What is Suspension: Definition and 131 Discussions

Suspension is the system of tires, tire air, springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels and allows relative motion between the two. Suspension systems must support both road holding/handling and ride quality, which are at odds with each other. The tuning of suspensions involves finding the right compromise. It is important for the suspension to keep the road wheel in contact with the road surface as much as possible, because all the road or ground forces acting on the vehicle do so through the contact patches of the tires. The suspension also protects the vehicle itself and any cargo or luggage from damage and wear. The design of front and rear suspension of a car may be different.

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  1. marellasunny

    Relation between suspension switching frequency and body eigefrequency

    'Slow-active suspensions realize small switching frequencies to control low-frequency body movements,such as roll pitch and lifting motions.Fully-active suspensions reach switching frequencies,like semi-active suspensions,greater than the natural eigen-frequencies of the vehicle.'- an excerpt...
  2. Y

    Solve Mass Suspension by Component Method

    Homework Statement A mass of 100 kg is suspended by two ropes that make an angle of 60 degrees to the horizontal. If a horizontal pull of 200N, in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the other forces is applied find the tensions in the ropes after equilibrium has occurred. Homework...
  3. V

    Suspension design for medical stretcher

    Hello guys. I've planned to do my project on mechanising stretcher so as to minimise the injuries caused in handling casualties/traumatic patients on stretcher. My intuition was that if we could make a suspension/vibration damping mechanism along with special retractable compartments for holding...
  4. L

    Scaling Maxwell's Demon Experiment: Macro-Level Rigid Ball Suspension

    I had the concept of scaling up Maxwells' demon experiment to a marco scale. Replacing molecules of gas with light, rigid, balls. Perhaps coated in magnets with varying poles so they never touch (non-interacting). Would suspend them in a thin fluid with neutral buoyancy.
  5. C

    Wanted High density Liquid For suspension of Solids

    Hello I want to suspend, or really have the sinking effect be slow, different kinds of rocks/ gem stones in a jar. So i don't really know where to start. I want something easy to get, clear, not toxic. I'm going to start with something like corn sryup and see what it looks like. But if anyone...
  6. jegues

    Number of Suspension Insulators for a Given Voltage Level

    Hello all, I'm currently designing all the structure, equipment and grounding for a 230-115kV terminal substation, and for our dead end connections consisting porcelain ball & socket type suspension insulators we are given the number of insulators required for each voltage level. (i.e. 14 for...
  7. S

    What are the potential consequences of using FTL technology in a sci-fi story?

    Bear with me if this forum doesn't normally answer highly subjective questions. If this is a necro zombie repost of something asked five years ago my apologies. When is the suspension of disbelief or plausibility destroyed for you as a viewer, when watching sci-fi films? How much linear...
  8. L

    Semi-compressible encapsulated gas suspension as a working fluid

    Been playing with this idea http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Quasi-aerogel It's been boiled down to some sort of elastomeric beads, filled with a suitable gas/fluid/liquid (depending on pressure/temperature) suspended in a liquid. The idea is to increase pumping and compression...
  9. N

    Designing Suspension Top Mount: Calculate Forces

    I am currently designing a upgraded car suspension top mount for my university project. I am designing it in CAD and need to test it against the forces it will need to withstand however i can find no information to calculate such forces. It would be the front suspension mcfersion strut Any...
  10. U

    Suspension strut design (diff eq and damping systems)

    Homework Statement The mass of a car that acts on one wheel is 100 kg. The elasticity (spring) constant in the suspension system of that wheel is k= 10^4 N/m: Design the strut (find the friction/resistance constant c) such that any vertical motion of the wheel (set up for example by going...
  11. S

    Automotive Designing a Suspension System for Food Cart

    Hello. I'm trying to start my own mobile juicing business. I have the money to build my own mobile cart. I spent some time thinking what I want my cart to do. I want to incorporate a mechanical suspension That can lift up the cart for traveling So it can go over steps and curbs (Off road...
  12. Q

    Designing simple car with suspension and brake system

    Homework Statement This is just for a formal engineering report, no product will be made. for my ME class, one of the very first courses. pre-requisite for this class is only vector static. This is the first week of class, and the lectures covered the role of engineers... I am being...
  13. Z

    Bump detection using accelerometer inside car, estimating suspension damping

    Homework Statement This is not a homework question, I am working on a project to get it data from how rough the road is, mostly road bumps/pot holes. My project is for a capstone project, I want to use an accelerometer to measure the upward G's on the car frame when goes over bumps, or into...
  14. D

    Electrostatics: Using a conducting string suspension.

    Homework Statement This is a lab question. Basically what the lab entails is we have two spheres. One is suspended from a string and another is attached to a non-conducting rod. We inductively charge the sphere attached to the rod. Then we bring it close to the other sphere that is being...
  15. R

    Affect of elevation on bicycle suspension

    Last night I had a trailside discussion about how (or if) elevation differences could affect the performance of a bicycle shock. The idea was that air shocks should not be affected because the air spring is in a sealed vessel. Though one rider claimed his suspension acted differently at higher...
  16. T

    Automotive Optimizing ATV Suspension: A Scientist's Guide to Modeling and Analysis

    Hi all, First of all, I am new to this forum. Am facing a similar prob with the analysis of Double wishbone suspension for ATV ( utility ). I am planning to do this on my own. Hence have a lot of queries. Moreover I am new to the automotive field. Going through many literatures I...
  17. A

    Suspension calcluations, spring.

