OVERVIEW
The CL is equipped with a 4-wheel, all-independent
double-wishbone
suspension with coil springs and front and rear stabilizer bars.
The
suspension has been designed to provide excellent directional
stability and the tight, precise handling control demanded by
driving
enthusiasts, yet with a forgiving and resilient ride. Helping to
achieve those goals are a highly rigid body structure and a
16-inch
wheel and tire package specially developed to meet the chassis
team's
requirements of handling grip, ride poise, and quiet operation.
Other chassis features include 4-wheel disc brakes, a standard Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), and a speed-sensitive variable power-assisted, rotary-valve, rack-and-pinion steering system. Redesigned alloy wheels with a bright machine finish help highlight the 1998 model CL.
Redesigned alloy wheels with a bright machined finish help highlight the 1998 model CL.
FRONT SUSPENSION
The front double-wishbone suspension consists of a leading
compliance
link, an upper transverse A-arm, and a single lower transverse
link.
The leading link provides fore-aft location for the wheel and
transmits braking and acceleration forces to the body. A rubber
bushing at the anchor point of the link helps absorb impact
energy. A
long curved upright connects the links to the hub assembly. On
the
3.0CL, the front suspension is mounted to a rubber-isolated
subframe
for improved NVH and refinement.
To minimize body roll, the CL is equipped with a front stabilizer bar. The bar on the 2.3CL has a diameter of 27.2mm with a 3.0mm wall thickness; the 3.0CL uses a solid 25mm bar.
The front shock absorbers are nitrogen gas-pressurized and fitted with a patented "New Wide Setting" (NWS) progressive-valve system. This valve uses special layered disk plates to control the fluid flow, rather than a fixed orifice. By using the NWS valve, the suspension engineers were able to tune the damping force precisely to achieve a fine balance of responsive handling and smooth ride quality.
REAR SUSPENSION
The rear double-wishbone suspension consists of a beam-type
leading
link for fore-and-aft wheel location, a single upper transverse link
for lateral location, and a pair of lower unequal-length transverse
links. The unequal length of the lower links acts to steer the rear
wheels in such a way that it cancels the roll-steer effect inherent
in independent rear suspensions. This helps the CL track
smoothly
through corners, respond predictably in transient maneuvers
such as
lane changes, and exhibit less susceptibility to crosswinds.
The CL features a liquid-filled bushing at the pivot point of the rear suspension trailing link to isolate the passenger cabin from road noise. A rigid rear hub bearing provides high toe stiffness, delivering excellent stability at high speeds.
Both the 2.3CL and the 3.0CL use a solid, 16mm rear stabilizer bar. As in front, the rear suspension incorporates an NWS progressive-valve system in the damper units.
STEERING-EFFORT-SENSITIVE, VARIABLE
POWER-ASSISTED, ROTARY-VALVE,
RACK-AND-PINION STEERING SYSTEM
The rack-and-pinion power-steering system on the CL is
torque-sensitive. The system varies power assist by monitoring
the
amount of torque generated between the tire and the pavement
as the
steering wheel is turned. An increase in effort (for instance, if a
wheel were to encounter a surface with a greater coefficient of
friction) is automatically countered by an increase in boost.
The power steering rack uses a rotary valve and torsion bar. The torsion bar twists in proportion to steering effort. As it twists, it progressively opens a hydraulic valve that increases boost accordingly. An additional advantage of this design is greatly reduced power-steering noise, backlash, and kickback.
To minimize noise and vibration transmission to the body and passenger compartment, the upper part of the steering shaft is hollow. In addition, the shaft is mounted in a stiff, anti-resonant bracket.
A quiet, vane-type, rotary power steering pump provides hydraulic pressure. The vanes create a smaller pressure fluctuation and the pump body incorporates a flow control valve that supplies a constant pressure. A pressed steel drive pulley helps reduce weight.
The system is tuned to provide light, effortless steering during parking, yet provides excellent road feel at higher speeds.
BRAKING SYSTEM
Braking is provided by a power-assisted, 4-wheel disc braking
system.
Large, flex-resistant calipers help provide consistent braking
performance. The front rotors are internally ventilated to aid in
rapid heat dissipation. For the 2.3CL, front and rear rotor
dimensions are 260mm x 23mm and 260mm x 9mm,
respectively. The 3.0CL
employs 282mm x 23mm front rotors, and 260mm x 9mm rear
rotors.
In keeping with the CL's sporting demeanor, a newly developed brake pad helps provide superior resistance to fade, along with the solid, positive brake-pedal feel preferred by driving enthusiasts.
ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS)
The standard Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) features four
wheel-speed
sensors and three channels. The system exercises independent
control
over each of the front wheels, while controlling the rear wheels
as a
single unit. This is a "select-low" system, meaning the system
controls both rear wheel calipers together when it senses
impending
wheel lockup in either wheel.
In the unlikely event of a system failure, the main hydraulic system remains operational, including the dual-diagonal feature and the front-to-rear proportioning bias.
The ABS modulator unit is designed to have very little pedal kickback when operating. The modulator unit incorporates the high-pressure accumulator.
WHEELS AND TIRES
To reduce unsprung weight and provide a fine balance of ride
and
handling, the CL is equipped with bright machine-finished cast
aluminum alloy wheels fitted with specially developed Michelin
MXV4
tires in P205/55 R16 size. Wheel size is 16 inches x 6 inches.
For
1998, the 2.3CL and 3.0CL each feature a new wheel design.