Procedure The following is the algorithm for suspension designing to be followed in given order
I Decide type of suspension system
II Decide best possible set of tires and wheels III Estimate basic dimensions wheelbase, trackwidth(s), cog height IV Set static values for suspension parameters. V Model the geometry to ensure minimum plausible change in parameters
VI Design and validate suspension
components TYPE
We take Double wishbone here.
However you need to choose yours TIRE & WHEEL SELECTION
Sometimes you are bound by competition rules to use
a particular set of tires/wheels
However, if not then you need to decide the optimum
set of tires and wheels
One method to do this is using the wheel decision
matrix
Ref to research paper illustrating decision matrix
ASSUMPTIONS AND ESTIMATES Wheel base is defined as the distance between the front and rear axle centerlines. A longer wheelbase provides a greater straight line stability, whereas a shorter wheelbase ensures better maneuverability. Longitudinal load transfer is inversely proportional to the wheelbase. Front and rear track width are assumed, it is an important factor that resists overturning. Lateral load transfer is inversely proportional to trackwidth. The maximum height of the center of gravity of the car is calculated, assuming that the car passes the tilt test, which involves tilting the car at an angle of 60 on a platform. The total weight of the car, weight distribution and values of sprung and unsprung mass are calculated. Design Parameters The following parameters are to be kept in mind while beginning suspension design: Caster Camber Toe Kingpin Inclination Motion Ratio Roll center height Bump steer Shark Model Camber: Negative camber is used in static conditions so that during roll, when the tire tilts outwards the tire contact patch is maximized providing greater lateral force and thus a better grip. Caster: Positive Caster generates negative camber on the outside tire when the wheel is steered and positive camber on the outside tire. During cornering to maintain a suitable tire contact patch a slight negative camber is required and hence a positive caster is used. Toe: Toe-in results in increased straight-line stability, while toe-out quickens the transitional behavior. Toe on the front tires is not a major contributing factor, but the rear tires are generally incorporated with a toe-in so as to reduce their tendency to go loose during cornering and hence maintain the rear stability. Kingpin inclination: It is the angle made by the steering axis with the vertical in front or rear view. The prime motive of providing a king- pin inclination is to reduce the scrub radius, i.e., the king-pin offset at ground. Scrub radius is required to be minimized to reduce steering effort. Motion ratio: It is defined as the ratio of wheel travel: spring travel. Generally a rising rate is preferred for increasing stiffness with travel. Roll Center: The point of intersection of the roll axis with the vertical plane through the wheel centres is called the roll centre. The roll center height is kept low to avoid jacking, i.e., lifting of the inner rear wheel during cornering. KINEMATIC ANALYSIS Roll Centre migration Graphs for various parameters
Front camber in bump
Rear camber in bump
Front toe in bump
Rear toe in bump
Front spring travel
Rear spring travel
Roll Simulation
Front camber in roll
Rear camber in roll
Design and Analysis After the suspension geometry was simulated and optimized, the 3D locations of all ends, mounts and components are forwarded to the CAD department and 3D models are created and analyzed. FORCE ANALYSIS FORCE CALCULATIONS
The worst case scenarios of the
following cases were considered: Cornering Braking Acceleration Braking + Cornering Acceleration The first step is to ascertain the positions of the points at which forces would act under static and dynamics conditions.
These include the upper and lower ball joints; the
wishbone and rocker ends of the pushrod and the front and rear pivots of the two a-arms. The coordinates can be read directly from the shark model wherein
X axis lies along the wheelbase;
Y axis is along the track width; Z axis is the vertical axis. Next, we make necessary assumptions about the approximate values of track-width; wheelbase and position of centre of gravity.
The weight distribution about the front and
rear axles is then calculated. LOAD TRANSFER
Whenever external forces act on the
tires, transfer of load takes place depending upon the direction and magnitude of forces. This is because the centre of gravity is above the ground and net moments have to be balanced at all points. LATERAL LOAD TRANSFER
During cornering, load transfer takes
place from the inside pair of wheels to the outer wheels. This is termed as lateral load transfer.
Thus, the outer tires are subjected to
maximum lateral force. LATERAL LOAD TRANSFER LONGITUDINAL LOAD TRANSFER
While braking or accelerating, load shifts
from the rear to front (braking) or vice versa (acceleration) due to inertia forces. This is termed as longitudinal load transfer.
