Leaf Spring Damages Analysis on Four Wheel Vehicle

Abstract

Leaf spring is a component that accept dynamic loads and provide driving comfort. Leaf springs that have been used for a long time will experience a decrease in the quality that causes fracture. The test of leaf spring includes chemical composition, hardness, fractography and metallography. The results show leaf spring is medium carbon steel of 0.47% C, the average hardness value of broken leaf springs is 419.7 means does not experience significant changes, the microstructure of broken leaf springs was tempered martensitic, has corrosion attack, trans granular cracking, secondary crack and crevice corrosion,  and the fracture first occurred in the upper position of the middle leaf springs, while the remaining fractures were at the edges, there was also a corrosion attack on the bottom of the leaf springs, forming rough holes. The initial fracture is marked by the presence of a beach mark. This shape is a characteristic of fatigue fracture. Keywords: chemical composition, hardness, metallography, fractography DOI: 10.7176/CPER/63-04 Publication date: October 31 st 2020