Automobile leaf springs from composite materials

The automobile industry has shown increased interest in the replacement of steel springs with fiberglass reinforced composite leaf springs. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to present a general study on the analysis, design and fabrication of composite springs. From this viewpoint, the suspension spring of a compact car, “a jeep” was selected as a prototype. A single leaf, variable thickness spring of glassfiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) with similar mechanical and geometrical properties to the multileaf steel spring, was designed, fabricated (molded and hoop wound) and tested. The testing was performed experimentally in the laboratory and was followed by the road test. Comparison between the performance of the GFRP and the multileaf steel springs is presented. In addition, other relevant parameters will be discussed.