DEPARTMENT

OF MECHANICAL AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

MAE 442
AUTOMOTIVE
ENGINEERING

11-SUSPENSION

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 Suspension requirements
Provide good ride performance
VerCcal compliance wheels follow the road prole
Provide isolaCon from high frequency vibraCon
Require isolaCon in suspension joints
Ensure steering control
Wheels at proper posiCon to road surface
Ensure vehicle stability
When the chassis move from moCon, maintain
favorable Cre posiCon for cornering, acceleraCon
and braking.
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 Basic terminology
Camber angle Toe
posiCve lean out posiCve when converging
towards front

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 Basic terminology
Swivel pin inclinaCon Scrub radius
(also called kingpin) lateral distance from swivel
axis intersecCon and contact point

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 Basic terminology
Caster angle Caster trail
Clt of steering axis longitudinal distance from swivel
axis intersecCon and contact point

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Components of Suspension
Tire
Linkage
Bearings, Bushings
Springs
Dampers

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 Tire
Acts as both a spring
and a damper
These rates are
aected by air
pressure and Cre
construcCon.
Separate lecture next
week

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 Linkage
Solid beam
Old design (horse carriage)
MoCon of one wheel
aects both wheels
Fixed wheel angles
High unsprung weight
Used on heavy vehicles

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 Control arms (A-arm)
Transverse support
(lateral link)
Can be used as A-arm
for longitudinal support
or with separate strut rod
Beder control of wheel angles
Lower unsprung weight
Longer arms beder, but takes up
more space

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 McPherson strut
No upper control arm
Strut connected directly to hub
EnCre strut swivels during turning
Strut posiCon also governs kingpin angle
Less intrusive laterally
More intrusive verCcally
Compromise design
Most frequently used
suspension design (because $)
Chapman strut for rear suspension
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 MulC-link suspension
Beder control of wheel angles
during suspension moCon
Introduced on M-B 190
1983
More expensive
Uses compliant rubber
bushings

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 Pivot Joints
Spherical & Roller bearings
High performance
applicaCons
Minimal Compliance
High Precision
Low SCcCon/FricCon
Tension or compression
loading
Bushings
Low Cost
Oers compliance
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 Spring Types
Leaf Springs
Used in many early applicaCons
Internal fricCon provides damping
Provide Fore/Aj/Lateral locaCon for
the axle
Heavy
Prone to weaken over Cme
Torsion Bars
Lidle to no internal damping
Low cost
Ojen dicult to package

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 Spring Types
Coil Springs
Lidle to no internal damping
Low cost
Compact Size
Used in many Suspension types
Spring rate:
Coil diameter
Number of coils
Height of spring
Diameter of steel coil
Can also be made variable

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 Shock absorber (damper)
Controls ride and handling
Dampens out high-rate moCons and oscillaCons
Does not support the weight of the vehicle
Can have dierent damping raCo in compression and
rebound

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 6-DoF analysis
Generic body has 6 degrees-of-freedom
Three translaCons and three rotaCons
AutomoCve sprung mass body:
Bounce, roll and pitch
Passenger comfort:
Minimize rate of change
of acceleraCon (jerk)

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Simplied quarter-car model
Two Degree-of-Freedom System
Vehicle mass is body and all
components supported by springs
Unsprung mass: axle, hub, wheel
Tires have spring constant and damping!
M!!
x = k ( x y) c ( x! y! )
or with z = x y
z + c!z + kz = m!!
M!! y
Assume unsprung mass is harmonic
Transmission of road forces to body?
2
1+ 2
Ft x n
= = 2
Fo y 2 2
1 2 +2
n n

High unsprung natural frequency:

SC Cres, low unsprung mass

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 Simplied Half Car Model
Two Degree-of-Freedom System
Analyze bounce and pitch
Dene a Dynamic Index
2
DI = k , k= I
fr M
Assume no damping

MoCons are sinusoidal

Twice dierenCaCon

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 Simplied Half Car Model

Simplify:

Determinant = zero (non-Cme dep.)

These two coupled

natural freq. are not
the same as the uncoupled

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Example: Luxury car comfort
Step input -> pitch & bounce
m=1850, c+d=2.93m, c/d=45/55
spring center at c.g.
90 km/h, 0.05m step

front spring deflects first

abrupt pitch response
undesireable pitch osc.

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Example: Luxury car comfort
what about sCer springs in front?
spring center front of c.g.

pitch oscillations even worse

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Example: Luxury car comfort
what about sCer springs in back?
spring center aj of c.g.

pitch oscillations dampen out after one cycle, front and

relatively quickly rear are in phase

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 MulC-body simulaCon
Suspension kinemaCcs with compliant
rubber bushings

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 MulC-body simulaCon
Full car can be modeled with computer
simulaCon

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