Weight carried by the springs is called sprung weight. Weight not carried by the springs is called unsprung weight. The less unsprung weight a vehicle has, the better the handling and ride will be. Some examples of unsprung weight are the wheels and tires, brake components, control arms, steering knuckles, and rear axles. Figure 6-19 shows examples of unsprung weight. Sprung weight includes the vehicle body, engine and transmission, the passengers, and in general, items above the axles. Examples are shown in Figure 6-20. The amount of sprung weight should be high and unsprung weight should be low.
