Front Suspension

Overview

Background

Background Information

The four wheels of a vehicle are the interface between the car and the ground, and the means at which energy is used to result in motion. Suspension is the system that connects a car's wheels to it's body, and controls the way the four wheels contact the ground, therefore controlling the handling/road holding and ride comfort.

Front suspension and rear suspension will be different in their designs. Front suspension is often more complex, as the front wheels steer. The geometry of the suspension must keep the wheels in contact, while the vehicle is going straight, or around a corner.

Modern Suspension comprise of linkages (wishbones/A-arms, beams, etc), an upright (A vertical linkage that is fixed to the wheel. The suspension linkages which are not fixed, are connected to the upright and the chassis.), a spring (which absorbs energy on upward travel) and damper (which converts the energy in the spring to heat in the downward stroke). These make up the geometry of the suspension. 

There are many front suspension geometries. The most common today are the double wishbone front suspension, and the McPherson strut. Double wishbone allows for the most control over camber, caster, and toe. It is comprised of two wishbone linkages, mounted inboard from the wheel, and a spring and damper mounted from wheel assembly to a point in the chassis. These wishbones can vary in length, angle, and width. McPherson strut is a cheaper, lower performing solution. It is made of a single wishbone and a strut. The strut supports lateral loads while also serving as the spring and damper for vertical loads.

For MSXIV, we are exploring a leading arm suspension. This geometry saves us a lot of lateral space compared to double wishbone suspension.  Leading arm suspension has the wheel leading the suspension members, and the members are mounted straight back to the chassis, as opposed to inboard. This creates a worse loading scenario for the suspension, which is the main area of concern.

Good Reads

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Soft requirements

Goal

Design a compact, lightweight, efficient front suspension system.

Deliverables

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Designs

Come up with at least three designs and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each. Include sketches and screenshots of CAD models where applicable.