provide a progressive spring rate, forcing designers to compromise between ride quality and handling ability - progressive torsion bars are available, but at the expense of durability since they have a tendency to crack where the diameter of the bar changes. In most torsion bar systems, especially Chrysler's, ride height (and therefore many handling features) may be adjusted by bolts which connect the torsion bars to the steering knuckles and require nothing more than crawling under the car with a wrench in hand. In most cars which use this type of suspension, swapping torsion bars for those with a different spring rate is usually an extremely easy task. A leaf spring is a simple form of spring, commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Some vehicles use torsion bars to provide automatic leveling, using a motor to tighten the bars to provide greater resistance to load and, in some cases (depending on the speed with which the motors can act), to respond to changes in road conditions. A motor is a device that converts energy into mechanical power, and is often synonymous with engine. ...

The system was applied to many new armoured fighting vehicle designs during the Second World War. It was used extensively in European cars as well as by Packard in the 1950s. The Packard used torsion bars at both front and rear, and interconnected the front and rear systems to improve ride quality. The most famous passenger-car application was the Chrysler system used beginning with the 1957 model year, although Chrysler's "Torsion-Aire" suspension was only for the front; the same basic system was maintained until the 1981 introduction of the K-car. Light duty Dodge trucks however, still used and continue to use torsion bars on their front suspension. An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a military vehicle, equipped with protection against hostile attacks and often mounted weapons. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Packard red hexagon symbol made its debut in 1905, with the color red added in 1913 Packard was a United States based brand of luxury automobile built by the Packard Motors Company of Detroit,Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana. ... The Chrysler Corporation is a United States-based automobile manufacturer, since 1998 merged with Daimler_Benz into DaimlerChrysler. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... K-Car could mean: The Chrysler K platform The Keicar: a Japanese minicar. ...

Some front-wheel drive automobiles use a type of torsion bar rear suspension, sometimes called a twist-beam system, in which the rear wheels are carried on trailing arms connected by a laterally mounted torsion beam. The torsion beam functions both as wheel-locating arm and as an anti-roll bar to resist lateral motion of the wheels as the body leans in turns. Its advantages are that it is inexpensive to manufacture and install, and engages a minimum amount of interior volume, leaving more space for the carriage of passengers, cargo, and other components. Because the torsion bar acts in the lateral plane, not vertically, the twist-beam axle cannot provide ride-height adjustment, and it suffers the same handling limitations as any other beam axle suspension. Twist-beam rear suspensions were pioneered on the Volkswagen Golf in the early 1970s, and remain common on compact cars and minivans. Front-wheel drive is the most common form of engine/transmission layout used in modern passenger cars, where the engine drives the front wheels. ... A trailing-arm suspension is an automobile suspension design in which one or more arms (or links) are connected between (and perpendicular to) the axle and the chassis. ... A sway bar (also called an anti-sway bar or anti-roll bar) is an automobile suspension device. ... Solid axle and Panhard rod on a 2002 Mazda MPV A beam axle is a suspension system, also called a solid axle, in which one set of wheels is connected laterally by a single beam or shaft. ... The Volkswagen Golf is an automobile manufactured by Volkswagen. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... A modern minivan - 2004 Chrysler Town & Country Typical early minivan (a Dodge Caravan) A minivan, people carrier, multi utility vehicle (MUV),or multi purpose vehicle (MPV) is a type of vehicle which has a body that resembles a van, but which has rear side doors, rear side windows, and interior...

External links

• AutoZine Technical School site