Actually there is a transverse mounted composite leaf spring in the front and the rear.

The Corvette suspension has unequal length double wishbones, or A-arms, for all four wheels, and half-shafts in place of a solid rear axle. This allows independent articulation of each wheel on an axis dictated by the geometry of the suspension arms. The springs, whether leaves or coils, only provide resistance; they do not affect the direction of suspension motion.

Traditionally, a coil spring is mounted between the chassis and each lower A-arm. The coil compresses in proportion to the spring rate when the A-arm rises, and it is this resistance against compression that suspends the car.

GM has equipped the Corvette with two one-piece fiberglass composite leaf springs in place of coils. They run transversely across the width of the car, mounted in two places equidistant from the centerline. Each end is bolted to the bottom of an A-arm such that when the A-arm rises, the leaf pulls it down, again in proportion to a known spring rate. In this way, four coils are replaced with two leaf springs.

Because both coils and leafs in these configurations act only as simple springs and are not required to stabilize the wheels, their function is almost identical.

Advantages of transverse leaf springs

* Less unsprung weight. Coil springs contribute to unsprung weight; the less there is, the more quickly the wheel can respond at a given spring rate.
* Less weight. The C4 Corvette's composite front leaf weighed 1/3 as much as the pair of conventional coil springs it would replace.
* Weight is positioned lower. Coil springs and the associated chassis hard mounts raise the center of gravity of the car.
* Superior wear characteristics. The Corvette's composite leaf springs last longer than coils, though in a car as light as the Corvette, the difference is not especially significant. No composite Corvette leaf has ever been replaced due to fatigue failure, though steel leafs from 1963 to 1980 have been.
* As used on the Corvette, ride height can be adjusted by changing the length of the end links connecting the leaf to the suspension arms. This allows small changes in ride height with minimal effects on the spring rate.
* Also as used on the Corvette, the leaf spring acts as an anti-roll bar, allowing for smaller and lighter bars than if the car were equipped with coil springs.

Disadvantages of transverse leaf springs

* Packaging can be problematic; the leaf must span from one side of the car to the other. This can limit applications where the drivetrain, or another part, is in the way.
* Materials expense. Steel coils are commodity items; a single composite leaf spring costs more than two of them.
* Design complexity. Composite monoleafs allow for considerable variety in shape, thickness, and materials. They are inherently more expensive to design, particularly in performance applications.
* Cost of modification. Due to the specialized design and packaging, changing spring rates would require a custom unit. Coil springs in various sizes and rates are available very inexpensively.
* Susceptibility to damage. Engine fluids and exhaust modifications like cat-back removal might weaken or destroy composite springs over time. The spring is more susceptible to heat related damage than conventional steel springs.
* Perception. Like pushrod engines, the leaf spring has a stigma that overshadows its advantages.

 

I love Corvettes and there's no disputing the fact they're top performers for a great cost.

But a Corvette isn't a Ferrari. If money was not an issue, how many Corvette owners would choose the Z06 over an F430? A very small percentage, I'd assume.

Ferrari sells heritage and mystique as much as they do cars.

 

I've started to have more respect for the C5 and C6 vette's over the past year, especially reading stuff like this scattered across the web.

I plan to have a C6 as my next car(non-Z06).

 

Hp is a mathemtic formula. Torque is a measurment. A Corvette makes enough torque to allow them to turn VERY few RPMs at a given speed. When an S2000 is going down the highway at 4000rpms, a similar speed vette is turning about 1700rpms. Given a similar drag cf, and rolling resistance, it takes about the same amount of torque to move both cars the same speed. Fuel consumption is very closely proportioned to engine torque. The vette makes the torque at a lower, more efficient RPM, So.... why wouldn't they get similar fuel mileage?

F20C is a very efficient engine as far as power output/displacement, but that has nothing to do with fuel consumption. The F20C also produces more waste heat than an LS1/2/6/7.

 

F20C <3















LSx is ok too...

 

Rich... that was a kickass post about the transverse leafs. I wish Top Gear would present that type of information instead of perpetuating the "pickup truck leaf spring" misconception.

As far as engine balance etc... In some cases a counterbalaned flywheel has to be used to bring the motor w/ in spec at final assembly, but all mfgs do this. The LS7 is now hand built one at a time and fully computer balanced and engine dyno tested.

 

Out of curiousity, who made that post on the corvette forum?

I'm not doubting it, just wondering where he/she got that info if it's not well known at all.

I <3 the c5 and c6 z06's

And yes, Top Gear ratted on the "leaf springs" BUT were absolutely in love with the car as a whole (they take back basically everything when they track it haha)

 

So I guess we can blame Chevy when we see a SS corvette? Or was all of that just a myth?

 

i think if chevy didnt have so much of a red neck image itll do better. when you think of chevy you think of trucks and 4x4s and red necks, not corvettes 99.7% of the time. when you think of ferrari, you think of class and style 100% of the time.

plus i think all of the vettes pre C5 werent up to par with foriegn competition. i believe all the porsche and ferrari cars have been above industry standards, and look very unique.

but im a import guy so i may have it all wrong

 

I think what they actually said about the suspension was that it was the same thing as a biblical wagon.


They had loads of bad things to say. They remarked on how it was made of plastic(but isn't every car now?), the interior was awful, and ride comfort was a joke(but aren't most sports cars?).

(not saying I agree with the comments, or that I've even seen the interior)


Vettes are sick though, I don't think there is anything out there in the American market than can compare in price with the performance.