SYSTEM OPERATION

Basic Operation of Double Wishbone Suspension

Basic Diagram of Double Wishbone Suspension

1. The larger circular hole to the right side is the location for the wheel to be mounted. This uses a cylindrical thrust bearing that allows the wheel to rotate about the Y axis. Bearings in general use lubricated or roller surfaces combined with certain geometries designed to allow movements or rotations in certain directions and restrict movement or rotations in other directions.

2. The wishbones (simple rigid beams) are connected to the wheel mount with ball joint bearings. The ball joint bearings allow limited rotation about all three axes.  This allows the wheels of the car to turn when given steering input.

3. The chassis of the car is connected to the suspension system at the four points at the ends of the two wishbones. This connection uses cylindrical thrust bearings to allow rotation about the X axis only.

4. The smaller arm that is connected to the wheel mount is the steering arm. This connects to the steering system of the car and is used to rotate the wheel mount about the Z axis which then steers the wheels.

5. The spring (red) and the damper (black cylinder underneath the red spring) are combined into one compact unit.  These two elements are neither bearings nor rigid beams and can only be examined using a dynamic model of a spring-mass-damper system which is explained on the next page.

Front-view Double Wishbone Suspension