re: Titanium susp. springs

["Hardwick, Robert C" <Robert.Hardwick@PSS.boeing.com>]

Well, after writing up the std design manual stuff on 3-8-6-4-4 titanium
spring material, a friend looks through his back issues of Racecar
Engineering and finds an article on springs by Carroll Smith.  It seems
that at least in 1993 virtually all suspension springs used in NASCAR,
IMSA GTP, Indy Lights and CART were steel.  To be exact, either SAE 9254
chrome-silicon for <.625 dia or SAE 5160 chrome-vanadium for >.625 dia
wire.  In 1993 F1 was in its Active suspension stage, and didn't use
coil springs.  The article predicted steel's return in 1994 when Active
suspensions were made illegal.

Why not Ti?  I'm still thinkin'...

If it wasn't for F1's use of steel, I'd suggest that cost saving rules
on exotic materials would be the reason.  3-8-6-4-4 was in use in
aerospace in 1993. 

cheers, robert hardwick, seattle usa