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Titanium is a strong, lightweight metal which is used extensively in aerospace applications. By virtue of these properties plus low elastic moduli it is particularly suitable as a spring material. Compared to steel springs of equivalent performance, titanium springs weigh less than half as much and can be designed to be more compact. The current need to reduce vehicle weight to improve fuel economy has led to a prototype development program to assess the weight saving potential of suspension springs. Front suspension springs made of β-titanium alloy were designed, fabricated and tested. The results indicate that such springs could serve as direct replacements for steel springs with a weight saving of 53%, while satisfying fatigue life, spring rate and design load requirements. Suggestions for improvements in the processing of the spring wire and fabrication have been identified which could result in even greater weight saving and lower cost.

Titanium alloys offer a unique combination of high strength-to-weight ratio, good corrosion resistance and favorable high temperature mechanical properties. While the high cost of titanium has severely restrained consideration of titanium usage in mass produced automobiles, there are certain components for which titanium alloys are particularly well suited from a design viewpoint. The most promising of these applications include suspension springs and engine components such as valves, valve springs and valve retainers. The technical advantages offered by the use of titanium alloys in these applications include reductions in vehicle weight and improvements in performance, fuel economy and packaging efficiency. This paper reviews characteristics of the several types of titanium alloys.