SUSPENSION

FRONT SUSPENSION

The system has been designed following the McPherson system whose main specifications are:

• coil springs offset in relation to the shock absorber axis to reduce sliding friction; the springs, which rest on the upper and lower shims with a rubber seal in between to prevent operating noise are extremely flexible to ensure driving comfort in all load conditions,
• end of travel rubber buffer which intervenes gradually for an improved and gradual response round bends and in the case of impact,
• anti-roll bar connected directly to the shock absorber to ensure improved responsiveness when cornering,
• double acting, pressurized, hydraulic shock absorbers to reduce operating noise,
• forged steel track control arms to limit the weight of the non suspended masses.

This type of solution involves a decrease in the steering radius, less roll and more efficient braking.

Front suspension diagram

The front suspension is illustrated in the diagram below

• 1 Crossmember.
• 2 Rods.
• 3 Springs.
• 4 Front load carrying element.
• 5 Anti-roll bar.
• 6 Cradle.

Rear suspension

The rear suspension has been designed with a crossmember that can be deformed to improve comfort (maintaining the dynamic properties of the previous models).

The suspension consists of:

• a crossmember
• 2 suspension arms
• 2 hydraulic shock absorbers
• 2 coil springs
• a rear anti-roll bar (Panhard bar)
• an anti-roll bar (for the 3.0 6 cylinder and 2.2 JTD versions only)

Rear suspension diagram

The rear suspension is illustrated in the diagram below

• 1 Shock absorber.
• 2 Spring.
• 3 Panhard bar.

To improve the stability of the vehicle on the road in all conditions, the toe in has been increased, altering the wheel geometry and the section of the crossmember compared with the previous model.

The diagram below illustrates the different shape and section of the two crossmembers.

• 1 Crossmember fitted on the previous vehicle
• 2 New crossmember adopted

The modification that has been made involves increasing the flexibility of the suspension (from 26% to 32%), an increase in the front anti-roll effect, due to the variation of the bar fastening point (directly on the shock absorber body) and an increase in the rear anti-foll effect, due to the new shape and section of the rear crossmember.

Specifications of the components

The special features of the components are:

• steel crossmember 22MV6TN,
• steel suspension arms HLE 275 (high yield point),
• hydraulic shock absorbers that operate according to the vehicle load (less rigid with no load),
• coil springs with bottom coil covered by a rubber outer casing and top coil resting on a rubber support,
• the hinging with the bodyshell is produced through cellular flexible mountings to reduce bodyshell vibrations,

The construction design and technical solutions make it possible to achieve excellent performance levels in terms of comfort and pleasant, safe driving.