    Hello everyone! I am working on a new project, and my boss asked me to do some calculations with regard to the spring needed for our shock absorber. I will add a few pictures to visualize what I mean. For now, we should not pay attention to the hydraulic components - just the spring...
  18. D

    I wanna make iron suspension or solution

    i want to make this as i ve to give this solution with the oral root to the rats , can anyone help me
  19. N

    How to model a system made by a vehicle suspension and tire?

    Hello everybody, Im trying to model a system made by a suspension and a tire for a vehicle simulator written in c#. I modeled both the suspension and the tire as a spring and a damper. So the model is formed by a spring and a damper in parallel (the suspension) in series with another spring...
  20. S

    Need help with factors affecting suspension bridge failures

    ive read articles and it says that the tacoma suspension bridge failed because of its length and it being too thin so when the wind blew on it it fell. an question i have to answer from school is investigate bridge failures and explain why they failed using physics principles so exactly how...
  21. Femme_physics

    Suspension cable statics calculus problem

    Homework Statement http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/7156/mecx1jpg.jpg Homework Equations http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/6987/equationsr.jpg The Attempt at a Solution I find myself with 2 unknowns, 1 equation. http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/4281/mecx2.jpg
  22. C

    Automotive Dirt Late Model Rear Suspension

    I am trying to do a suspension position analysis on a floating solid axle four bar rear suspension for a dirt late model. I want to find the lateral position of the axle and the fore/aft position of the axle center-lines at each birdcage as a function of left & right rear shock travel...
  23. J

    Automotive Suspension Geometry and Camber Change

    Hi all, The question i have may not be best suited for this forum but i always seem to get sensible answers here! I have not found an answer too this after searching and searching... If my Rear geometry provides better performance in roll than in bump in comparison to my front axle...
  24. M

    Automotive What type of suspension does the Porsche 911 have?

    Hey guys . Does anybody know about the type of car suspension in porsche 911 ? I want to analyse the forces on its suspension , So i have to know that it's active ,semi active or passive suspension ? Can I choose one of them arbitrarily?
  25. M

    Car Suspension: Analysing Forces & Specifications

    car suspension ! hi guys ! I'm analysing the forces on car suspension due to potholes as my project! I need complete data and specifications of a typical type of suspension , such as dimensions,rates od damper and spring , stiffness ratio , moment of interia . On other hand I couldn't find...
  26. V

    Calculating Stiffness of Springs/Suspensions for Inclined Suspension

    Hello guys How can I calculate the following stiffness of the springs/suspensions in the case of inclined suspension (angle between suspension and axle)? I know that the lateral separation of the springs causes them to develop a roll resisting moment proporcional to the difference roll...
  27. L

    Suspension Bridge Parabola Problem

    Please help me. I can't figure out how to solve this problem. The cable of a suspension bridge hangs in the form of a parabola when the load is evenly distributed horizontally. The distance between the two towers is 150m, the points of support of the cable on the towers are 22m above the...
  28. M

    ATV Air Suspension: Is It Suitable?

    Is air suspension suitable for All terrain vehicles?
  29. F

    Finding spring constant, damping constant and Q for suspension of a car

    Homework Statement The suspension of a car (mass= 2000kg) sags a distance of 10cm when the weight of the entire car is placed on it. Also, the amplitude of its oscillations decrease by a factor of 50% over 3 complete oscillations. a) Find the spring constant(k) b) Find the damping constant(b)...
  30. M

    3d modeling of a suspension arm

    Hello, I am trying to model a basic automobile suspension arm in 3 dimensions. The model consists of basically a triangle made up of 3 vectors a, b, and c. Vector a is "ground" and magnitude and direction is known. Magnitudes of vectors b and c are also known. So, I can write the following...
  31. J

    Simulink model of Active Suspension

    Hi, I've created the model for an active suspension, however my suspension working space, body accel and tyre load graphs, I'm not sure if they're correct. If anyone could look at the model and tell me if I have gone wrong, I'd be grateful. Thanks. http://cl.ly/251C3e0y3d0Y1z1j0K1W...
  32. J

    Suspension for Mobile Robotics

    Hi, What methods are used for applying suspension to robotics? I'm designing a surface surveyor, so I want minimal disturbance created by the surface is it travelling. I thought tracks would remove some disturbance rather than 4 single wheels. However I believe these will still receive...
  33. P

    Tension on Suspension Bridge

    So I'm working on assignment dealing with creating a simulation of a bridge made with springs and masses. **THIS IS NOT A HOMEWORK PROBLEM (I just want some explanation)** When I calculate the tension on each of the springs, I find that the springs towards the middle have the least tension on...
  34. S

    System identification: suspension parameters

    I need to estimate the suspension parameters (i.e. spring stiffness, damping coefficient and so on). So I have measured the acceleration at the top and at the base of the suspension during ground excitation. I have used a random excitation. The matter is the problem is nonlinear due to air...
  35. X

    To determine the rigidity modulus of a suspension wire.

