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Chassis Stiffness and Compliance: Category: Pat S Corner

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The document discusses chassis stiffness and compliance in Formula Student race cars. It notes that compliance, which refers to flexing and deformation of parts, is often overlooked by teams in their designs. Compliance can lead to issues like changes in camber and toe under load that negatively impact handling. The document recommends that teams consider compliance at the design stage, use high quality components, and ensure proper load paths to minimize unwanted flexing and maintain designed stiffness levels.

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Chassis Stiffness and Compliance: Category: Pat S Corner

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Anon
19 views2 pages
The document discusses chassis stiffness and compliance in Formula Student race cars. It notes that compliance, which refers to flexing and deformation of parts, is often overlooked by teams in their designs. Compliance can lead to issues like changes in camber and toe under load that negatively impact handling. The document recommends that teams consider compliance at the design stage, use high quality components, and ensure proper load paths to minimize unwanted flexing and maintain designed stiffness levels.

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The document discusses chassis stiffness and compliance in Formula Student race cars. It notes that compliance, which refers to flexing and deformation of parts, is often overlooked by teams in their designs. Compliance can lead to issues like changes in camber and toe under load that negatively impact handling. The document recommends that teams consider compliance at the design stage, use high quality components, and ensure proper load paths to minimize unwanted flexing and maintain designed stiffness levels.

Copyright:

© All Rights Reserved
Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Download as pdf or txt
19 views2 pages

Chassis Stiffness and Compliance: Category: Pat S Corner

Uploaded by

Anon
The document discusses chassis stiffness and compliance in Formula Student race cars. It notes that compliance, which refers to flexing and deformation of parts, is often overlooked by teams in their designs. Compliance can lead to issues like changes in camber and toe under load that negatively impact handling. The document recommends that teams consider compliance at the design stage, use high quality components, and ensure proper load paths to minimize unwanted flexing and maintain designed stiffness levels.

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© All Rights Reserved
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9/25/2016

FormulaStudentGermany:ChassisStiffnessandCompliance

02December201007:43

ChassisStiffnessandCompliance
Category:PatsCorner

InarecentemailexchangewithmyfellowChiefDesignJudgeSteveFox,thesubjectofcompliance
cameup.StevewrotethefollowingcommentanditpromptedthislatestTechColumn.