Thus, the front tires are experience
greater braking force while the rear tires are loaded under acceleration. LONGITUDINAL LOAD TRANSFER GENERAL APPROACH
To find forces, we first determine
lateral and/or longitudinal load transfer. We then select the wheel(s) which are subjected to maximum loads to find limiting forces. There are two primary conditions that need to be satisfied for making steady turns/braking and acceleration:
The net force along a
particular direction must be zero. The net moments about any point must be zero. All forces originate at the tire contact patches; be it braking, cornering or acceleration. We then navigate upwards to balance forces and moments and thus find the forces acting on the different suspension components like uprights, a-arms and pushrods. CORNERING
During cornering, lateral load transfer
takes place from the inner to outer tires. Hence, it is sufficient to consider the forces on the outer tires only; as these are subjected to greater forces. We start by taking coordinates from the front view of the suspension system (front). Next, we assume a critical value of cornering acceleration (say 1.4g) Lateral load transfer is calculated and is added to half the static load to get the vertical forces acting on the outer tire. The load on the outer tire is multiplied by this factor (1.4g) to get the maximum cornering force. Uprights
Only the upper and lower ball joints
are considered. The forces on the ball joints can be determined by solving two linear equations: one to balance the cornering force and the other to ensure zero turning moment in the front view. FORCES ON UPRIGHTS (ie BALL JOINTS) Wishbone and Pushrod In this case, the forces acting along the a- arms and pushrod (ie tension and compression) have to be determined.
A procedure similar to the one used for
uprights is used, except that there are three linear equations: Forces in y-direction Vertical forces Turning moments WISHBONE FORCES
We have used a push-rod as opposed to the pull-rod shown above
Braking and Acceleration During braking, longitudinal load transfer takes place from the rear to front tires. Hence, it is sufficient to consider the forces on the front tires only; as these are subjected to greater forces. During acceleration, load is transferred onto the rear axle and hence only the rear suspension needs to be analyzed. We start by taking coordinates from the side view of the suspension system (front). Next, we assume a critical value of braking/acceleration (say 1.4g/ 1g) Longitudinal load transfer is calculated and is added to the static load on the particular axle. This is divided by 2 to get the maximum load on a tire. The load on the this tire is multiplied by this factor (1.4g) to get the value of maximum force. During braking/acceleration, the uprights are stressed to a great extent. Hence, only the upper and lower ball joints are considered. The forces on the ball joints can be determined by solving two linear equations from the point coordinates in the side view:
one to balance the cornering force and;
the other to ensure zero turning moment in the side view. BRAKING AND CORNERING: It is possible to have simultaneous braking and turning. However, the cornering and braking acceleration will not be at their maximum values. A value of g can be considered for both cases.
Forces are determined in the same way as
discussed earlier by taking cornering and braking separately; and then the forces due to the two are added vectorially to get the resultant force Once maximum forces have been found out, they can be used to decide the thickness of the a- arms, pushrod etc and the type and quality of bearings (spherical, rod-ends etc) to be used. EXAMPLE
(for a Formula SAE car)
WHEEL ASSEMBLY
After the finalization of suspension
geometry and completion of force calculations, we proceed to 3D design of the wheel assembly components. DESIGN OF HUB - Keep in mind the p.c.d of wheel - Choose appropriately sized hub bearings (roller / taper roller bearings) - Since the brake discs are also supposed to be mounted on the hub, you need to decide your discs before designing hub - Knowing all this, you may design your hub UPRIGHT
Upright can be made of various materials
and even various shapes/techniques - Machined from Al block - Made using metal tubes - Mage using metal sheets The a-arms/wishbones are attached to the upright. The hub is fitted inside the central bore of the upright with a roller bearing between the two surfaces to facilitate the rotation of hub. The axle (on the rear) is then fitted with the hub through the upright.
Once you have decided the type to be
employed Next you start with the shape based on following decisions:- - Decide the bearings to be fitted on the a-arm side - Steering mounts for the front - Toe rod for the rear - Brake Calliper mounts Mild Steel pipes Bearings! - Very crucial component - Need to be finalised after careful consideration
What options do you have?
- Rod end bearings - Spherical bearings - Simple pivots (with bushings) - Ball joints Ref to Aurora Catalog You may decide the bearings But one major question while doing it is, where to use which bearing?
For this you primarily need to
consider the loads that bearing has to withstand.
Apart from this you obviously have to
consider the motions required from bearing. A-arms
You have a different configurations w.r.t the
angle between the front and rear links of an a-arm
- An isosceles configuration - A 90 deg configuration - Or any angle depending on your justification