Vehicle Suspension Systems

Vehicle Suspension Systems The suspension system consists of tires, the air in the tires, springs, shock absorbers, struts, arms, bars, linkages, bushings, and joints. The suspension system components are located between the frame of the vehicle and the road.

Well-tuned suspensions will absorb bumps and other imperfections in the road allowing the people inside the vehicle to travel safely and comfortably.

The tires and the amount of air in the tires are a fundamental part of the suspension system. The tires are the only part of the vehicle that come in contact with the road. This means they have to steer and put power to the ground simultaneously while also being responsible for stopping the vehicle. The suspension system requires the wheels and tires to travel up and down to absorb the shock from bumps. The rubber tires and air in the tires also soften the ride over hard surfaces and conform to slightly uneven and rough surfaces. If you want to know more about shafts and joints then visit Cardan Shaft India and Universal Joint Manufacturer in India .

Shock absorbers, also known as shocks, are hydraulic oil-filled cylinders that force the suspension to compress and decompress at a consistent rate to prevent the springs and vehicle from bouncing up and down. Shocks are velocity-sensitive, meaning they are smoother when dealing with light bumps and put up more

resistance to big bumps. The primary purpose of the shock absorbers is to control spring and suspension movement and make sure tires maintain contact with the road.

Non-independent Front Suspension:  Solid Axle

A solid axle suspension incorporates a solid beam or shaft that spans from left to right in the vehicle. A pivoting connection connects both the left and right ends of the shaft to the wheel spindle, allowing the spindle to turn towards the left of right. The solid axle design may use leaf springs or coil springs connected from the vehicle structure (frame) to the lateral sides of the solid axle beam, therefore allowing upward movement when road bumps are encountered. Get more information about Suspension here.

Independent Front System Types:  Double Wishbone Design Double wishbone (and their mechanically equivalent double A-arm design) incorporates a pair of triangular parts or "wishbones", one "wishbone" stacked vertical to the other. The medial (toward the midline of the vehicle) long end of each triangular part is mounted to the structure of the vehicle using a pivoting connection. The lateral (away from vehicle midline) pointed end of each triangular part is mounted to either the upper or lower ball joint of the corresponding wheel hub.

The upper and lower ball joints allow the wheel to turn left or right. A spring/shock absorber assembly is typically installed between the vehicle

structure and the lateral portion of the lower wishbone (A-arm), thus supporting the vehicle and damping bumps.

The double wishbone has been considered the gold standard for rear wheel drive vehicles for many years. A typical double wishbone suspension will use a shorter upper wishbone compared to the lower, thus causing negative camber (tilting outward of the lower portion of the wheel) as the suspension rises during bumps or turns. The shorter upper wishbone helps to keep the tire flat during cornering.  McPherson Strut Design

A McPherson strut suspension can be thought of as a variation of the double wishbone design. It borrows the a lower wishbone (A-arm) from the double wishbone design.

The McPherson strut omits the upper wishbone (A-arm) and instead uses a spring and shock absorber assembly (strut) installed between the lower lateral wishbone

(A-arm) and the vehicle structure. This strut is typically much stronger than a typical shock absorber used on the double wishbone design since it must prevent twisting of the lower wishbone (A-arm) which would typically occur during braking or acceleration. The advantages of the McPherson Strut design include simplicity, weight savings and reduced bulkiness. The reduction in bulkiness allows space for a driveshaft to enter the wheel hub, thus allowing for use on front wheel drive cars.  Linear Suspension Systems:

Larger aircraft typically use a steerable type of linear suspension system for their nose wheels. This suspension is considered "linear" since the wheel moves in a straight line upwards when a road bump is encountered. These aircraft suspensions can be considered a steerable variation of the oil/air type shock absorbers since both share common characteristics.

Although historically a few primitive types of linear suspension systems have been attempted on motor vehicles, none have been very successful thus far. Newer designs of linear suspension systems have incorporated electromagnetic motors or remotely mounted springs (connected by cables) for weight suspension and damping.