Pro's and Con's of the famous multilink beam suspension
 

Ne input into this topic i'm just kinda wondering what u guys thought were the pro's and con's about it

tried search but didn't come up with ne thing :confused:

Pros-
1-Excellent cornering and camber on flat and smooth surfaces
2-Very lightweight
3-Simple design, yet very effective
4-More trunk room
5-Quicker turn-in
6-Generates better handling numbers on the skidpad and slalom than the 3rd gen...even though 3rd gen owners completely deny this :D

Cons-
1-Harsher ride
2-Rear end "wiggle" and pitching over uneven surfaces
3-Worse handling over bumpy surfaces
4-Higher NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) due to the tires being tied together
5-Doesn't take well to lowering springs (increases harshness, wiggle, and tendency to bottom out quicker)


Dave

A rear suspension only an Astro van owner could love :)

..i dont

I love people (especially 3rd genners) who love to talk about how crappy the multi-beam is.

Well first of all, we're FWD with like a 62/38 distibution. Frankly it doesn't even matter, it's rigid enough, we wouldn't see any additional performance gains from independent except on uneven and bumpy terrain (terrain I avoid speeding around).

Not a day goes by that I'm ever even the slightest bit ****ed about the multibeam, I wouldn't pay $1 to change it, but that's my preference. I had a GSR before that was independent rear end, didn't care about that either.

What I would change if I could is LSD options on 5spds in the USA, and of course RWD, now that's some worthwild stuff.

:rolleyes: :p

Yes, but it has much higher unsprung weight than an independent setup.

Actually, the beam has relatively low NVH. This stems from the fact that it only has 5 attachment points to the body. This compared to at least 8 for a comparable IRS.

Re: Pro's and Con's of the famous multilink beam suspension
 

Pro: Nissan saved alot of money on this design. That translates to buying a flagship car at invoice nearly all the time, except for 1/2 year after a generation change comes out.

Con: An Oldsmobile Alero holds more g's on a skidpad than a Maxima, and is also quicker through the slalom.

Ok to the people that think the independent rear vs. beam doesnt matter since it is FWD *ahem* Brian *ahem* that is not true, you still have to turn correct? fwd or not you still have to turn correct? ok, so if the body is turning it is going to matter. It is good on "Flat" surfaces but start hitting the bumps like on a regular street and the independent will win.

Okay so IRS helps better on bumpy roads, and the 4th-5th gens rear beam suspension does better on smooth roads; therefore, 4th-5th gens handle better at the track correct? No wonder I dont see many 3rd gens getting as much honor as 4th-5th gens... :p j/p.. all in good fun:)

Actually the track is bumpy, I have yet to drive on a smooth road also. Just because the beam handles well on the smooth surface doesnt mean IRS doesnt handle just as well...Every true sports car has independent:p :D

We're talking track, not street. Drag racing on a public street isn't the smartest thing to do, but it can be controlled relatively well if the road is wide open. Since the race is straight, there aren't many variables other than to go straight and accelerate. Racing on the street around turns sounds completely rediculous to me. Racing like this is far more dangerous than drag racing because you're introducing a lot more variables like bumps, braking, turning, blind spots, slick surfaces in turns, etc. Most tracks are pretty smooth therefore the beam isn't going to have a problem. It's only the big bumps that throw the beam out of control and bumps like that will toss a 3rd out of control too. IRS isn't the end all. I'd prefer to has an IRS over the beam, but the beam is all I have and I think it does exceptionally well. It's not like the beam on a minivan. Minivan beams don't have panhard rods, trailing arms, internal sway bars, or coil over shocks.


Dave

My fault dude, I thought he was talking the twisty track, not 1/4. The beam is more effective in the straight line, since it has less weight, just look at the mustang community :wall: but the twisties out here have pot holes, etc...so do some of the 1/4 tracks.

I was :wall:.....

im serious

So am I. Buy some new shocks/struts. Unless you have recently, if so, I don't know what to tell you.

:)