Printable Version | Subscribe | Add to Favourites
New Topic New Poll New Reply
Author: Subject: Suspension nonsense
Mr Whippy

posted on 2/12/07 at 07:02 PM Reply With Quote
Suspension nonsense

Sigh, reading through the dross on the web about suspension geometry I ask myself does anyone have a clue what their taking about. Take Roll Center, some say it should always be below ground level, others have it almost at the tops of the tyres! Folk on here seem to generally agree that the lower wishbones are level so that’s how high the roll centers ever going to get. There all over the place!

This sucks…






View User's Profile E-Mail User Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
MikeRJ

posted on 2/12/07 at 07:28 PM Reply With Quote
Others will say that the concept of the roll center is worthless...

You could spend years agonising about suspension geometry, but I reckon that unless you are designing some novel suspension for a competition car, then simply follow a proven design.

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
britishtrident

posted on 2/12/07 at 07:48 PM Reply With Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
Sigh, reading through the dross on the web about suspension geometry I ask myself does anyone have a clue what their taking about. Take Roll Center, some say it should always be below ground level, others have it almost at the tops of the tyres! Folk on here seem to generally agree that the lower wishbones are level so that’s how high the roll centers ever going to get. There all over the place!

This sucks…


Roll centre is only one aspect what really matters in the roll axis inclination, and roll couple distribution. However if you get the roll centre too high particular with a short virtual swing axle length you get jacking effects and tuck under --- well known example M151 Jeep , VW Beeetle, Triumph Herald, Mk1 Imp.

Usual position for roll centres on a Seven class car are ground level to about 125mm.
The rear should be slightly higher than the front..





[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Werner Van Loock

posted on 2/12/07 at 07:54 PM Reply With Quote
It's all theory, just like chassis design, wether triangulation, ladder, spaceframe, monocoque, etc...

Put something together with possibility to adjust and try it out.

That's what people call development





http://www.clubstylus.be

View User's Profile E-Mail User Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
watsonpj

posted on 2/12/07 at 08:22 PM Reply With Quote
looks like britishtrident cleared up your confusion Whippy


quote:

Roll centre is only one aspect what really matters in the roll axis inclination, and roll couple distribution. However if you get the roll centre too high particular with a short virtual swing axle length you get jacking effects and tuck under




certainly helped me

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Uphill Racer

posted on 2/12/07 at 10:31 PM Reply With Quote
Personally I wouldnt have the front roll centre where it could move above and below ground.
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Chippy

posted on 2/12/07 at 11:03 PM Reply With Quote
I have designed several cars in the past, from the ground up, and have generaly used roll centres of 3" front and 4" rear. All of the cars have been "sports" type. The one to the left of this post,
<
<
<
is one such, because while it may look "Locost", it's actualy a one of special, based roughly on Locost/Lotus design. Cheers Ray

View User's Profile E-Mail User View All Posts By User U2U Member
Mr Whippy

posted on 3/12/07 at 12:09 AM Reply With Quote
that was helpful, thanks

So really all I should be looking out for is that the wheels should not tuck in when the suspension's under load on one side. I can manage that.

Cheers






View User's Profile E-Mail User Visit User's Homepage View All Posts By User U2U Member
blakep82

posted on 3/12/07 at 12:23 AM Reply With Quote
if you build you suspension, and its not 'ideal', well, i guess you won't really know what you're missing... hope that makes some kind of sense!

most production cars have not got perfect suspension (i forget where i read that) and they have millions of pounds spent on their suspension.





________________________

IVA manual link http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1081997083

don't write OT on a new thread title, you're creating the topic, everything you write is very much ON topic!

View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Uphill Racer

posted on 3/12/07 at 12:30 AM Reply With Quote
Suspension geometry has only one flaw, it moves.
View User's Profile View All Posts By User U2U Member
Delinquent

posted on 3/12/07 at 11:12 AM Reply With Quote
Mr Whippy - if it helps, I've spoken to no less than 4 "professional" suspension designers now about my set up (as in, they are paid to do it for a living by race teams etc), and every one of them has conflicted somewhere. I've just decided to go with my best shot after reading several books (again all of which conflict) and make them "very adjustable" and see what happens!!!

ETA - also look at some of the cars you can buy from showrooms and compare their setups to suggested methods - according to the theory some cars should never make it more than 10ft from the delivery truck...

[Edited on 3/12/07 by Delinquent]

View User's Profile E-Mail User View All Posts By User U2U Member

New Topic New Poll New Reply


go to top






Website design and SEO by Studio Montage

All content © 2001-16 LocostBuilders. Reproduction prohibited
Opinions expressed in public posts are those of the author and do not necessarily represent
the views of other users or any member of the LocostBuilders team.
Running XMB 1.8 Partagium [© 2002 XMB Group] on Apache under CentOS Linux
Founded, built and operated by ChrisW.