DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SUSPENSIONS

OF ALL TERRAIN VEHICLE

Ravindra Deshmukh
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
R&D Centre Nasik.
 ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE

WHAT ARE THE DEMANDS FROM

•STRUCTURE
•SUSPENSION SYSTEM
•STIFFNESS- DESIGN FOR MAXIMUM
TORSIONAL STIFFNESS AND LEAST
WEIGHT.

•PROVIDE LARGE SUSPENSION

TRAVELS

•PROVIDE SUFFICIENT GROUND

CLEARANCE

•USE MAXIMUM TRACK POSSIBLE.

•DESIGN TO PROVIDE TYPICAL

TUNABLE FEATURES.
ROLL CAGE STIFFNESS

HOW TO EVALUATE.
•HOLD REAR SHOCK ABSORBER
POINTS .
• APPLY TORQUE AT THE FRONT
SHOCK ABSORBER ATTACHMENTS.
•MEASURE DEFLECTIONS AND
CALCULATE TORSIONAL STIFFNESS.

DESIGN STIFF JOINERIES AT JUNCTIONS

DESIGN STIFF ATTACHMENT POINTS

USE MAXIMUM TRACK POSSIBLE

KEEP GROUND CLEARANCE MORE

THAN 200 MM

PLACE WHEELS AT FARTHEST

CORNERS.

PLACE AGGREGATES LIKE FUEL

TANK , POWERTRAIN AS LOW AS
POSSIBLE.
PREFERRED SUSPENSION
TYPES

•EQUAL/UNEQUAL LENGTH
WISHBONES
•MACPHERSONS STRUT/
SEMISTRUTS

WHAT IS MY CHOICE
• EQUAL ARM DOUBLE WISHBONE BOTH FRONT AND REAR.

•LARGER SUSPENSION TRAVELS POSSIBLE.

•ADJUSTABLE ROLL CENTRE HEIGHTS
•CONTROL OVER CAMBER CHANGE RATE
•CONTROL OVER RIDE AND ROLL STEERS
 WHAT SHOULD BE TUNABLE FEATURES IN
THE DESIGN.

•WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION.
DESIGN MOUNTINGS SUCH THAT SOME
EXTEND OF ADJUSTMENT IS POSSIBLE.

•SUSPENSION
•RIDE HT / SUSPENSION TRAVEL
•BODY ATTITUDE
•WHEEL LOADS/ SPRINGS
•DAMPERS
•STATIC SETTINGS OF WHEEL ALIGNMENT
GEOMETRY
•ROLL CENTRE HT FRONT AND REAR
•SWING ARM LENGTH
•HEIGHT OF STEERING RACK.
 ROLL CENTRE HEIGHT

ESTIMATE IT ON DRAWING

• IT SIGNIFIES THE COUPLING BETWEEN

UNSPRUNG AND SPRUNG MASS.

•IT CAN CHANGE THE ROLL STIFFNESS

OF THE VEHICLE
BUMP STEER
•AFFECTS STEERING FEEL AND
UNDERSTEER/OVERSTEER

MEASURE BY TEST.
CAN BE MODIFIED BY
CHANGING THE HT OF THE
STEERING RACK.
DESIGN FOR TOE OUT IN
FRONT AND TOE IN IN REAR.
SET AND TEST .THERE IS NO
THUMB RULE.
DESIGN OF SUSPENSION COMPONENTS

WISHBONES
KEEP CALCULATIONS SIMPLE.
DRAW FREE BODY DIAGRAMS FOR
LOADS ON WISHBONES.
DESIGN FOR STIFFNESS. STRENGTH
FOLLOWS.
CREATE CLEAN DRAWINGS
/SKETCHES FOR FABRICATION. KEEP
SHAPES SIMPLE.
CALCULATE STRESSES FOR SINGLE
EVENTS LIKE 5G IMPACTS AND KEEP
BELOW Y S
DESIGN OF SUSPENSION COMPONENTS

WISHBONES PIVOTS

•USE RUBBER BUSHINGS / OR SOLID

BUSHINGS
•ENSURE WISHBONE MOVE FREELY
AND DO NOT RUB AGAINST
ATTACHMENT BRACKETRY.
•RUBBER BUSHINGS IF READILY
AVAILABLE ARE PREFERRED . CAN
WORK AROUND THE COMPLIANCES
DURING TUNING.
 DESIGN OF SUSPENSION COMPONENTS
COIL SPRINGS/ SHOCKS
•COIL SPRING OVER SHOCK DESIGNS
ARE EASY FOR TUNING. USE
SCREWED TYPE SPRING SEATS ON
SHOCKS
•CHECK THAT COIL SPRING DOES
NOT BECOME SOLID AT COMPLETE
BUMP TRAVEL.
•CHOOSE SHOCK ABSORBER
LENGTHS SO THAT THEY DO NOT
BOTTOM OUT AT FULL JOUNCE
TRAVEL.
•IF AVAILABLE TRY USING DIFFERENT
DAMPING VALUES DURING TUNING. USE BALL JOINTS AT UPRIGHTS
•REMEMBER YOU ARE MAKING A . ALLOW MORE ARTICULATION
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE.
 ONE LAST WORD

•FIGURING A SUSPENION OF A CAR IS

ALMOST ENTIRELY A MATTER OF MAKING
USEFUL APPROXIMATIONS.
•IT IS NOT A EXACT SCIENCE
•BUT NEITHER IS IT A BLIND APPLICATION
OF RULE OF THUMBS

My e-mail address
deshmukh.ravi @ mahindra.com