SUSPENSION DESIGN

PART 1

SUSPENSION 101 SAE CLUB IITG 1/03/2012

INTRODUCTION
An Automotive Suspension is the system of parts that gives a vehicle the ability to maneuver.

What does a suspension do? The job of a car suspension is to maximize the friction between the tires and the road surface, to provide steering stability with good handling

CLASSIFICATION
Dependent

Independent

DEPENDENT SUSPENSION

Solid axle leaf spring Used in trucks (heavy weight vehicle)

Solid axle Coil spring (Used in light weight cars)

SAEINDIA IT-BHU Collegiate Club

INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION MACPHERSON STRUT

o Basically comprises of a strut-type spring and shock absorber combo, which pivots on a ball joint on the single, lower arm.
o Strut itself is the load-bearing member in this assembly, with the spring and shock absorber merely performing their duty as oppose to actually holding the car up.
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INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION DOUBLE WISHBONE

Coil Spring High travel

Multilink Spring

Transverse leaf spring High Ground clearance

OTHER T YPES OF SUSPENSION

Trailing arm

Moulten rubber

De-dion Twin i-beam Four bar

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OTHER T YPES OF SUSPENSION

Pneumatic suspension Hydrolastic suspension Ferro fluid suspension Linear electromagnetic suspension

BASIC SUSPENSION TERMINOLOGY

Ride Height Bump / Droop Camber Caster Toe In / Out

RIDE HEIGHT, BUMP & DROOP

Ride Height
The neutral / middle position of the Suspension

Bump
When the wheel moves upwards

Droop
When the wheel moves downwards
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CAMBER
Affect on pressure distribution on tire Generates camber thrust Dynamic camber in unavoidable Tires generate more cornering force with a small amount of negative camber Camber changes as suspension moves up (bump) and down (droop)
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CAMBER
Because of the shape of The tire print, the treads entering the tire print closer to the cambered side, Have more time to be stretched laterally .Because the developed lateral Stress is proportiona lto the lateral stretch,the nonuniform tread stretching Generates an asymmetric stress distribution and more lateral stress will be Developed on the cambered side. The result of the nonuniform lateral stress Distribution over the tire print of a cambered tire produces the camber trustfy in the cambered direction.

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TOE-IN OR TOE-OUT
Toe-in results is inherently stable Toe-out is inherently unstable

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TOE IN AND TOE OUT

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CASTER
Positive caster aids centering the steering wheel after a turn and makes the fornt tires straighten quicker More caster results in more camber as front wheels are turned
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CASTER

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