Carbon fibre leaf springs

[Isuzumu]

www.drnanoinc.com   some Indian company make these for quite a lot of vehicles, it seems. Carbon fibre has been used in the sailing world for some time, especially in mast building etc. It will be interesting to see if they come into Australia, if they are as good as the write up says, it could be another world in the  suspension industry.
I just saw this on Facebook  and know nothing about the product, so if some one knows a bit more about in let us know.

[tk421]

Carbon Fibre doesn't like shocks - e.g. Rocks... a rock hitting the carbon fibre, or hitting an obstacle at the right angle and composites will crack and delaminate and its service life is over.    Not sure I would want them on a 4x4 or a camper trailer.

Road car maybe, off road, No.

[Andy_Q]

Corvette have had composite springs for ages.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvette_leaf_spring?wprov=sfsi1




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[tk421]

Corvette have had composite springs for ages.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corvette_leaf_spring?wprov=sfsi1




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Mercedes have had them on sprinter vans for years as well. But like Corvertte  they're transverse springs not traditional longitudinal leaf springs and made of Glass-fibre-reinforced polymers and other composites, not Carbon Fibre.  There's a bit more about advantages of on one vs the other here: http://www.duntovmotors.com/tech-rear-leaf-springs.php

And those Carbon fibre ones in the link look like mono springs too. Bit more on that here:   https://www.hotrodhotline.com/content/mono-leaf-springs-vs-multi-leaf-springs-eaton-spring-0#.WAhcNOB96Uk

[edz]

In certain places and uses they would be good,  though being off road and stuck with a broken spring, I'd reckon I'd rather have steel springs, at least you can weld them up to get going again .. 

[Hoyks]

Yeah, the advantage of metal is that it will flex until it reaches its yield strength, at which time it bends and stays bent. Further bending may brake it.

With laminates they are stronger and lighter, but their yield strength and failure point are the same. A catastrophic failure as a result of a localised impact will leave you stranded.

My compound bow is carbon laminate, and for that job it is brilliant, light and strong. I don't use carbon arrows though.

I work with this stuff for a living and would choose a good bit of steel for suspension application any day of the week.

[KingBilly]

In certain places and uses they would be good,  though being off road and stuck with a broken spring, I'd reckon I'd rather have steel springs, at least you can weld them up to get going again ..

Yeah but, they are mono, so easy to carry a spare

KB

[Desert lover]

Ooooh.... just being aware of the catastrophic failures of some of the carbon fibre masts on the ocean racing boats (off the beach dinghies too but less so) I would not even consider carbon fibre for suspension.....

[chester ver2.0]

Yeah, the advantage of metal is that it will flex until it reaches its yield strength, at which time it bends and stays bent. Further bending may brake it.

With laminates they are stronger and lighter, but their yield strength and failure point are the same. A catastrophic failure as a result of a localised impact will leave you stranded.

My compound bow is carbon laminate, and for that job it is brilliant, light and strong. I don't use carbon arrows though.

I work with this stuff for a living and would choose a good bit of steel for suspension application any day of the week.

I agree mate back to Aluminium arrows for me after one of the carbon ones exploded and tried to go through my hand