Known vehicle suspensions equipped with steel springs feature generally linear damping characteristic determined by a generally constant spring stiffness k = dF/dx, where F is force and x is suspension's flex. This spring stiffness k can be chosen to be optimal only for a fixed vehicle mass m. If the mass m of the vehicle varies within broad limits during vehicle operation, as it is the case e.g. with trucks and buses, the vehicle suspension is operated outside optimum range. This diminishes comfort and safety, and contributes to accelerated vehicle and road wear.

My invention (patents US 6,851,690, EP 1,210,236, HK 1,049,313, PL 192,322) provides a whole system of steel suspensions having progressive differentiable damping characteristic (i.e. with variable suspension stiffness k, which rises as vehicle load rises) that can be adjusted to virtually any specific requirements. In particular, suspensions exhibiting exponential characteristic (i.e. suspension the stiffness k = dF/dx of which is proportional to force F (with various proportionality factors that can be freely chosen)), which is optimum for vehicles, the weight of which vary within broad limits during operation process, belong to the system.

Moreover, my invention provides a vehicle suspension, the (progressive) damping characteristic of which can be continuously adjusted by the driver to varying conditions (e.g. driving on the road or off-road driving) by pressing a button. In other words, the suspension stiffness can be continously adjusted almost at will.

My suspensions would both directly and indirectly contribute to fuel saving by making ride smoother by reducing energy wasted to vibrations and by reducing vehicles and roads wear, thus reducing consumption of energy needed for manufacturing new vehicles and repairing of roads.