    Homework Statement A suspension wire is given and the problem is to find out it's rigidity modulus. Say the wire is of length 'l' and a mass 'm' is suspended with the help of the wire. Homework Equations All i know is Young's modulus or 'Y' is Y=stress\strain The Attempt at a...
  36. S

    Enhance the Comfort of Your Farm Tractor with Seat Suspension | Learn More!

    I'm thinking about farm tractor seat suspension in which there isn't axle suspensions and the unsuspended mass is much higher than the suspendend mass. Can the seat oscillation is lower than tractor one?
  37. D

    Exploring Weightings for Ophthalmic Suspension Testing

    Equipment: Nicomp 380ZLS&S Sub-micron Particle Sizer & Malvern Mastersizer X Material: Ophthalmic Suspension, viscous and opaque When installing these instruments the technician started explaining why the Volume weighting was the most representative measurement...
  38. V

    Automotive Frequency of suspension system of vehicle

    What is the frequency Range with which the suspension systems and damper of 2 wheelers, 4 wheelers and heavy vehicles, vibrate? I would like to have the values for each i.e. frequency of spring suspension and damper separately and also when used in combination. I have attached a excel sheet...
  39. N

    Car Suspension Homework: Find Speed to Avoid Wild Bouncing

    Homework Statement Assume your car’s suspension consists of 4 identical springs (one at each wheel). You notice that to support the mass of the car, each spring is compressed from its equilibrium length by 10 cm. The total “suspended” mass of your car is 1000 kg. a) Determine the spring...
  40. F

    Suspension bridge's tension

    Homework Statement A small massless suspension bridge of length 15.0 m and mass is suspended by two cables as shown below. A truck of mass 2500 kg is parked on the bridge at a distance of 4.0 m from the left cable. What are the tensions in cable 1 and cable 2? Homework Equations...
  41. J

    Analyze Suspension Loads in Double Wishbone Push-Rod Design

    Hello, I have set-up a spreadsheet to analyze the loads in suspension members for a double wishbone suspension with a push-rod. It solves simulataneous equations generated by summing forces and taking moments. Would someone mind talking a look at the spreadsheet with the aim of checking it's...
  42. N

    Vehicle suspension characterization

    Hi, I have a motor home that rocks quite a bit when entering driveways, speed bumps, etc. I've added some mods like Koni shocks & struts, rear http://www.timbren.com/" rubber springs, but was never able to quantify the improvements. Well times have changed! I got a hold of a M52223...
  43. matthyaouw

    What are these thingies on suspension bridge cables?

    Since I know there are a lot of engineer-types in these parts, maybe someone knows what these things are. Ther's a thing clamped high up on to the cable on the right, and every other cable on the bridge but I can't for the life of me work out what they are there for. any insight?
  44. B

    Equations of Motion & Forces of a Motorcycle Suspension

    Spring Mass Damper Solution of a Motorcycle Suspension I am trying to create a model of a motorcycle suspension to figure how road bump forces get transferred to the bike. I have created a free body diagram of the system and also attached a pdf. If you need the original powerpoint in case...
  45. C

    Automotive Suspension: harmonic oscillator system, differential equations

    Homework Statement You are working at a company that designs suspension systems. Some guy from the marketing department asks you to design a shock absorber that "bounces twice", meaning that after the initial bump, the spring should expand, compress, expand again and then gradually settle...
  46. S

    ElectroMagnet Suspension Project

    Does anyone know where i can source ferrous iron (rod or bar) from in the UK? This is for a Third Year university project Approx dimensions: 25mm diameter by 300mm long Thanks In Advance Alex
  47. P

    Oscillations car suspension help

    Homework Statement Four people, each with a mass of 71.7 kg, are in a car with a mass of 1150 kg. An earthquake strikes. The driver manages to pull of the road and stop, as the vertical oscillations of the ground surface make the car bounce up and down on its suspension springs. When the...
  48. E

    Car Suspension, sinusoidal road input

    Homework Statement The question extends more than this but this is where I have difficulty. An uneven road surface is modeled by a sinusoid with amplitude 25mm and the car is driven at 100km/hr. Use the bode plot calculate earlier to obtain and explain the steady state force response when...
  49. V

    Ride Frequency of a Suspension

    How to calculate ride frequency for a vehicle by using Ride rate and Sprung Mass? What are the parameters for right comfort level?
  50. E

    Is my ODE solution correct for car suspension system?

    Homework Statement http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/2193/matlapassig2fig.jpg http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/7126/matlapassig2.jpg Homework Equations My impulse response is entirely different which make me believe that i have messed up my ODE. I have taken the laplace tranform to get it...
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