Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Tundra Frame and Suspension Design

• Design strategy behind the Tundra frame and suspension
• Features and construction elements of Tundra chassis
• Benefits of Toyota's sophisticated engineering

A pickup truck's frame and suspension designs are key indicators of a vehicle's strength and poise. Chassis dynamics are often more complicated for pickups because of the extraordinary demands of hauling heavy loads and possible off-road use while still meeting Toyota's rigorous safety standards set for the entire lineup. The trend toward larger cabs also means the truck must provide a comfortable ride for the passengers.

The ladder frame is the truck's backbone, and although simple in appearance, its function is too complex to be narrowed down to a single approach. The competition brags that the frames on their ½-pickups are all fully boxed, which provides more "stiffness." But stiffness does not equate to strength. Frame strength is a combination of factors, including crossmember design and manufacturing choices. Toyota considered many factors when engineering the TripleTech™ frame.

TripleTech™ Engineering
A single method of frame construction isn't necessarily the best solution when designing a truck because some priorities may be compromised. Toyota's approach capitalizes on the benefits of three proven construction methods to deliver a frame that offers load-carrying capability, crash performance and ride quality. Here's how:
• The front section is fully boxed to support the engine weight. A robust front end also offers impact protection and provides solid mounting points for the steering and suspension components. This, in turn, improves handling response and steering precision.
• The middle section under the cab is a rolled-lip C-channel reinforced with heavy gauge steel. This design is lighter than fully boxed but still offers impact protection.
• The rear section under the bed is open C-channel—the same design used on most heavy-duty pickups for the entire frame. The open design offers a small measure of compliance under heavy load to help absorb road impacts before reaching the passenger cab.

Tundra suspension design
Toyota relies on refined proven and cost-efficient designs for the front and rear suspensions.
• Front is independent, double-wishbone with coil-over shocks. This arrangement provides consistent linear spring action when compared to some competitive models that mount the coil spring and shock absorber separately to the lower control arm.
• Rear is a traditional leaf-spring/live-axle arrangement. Leaf springs locate the axle and help control body sway. Trucks with a coil-spring rear suspension require an anti-sway bar. Toyota engineers also mounted the leaf springs in a "trapezoidal" pattern, meaning the front mounting points are wider than the rear shackles. This "towed out" design is very effective at reducing lateral axle movement and helps improve tracking when towing.
• Rear suspension features staggered shock absorbers to help reduce wheel hop under hard acceleration

If you liked this article you may enjoy this one too! http://jimmcnatttoyota.blogspot.com/2008/12/tundra-tripletech-frame-explained.html

4 comments:

  1. The TOYOTA is the most fuel efficient car sold in the U.S., which makes it perfect for those looking to economize on fuel without sacrifcing on style. toyota tundra houston tx

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  2. Wow this is a great article. My friend's got a Tundra and I was really amazed by how it works.

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  3. We have got a lot of good trucks out there. Tundra is one of the best.

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  4. Toyota Corolla seems to be a 2wd. Well, I prefer a 4wd since its spacious and more comfortable. However, for a small car this vehicle is a smart choice.

    ReplyDelete