Corvette leaf spring

The FRP plastic springs have 4.3–5.5 times the strain energy storage per weight, compared to steel.

[8] Comparing FRP to conventional steel leaf springs in similar applications, the weight saved is even greater.

It also allows manufacturers to avoid tall spring mounts, thus resulting in a flatter load floor about the suspension.

[10] James Schefter reports that, as used on the C5 and later Corvettes, the use of OEM coilover damper springs would have forced the chassis engineers to either vertically raise the shock towers or move them inward.

[14] An advantage of the FRP transverse leaf springs—when supported with widely spaced, pivotable mounts—is the ability to replace the anti-roll bar.

If both wheels deflect upward at the same time (for example, when hitting a bump in the road) the center section bends uniformly between the pivot mounts.

By comparison, a rigid central mount (2nd and 3rd generation Corvettes and other cars) shows no movement on one side when the other is deflected.

[6] A number of manufacturers have produced vehicles or concepts utilizing independent front or rear suspensions supported by transverse leaf springs that have an anti-roll effect.

Several automotive companies have filed patents for suspension designs using a transverse composite leaf-spring supported in a fashion similar to that of the Corvette.