MACTRON VEHICLE SUSPENSION

Hybrid vehicle Suspension

2015

CONTENTS: Introduction
Double wishbone suspension system
TEAM SUSPENSION Material selection for wishbones

Roll center determination

Designing of Spring

VIVEK KUMAR
CHANDRASKHER SAHU
SUMIT CHOUBEY
PREM ABHISHEK MAHATO

Calculation

Bump steer and roll steer graphs.

Figuring the suspension of a car is almost a matter of making

useful approximation. It is not an exact science. But neither is it a
blind application of rule of thumb applications..

Introduction:

-Maurice
oilly
Suspension is required to provide good ride and
handling
performance ensuring that the wheels follow the road
profile very little tire load fluctuation, to ensure that
steering control is maintained during maneuvering
,wheels to be maintained in the proper position with the
road surface, to ensure that the vehicle responds
favorably to control forces produced by the tires during
longitudinal braking accelerating forces lateral
cornering forces and braking and accelerating torques
this requires the suspension geometry to be designed to
resist squat, dive and roll of the vehicle body & to provide
isolation from high frequency vibration from tire.
Page
1

Hybrid vehicle Suspension

2015

The design of suspension system for Hybrid vehicle is

done taking into consideration roll center adjustability,
ease in wheel alignment and to provide comfortable and
controlled vehicle handling. After analyzing various
suspension types we have decided to use double
wishbone suspension system.

Double wishbone suspension

Double wishbone suspension is much more rigid and
stable as compared to any other suspension system
which would help us in getting in good steering ability
and constant wheel alignment under high stress and
cornering. It will help to get negative camber which is
required to maintain large contact patch with the road.

Page
2

Hybrid vehicle Suspension

2015

Advantages:
Increase negative camber
Relatively easy to tune suspension.
Helps to maintain large contact patch with the road.
Workout against heavy loads.
Material selection for wishbones
Material consideration for the wishbone becomes the
most primary need for design and fabrication. The
strength of the material should be well enough to
withstand all the loads acting on it in dynamic conditions.
The material selection also depends on number of factors
such as carbon content, material properties, availability
and the most important parameter is the cost.
Initially, three materials are considered based on their
availability in the market- AISI 1018, AISI 1040 and AISI
4130. After evaluating various factors we have decided to
use AISI 1018 .The main criteria were to have better
material strength and lower weight along with optimum
cost of the material.

Page
3

Hybrid vehicle Suspension

Upper control
arm

2015

Lower control arm

Roll center Determination: Roll center determination is

done taking into consideration C.G. height and to reduce
jacking force while cornering. Roll center is kept at a
height so that moment couple form should be minimum.
Roll center
front
1.6 inch

Roll center Rear

2.6 inch

Front roll center

determination

Rear roll center

determination

Design of spring: A spring is an elastic object used to

store mechanical energy. Springs are usually made out of
spring steel. When a spring is compressed or stretched,
the force it exerts is proportional to its change in length.
The rate or spring constant of a spring is the change in
Page
4

Hybrid vehicle Suspension

2015

the force it exerts, divided by the change in deflection of

the spring.

Design consideration in spring:

Sprung mass= 200kg
Unsprung mass= 80kg
Motion ratio= 0.6

Parameter
Shear
Stress(N/mm2)
Maximum
force
(Sprung
Weight)(N)
Spring Index
Free
Length(mm)

value
450
200

7
170

Calculation for Spring Rate:k= Gd4 8D3N (1)

Page
5

Hybrid vehicle Suspension

Where
For Front spring,
G=81370 N/mm2
d=6mm
D=42mm
N= no. of turns in springs=9
K (For front) = 81370*(6)4 (8*3.14*(42)*9)
On solving, K= 19.76N/mm
For Rear spring
d=9mm
D=63mm
N=8
Putting above value in (1)
K (for rear spring) = 33.36N/mm

Rear spring

Front Spring

Calculation for Ride Rate and Ride frequency

Weight distribution in static condition= 45:55
Sprung mass:Front=86 kg
Rare=114kg
Stiffness of tire=275 N/mm2
Page
6

2015

Hybrid vehicle Suspension

Ride Rate (kr) =KS*Kt/ (Ks+Kt) (2)

Ride rate for Front
Kt=Tyre rate=275 N/mm
Ks= 19.76 N/mm
On putting the value in (2)
kr = 18.43 N/mm
Ride rate for Rear
Kt=Tyre rate=275 N/mm
Ks = 33.36 N/mm
On putting in (2)
kr = 29.75 N/mm
Calculation for Ride Frequency
Ride frequency =1/2 (kr/m) 1/2 (3)
Where,
kr = Ride rate
m=corner sprung mass
Front Ride Frequency
m = sprung mass for front= 86kg.
Kr = 18.43 N/mm
On putting value in (3)
Ride frequency for front= 2.33 Hz
Rear Ride Frequency
m = Sprung mass for rear= 114 kg.
Kr = 29.75 N/mm
Page
7

2015

Hybrid vehicle Suspension

2015

On putting value in (3)

Ride Frequency for rear= 2.57Hz

Calculation for Roll rate

K=0.5kst2 . (4)
Where
Ks=spring rate
t=track width
Front Roll rate:
ks = 19.76 N/mm
t= Front track width= 51 inches.
On putting the values in (4)
K (for front) = 16068.5 N-m/rad
Rear Roll rate:
ks = 33.36 N/mm
t = rear track width= 53 inches
On putting values in (4)
K (for rear) = 29284 N-m/rad

Calculation for Roll gradient

Roll gradient =wh (K (front +rare)-wh). (5)
Where,
K (for front) = 16068.5 N-m/rad
Page
8

Hybrid vehicle Suspension

K (for rear) = 29284 N-m/rad

w = total weight of vehicle
h= distance of roll axis from CG
h= 0.246m
On putting above values in (5)
Roll gradient= 0.88 deg/g

Parameter
Roll
Centre(inch))
Number of Turn
Spring
Rate(N/mm)
Maximum
Deflection at
Braking(mm)
Maximum
Deflection at
acceleration(m
m)
Ride
Rate(N/mm)
Ride
Frequency(Hert
z)
Roll rate(k)(Nm/rad)
Roll

Front
1.6

Rear
2.6

9
19.76

8
33.36

43.76

16.45

16.8

35

18.43

29.75

2.33

2.57

16068.5

29284

0.88
Page
9

2015

Hybrid vehicle Suspension

2015

Gradient(degre
e/g)

Bump steer:Bump steer is the term for the tendency of the wheel of
a car to steer as it moves upwards. It is typically
measured in degrees of steer per meter of upwards
motion or degrees per foot.
Typical values are from two to ten degrees per meter, for
the front wheels.
Excessive bump steer increases tire wear and makes the
vehicle more difficult to handle on rough roads.
The linearity of the bump steer curve is important. If it is
not straight then the length of the tie rod needs to be
adjusted.
Bump steer can be made more toe out in bounce by
lifting the rack or dropping the outer tie rod, if the rack is
in front of the axle. The reverse applies if the rack is
behind the axle. Usually only small adjustments (say
3mm) are required.

Page
10

Hybrid vehicle Suspension

Page
11

2015