por Sergillox Mar 9 Ago 2016 - 10:29
Aprovecho también este post para resaltar el comentario de Opel (en este caso Vauxhall) con respecto a los beneficios de la Watt-link en su nota de prensa**:
"Rear Suspension
Vauxhall engineers were the first in the world to combine a torsion beam rear axle with a Watt’s link. This cleverly designed, innovative system, patented by Vauxhall, was fine-tuned and enhanced for the new Astra. It delivers all of the dynamic advantages of an independent, multi-link layout without any of the traditional design penalties, such as added mass, greater complexity and inefficient packaging. Compared with a multi-link arrangement, the torsion beam also gives greater wheel camber stiffness, with less camber loss in body roll during cornering.
Enhanced lateral stability for improved handling and greater ride comfort is provided by the Watt’s link, now even lighter in weight. The linkage ensures that side forces exerted against one wheel during cornering are simultaneously countered by the application of equal, opposing forces against the other wheel. On the road, this effectively reduces any lateral movement of the axle, increasing vehicle stability. The mechanical linkage consists of two lateral rods: the outer end of each is attached to the lower wheel carrier and the inner ends are connected via ball joints to a central pivot link mounted to a small subframe which is connected to the car’s underbody. The swivel action of the pivot ensures that any movement in one rod is immediately matched by an equal, opposing motion in the other. Vauxhall engineers estimate that this link absorbs about 80 per cent of all lateral loadings on the rear suspension.
An additional advantage of the Watt’s link is that it reduces axle bush loads and therefore allows the use of softer bushings. In this way, ride comfort and road noise isolation are all greatly improved. The open, U-section torsion beam is mounted between the trailing arms just ahead of the rear wheels. By varying the thickness of the beam’s walls, and also its weld angle, roll-rate and roll-steer characteristics can be finely adjusted to match the specific engine power and vehicle weight of each new Astra variant.
"Y una imagen de cómo es la Watt-link
:[Tienes que estar registrado y conectado para ver esa imagen]
** Nota de prensa:
[Tienes que estar registrado y conectado para ver este vínculo]