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. N

    Apparent Suspension of Gravity

    Look carefully. Of course, the box isn't floating, but it's only barely supported. Is there anything more than just the friction of the box against the shelf that's keeping it from falling? This was my first impression, but despite the lightness of the box I have the feeling I'm missing...
  2. N

    Cable to be used for the suspension bridge

    Homework Statement The cable to be used for the suspension bridge can safely support a tension of 40 MN.  Calculate the shortest length of the cable that can be used to construct the bridge.  Calculate the corresponding value of h. (Neglect the issue of safety factor). L = 72...
  3. T

    Elastic materials for suspension components

    Is anyone familiar with materials which possesses a high tensile strength, but also a low young's modulus (high compliance)? I'm interested in a material which can support large deflections, while offering minimal resistance to it. Also, I'm specifically not interested in non-linear materials...
  4. Ranger Mike

    Automotive Race car suspension Class

    references _ Paved Track Stock Car Technology by Steve Smith Tune to Win by Carroll Smith Software - Suspension Analyzer by Performance Trends In order to understand the complexity of a Formula Cars suspension, a basic knowledge of the stock car suspension should first be mastered. When...
  5. H

    History Is Bicycle Suspension Really Necessary?

    Hey Guys, I'm doing a research project on the bicycle suspension. I would like to include a brief history of the suspension in my report. I am having trouble finding when bicycle suspension was first introduced, and what sort of systems were originally used, who patented it etc. Any help or...
  6. N

    Car Suspension Manufacturing & Metals: Benefits & Drawbacks

    Im having trouble finding information on google about how car suspensions are manufactured and what type of metals are used. I am curious in understanding what the benefits and drawbacks are to using different metals. For example how certain metals will react when they are under compression. Are...
  7. K

    Mechanical vibration-car suspension system over series of hills

    I have a final exam in a mechanical vibrations course this week and I know what one of the problems might be like. It consists of a spring/mass/damper system (like a car supsension) that travels over a series of hills in a sinusoidal pattern. The car suspension has a unique coordinate system (Y)...
  8. K

    Understanding Car Suspension Equations

    Hi Im trying to revise up on half suspension systems and I found this useful link. Their are 4 equations but I was wondering if someone could explain the equations for me (as it just tells you what they are without giving any understanding) especially equation 1...
  9. B

    Dynamic Suspension Emergency

    Hi all, (see the attached images) working on a dynamics project about the suspension system in a bike, we have been given a 4 bar linkage - dynamic system, and I am trying to find the velocity of POINT C and POINT F, but given in terms of the angular velocity of bar AB in the STATIC...
  10. F

    Grider suspension trajectory

    hello all I am in the midst of designing a motorcycle that I will be building. one of the things I would like to do is use a girder style front suspension with unequal length links. I am attempting to design it to have minimal variance in rake and trail, with trail being my chief concern...
  11. P

    Silica suspension for protective application

    halo i've 1 project for my thesis. its about polymer dispersion in the protective application... i've 2 option of material 1. PMMA+ PEG 2. CATALLOID SILICA + PEG u guys thinks which one is better... i need some opinions from u guys... anyway i from malaysia
  12. F

    Solving Mass Suspension with Spring Constant k & External Force F

    Question: A mass of 2kg is suspended from a spring with spring constant k = 4N/m and natural length L = 2m. The mass is also subject to an external downwards force F = 2sin(2t) Newtons. Initially the mass is released at a height 50cm above the equilibrium position. Assume the mass is subject to...
  13. S

    Suspension - undercarriage, hydraulics (diagonally springs)

    Homework Statement The problem is that I can't find how am I suppose to calculate the suspension - vibrations on the arm of a car (simple beam) that connects the chassis with the wheel, when I have a hydraulic pipe connecting the arm with the chassis. I consider, in a free body diagram, the...
  14. K

    How Does Car Suspension Impact Vehicle Dynamics Over Humps?

    In practice, the suspension system of a car consists of a spring under compression combined with a shock absorber which damps the vertical oscillations of the car. Draw sketch graphs, one in each case, to illustrate how the vertical height of the car above the road will vary with time after...
  15. E

    Suspension Bridges: What is the Shape Called?

    What is the name for the shape that the suspensions on a suspension bridge make? I think it is something like canary?
  16. D

    Magnetic levitation and suspension

    I was watching a video on youtube which showed how superconductors worked in magnetic levitation, and something struck me, the effect of magnetic levitation and suspension, where the magnet is both attracting and repelling at the same time thus keeping the superconductor at the same distance...
  17. A

    Truss and Suspension bridge.

