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Gizmo
PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 14:39 
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Looks like the industry is gearing up to cope with the demands of our crap roads. It looks like Taxis are using the SUV principal of uprating the running gear to cope with our "all terrain" road surfaces we now have on our high streets.

http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/news/industry_news

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LTI uprates TX11 suspension to cope with speed humps
The increase in traffic calming measures, including speed humps, has prompted LTI Vehicles to develop a totally new suspension system for the TX11 black cab taxi.

Gone are the rear leaf spring and damper, to be replaced by variable rate coil springs, self-adjusting shock absorbers, a Panhard rod to keep the live rear axle in line during cornering, braking and acceleration, and double radius arms to locate the new suspension to the still separate chassis. The front suspension too has been revised with new-style dampers and an anti-roll bar.

Chassis production has been moved in-house at LTI Vehicles as part of the product development process.

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JT
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 15:28 
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I think you might be over-egging the custard a touch here!

Just seems to me that the manufacturers are generally updating the suspension systems from early 1970s spec, so now they'll only be 20 years behind the rest of the industry.

On this basis I would predict they'll ditch the live axle and go for fully independent suspension sometime around 2028...

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botach
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PostPosted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 19:16 
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Location: Treacletown ( just north of M6 J3),A MILE OR TWO PAST BEDROCK
Good few years ago they were experimenting inhouse with pneumatic suspension, particular usefull when putting a wheelchair passenger in the rear.( dropped the body a good few inches, lowering the ramp angle)Don't know if anything came of it , possibly not as cost is more important to taxi firms than drivers health.
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ed_m
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 09:43 
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JT wrote:
I think you might be over-egging the custard a touch here!

Just seems to me that the manufacturers are generally updating the suspension systems from early 1970s spec, so now they'll only be 20 years behind the rest of the industry.

On this basis I would predict they'll ditch the live axle and go for fully independent suspension sometime around 2028...


:lol:

exactly.. we had one of these on the ramp at work the other day.... its like a history lesson :roll:

chassis! steering box, live axle, trailing arm... explains alot about how taxis ride.
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Gizmo
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 13:12 
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JT wrote:
I think you might be over-egging the custard a touch here!


Errrr no. I have an insider at LTI

There have been an increase in vehicle suspension failures on Taxis since the introduction of speed humps. The new suspension has been introduced to inprove durability and reduce the failure rate. It is also a more expensive system to manufacture so adds to the cost.

London Taxis have a service life of 13 years and 500,000+ miles so need to be somewhat more durable than the average family saloon.

botach wrote:
Good few years ago they were experimenting inhouse with pneumatic suspension, particular usefull when putting a wheelchair passenger in the rear.( dropped the body a good few inches, lowering the ramp angle)Don't know if anything came of it , possibly not as cost is more important to taxi firms than drivers health.


They have ramps and a low floor so don't need "kneeling" suspension. The development of "kneeling" suspension was in the area of van to minibus conversions with side opening doors.

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botach
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 15:12 
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from Gizmo "They have ramps and a low floor so don't need "kneeling" suspension. The development of "kneeling" suspension was in the area of van to minibus conversions with side opening doors."

Few years since i was doing jobs in there but this was definately on a modern version one - they were interested in the idea about anything lowering the angle of the ramps - makes pushing a heavy pushchair( and with all due respect to those who are chair bound - all that i've ferried around seem to be heavy)up a ramp easier - even a drop of a few degrees.Commonsense when you look at the maths.
Wasn't much fun to get 3/4 wheelchairs a night .
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