    How will I calculate the forces involved in a truss and suspension bridge, my teacher did not explain this fully and I'm confused as hell.
  18. N

    Help with physics of carbon fiber guitar case suspension system

    I'm developing a range of carbon fiber cases for guitars, violins and laptops. The cases have a suspension system of high density closed cell foam pads which hold the instrument where it is strongest eg base of the body, where the neck joins the body. It has been suggested that it would be...
  19. S

    Problem on Suspension of Cars

    Hi The question is In practice the suspension system of cars consists of a spring under compression combined with a shock absorber.which damps the vertical oscillations of the car . Drwa sketch graphs one in each case to illustrate how the vertical height of the car above the road will...
  20. H

    Force constant of rear suspension of car

    Can anyone help with the formula set ups for this ? A 110 kg box is loaded into the trunk of a car. If the height of the car's bumper decreases by 13 cm, what is the force constant of the rear suspension ?
  21. Ivan Seeking

    Automotive Automotive suspension systems: Curves

    If you wish to negotiate a curve while traveling at high speed, the largest radius should be followed through the curve in order to minimize the lateral forces acting on the car. However, in practice it doesn't really work this way. I have long noted that the car can actually be more stable...
  22. Ivan Seeking

    The Amazing Spider Web: A Fifteen Foot Long Suspension Bridge

    Lately I have seen a number of spider webs [really, it looks like a single strand] running horizontally from one tree to the next. This morning I saw one over fifteen feet long, nearly perfectly level, and suspended abouty eight feet above the ground. How does a spider span the fifteen feet from...
  23. P

    Neumatics, Pumps, and suspension.

    Hello.. I am attempting to create a "lever arm" to lift things up... Using 1 or 2 Servos. How can I achieve it with Neumatics, Pumps, and/or suspension? Are they better than Gear Trains? The objects are some bottles and things around 2 lbs. Thanks
  24. G

    Calculating Max Force on Suspension System over Triangular Speed Bump

    Wonder if anyone can help? I need to find out the maximum force experienced by a suspension system when it is traveling over a triangular speed bump. I am doing a set of experiments on a suspension test rig and I would like to know the extremes of suspension forces. The inital speed is...
  25. B

    Suspension cable exerts no net horizontal force on the towers?

    I've been trying to solve the following statics problem dealing with suspension bridges: Let d1=span length from tower to shore, let d2=mid-bridge span length (tower to tower). The main cable makes an angle of 24 degrees below horizontal to the top of the support tower on the d2 side and 30...
  26. D

    What is the force constant of its rear suspension

    Problem- A 110-kg box is loaded into the trunck of a car. If the higher of the car's bumber decreases by 13cm, what is the force constant of its rear suspension? answer- i know the formula is Fx= -k(x) since Fx= 110 x 9.81 (110 x 9.81)/.13 =kN/m i get = 8300.77 but the answer in the...
  27. R

    Solving 4-Link Suspension Angles Without Knowing "Crap"

    I want to do some math for 4-link suspension, and I soon realized I don't know crap. Say I take measurements of the lengths of the four connecting rods and one angle measurement. How do I find the values of the other three angles?
  28. M

    CAD Design of Paralever Suspension for BMW Bikes

    I'm looking for some cad design of Paralever Suspension of BMW bikes. Some could help me? TKS :confused:
  29. F

    Suspension Options for Light Vehicle: Help for Building Off-Road Vehicle

    Can anyone help me? I want to make a light vehicle (4 wheel, steering column not quad-type) capable of going on and off-road. I am confused. Quad bike people are getting excited because apparently they have only just heard of independent suspension, it being the big new 'feature' that is...
  30. R

    What is the Spring Constant and Angular Frequency of a Car's Suspension?

    Ok, here is the problem: A 1200 kg car carrying four 82 kg people travels over a rough "washboard" dirt road with corrugations 4.0 m apart which causes the car to bounce on its spring suspension. The car bounces with maximum amplitude when its speed is 15 km/h. The car now stops, and the four...
  31. M

    Physics of an automobile, suspension, and weight transfer?

    The application is drag racing in a rear wheel drive vehicle. The vehicle weighs approximately 3000lbs. Traction is not an issue as both vehicles grab the ground perfectly. The front and rear is suspended by a shock and spring in each corner. All else is equal unless otherwise stated...
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