Complianceissomethingthat
TheirCADscan'tpredict.
Theydon'tthinkaboutbecauseitissosimple.(Theyarealwaysoverthinkingthings)
Sneaksuponthembecausemostofthemdonothaveexperiencewithaccumulatedtolerances(stackupofaccumulatedtolerances).
Isstupidlyeasytocheckfor(simplephotoanalysis,withreferencelinesdrawnonthepaper)
IsdifficulttodetectwithevenasophisticatedDAsystem.
Biteseverycompetitortosomedegreeoranother.(SomeinaBIGway!)
AtFSGinAugust,weaskedattheDesignReviewAdventureWheredotheloadsgo?Thefollowingdiscussionwasaboutloadpathsandforce
dissipationintothechassis.This,ofcourse,ledtotheinevitablediscussionofcompliance.
ThequestionthenaskedwasHowstiffdoesthechassisneedtobe?WhenDrAndyDeakinwasatLeedsUniversitysometimeinthelastcentury
(sorryAndy)heauthoredanSAEpaperonthisverysubject(2000013554),apaperwhichshouldberequiredstudyforanyonereadingthis.Iamnot
goingtomakeiteasyforyoubyincludingasynopsishere,readtheoriginalpaper.Whileyouaresourcingthepaper,thereareseveralmorewitha
similarsubject.
Whathappenssooftenis,ateamattendtheFSGcompetitionandwhenaskedaboutchassisstiffness,theyquoteaFEAfiguretothejudges.
Withoutanyverificationthisisprettyuseless.Thechassisstructuremaywellreachthedesignstiffnessgoals,butinthereallife,compliancein
suspensionmountingsetc.,meansthetotalstructureisfarlessstiffthantheintendeddesign.
DesignJudgeswillaskaboutchassisstiffnessortorsionalrigidityandthenaboutsomethingcalledinstalledstiffness.Thefirstisthecalculated
and/ormeasuredstiffnessofthestructurealone.Thesecondisthestiffnessmeasuredatthehubfaces.Thisisalwaysconsiderablylessbecauseof
complianceinthesuspensionmountsandlinkages,thehubcarriersandhubsplusclearancesinthewheelbearingsandsuspensionspherical
bearings.Incorrectlyusedrodendswillcontributetothiscompliance.
Onefactornottakenintoaccountwhenmeasuringinstalledstiffnessisthecomplianceintheroadwheels!Ihavehadadesignertellmecategorically
thatitwasimpossibleforhiscartoputaloadedwheelintopositivecamber,evenwhenfacedwithphotographicevidence.Hisdesigndidnotpermit
positivecamber,howeverthecomplianceinthewheelassemblydid.
AnotherareaoflossofstiffnessiswhatIcallclearancestacking.Thisisparticularlynoticeableinsteeringandsuspensionmechanismswherea
numberofcomponentsrequiringworkingclearanceareusedinseries.Theseclearancesalladdtogetherandtheendresultislostmotion,lossof
accuratecontrolofthemechanismandplainoldslop.Asthemechanismsettlesinwithuse,thisslopgetsworse.
Agoodexampleisatypicalsteeringsystem.Teamsarerequiredtouseaquickremovalsteeringwheelhub.Evenwhennew,thereisclearanceinthis
mechanism.Thesplinedmechanismsaremuchbetterthanthehexagonalunitsinthisregard.Thereisthenone(typical)oreventwouniversaljointsin
thecolumn,orwiththeadventofthefootwelltemplate,abevelgearset.Thesemechanismshavetheirowntolerances,whichloosensupwithuse.
Addtothisclearancebetweenthepinionandtherack,clearancebetweentherackandthehousingandthenclearancesinthefourrodendsusedon
thetierids.Alltheseclearancesadduptosignificantlostmotionevenwhenthecomponentsarenew.Forthisreasonteamsshouldinvestinthebest
qualitycomponentstheycanafford.
Thejudgeswillalwayscheckforcompliancesteerintherearsuspensionofacar.Typicallycarsaresetstaticallywithabout3mmofreartoein,but
complianceandclearancestackinginthecomponentscanoftenseetoevariationsof20mmormore!Thiswillresultinadynamicrearsteersituation
includingasignificantamountoftoeout.Theresultisaslowcarthatisverydifficulttocontrol.
Complianceandclearancestackingwillalsoaffectcamber.Thiswillgopositiveundersideloadstothedetrimentofgripandtyrelife.Reartoeout
alliedwithpositivecambermakesforanuncontrollablecar!
Theusualcauseofrearcompliancesteerisalackofsuitabletoebase.Complianceandclearancestackingshouldbeconsideredatthedesignstage.
Usually,computerprogramswillnottakeintoaccountclearancesandstructuresareconsideredinfinitelystifforrigid.However,inthewordsofthat
wiseoldman,SirHenryRoyce(ofRollsRoycefame),Everythingismadeofrubber!

https://www.formulastudent.de/academy/patscorner/advicedetails/article/chassisstiffnessandcompliance/

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9/25/2016

FormulaStudentGermany:ChassisStiffnessandCompliance

Structuralcomplianceoftensneaksintoatubularstructurewhendifferenttypesordiametersoftubearejoined.Thiscanbeseenintheillustrations.If
suchajoinisnecessary,thedesignershouldlookcarefullyatthegeometryofthejointoruseadoublerorstiffeningweb.
Boltedorrivetedjointsareasourceofcomplianceifnotengineeredcorrectly.Repeatedly,thejudgesseestructures,typicallyrear
torqueboxes,boltedtogetherwithallencapscrewsscreweddirectlyintoaluminiumandwithoutawasherunderthehead.Apartfrom
thesmallareaundertheheadofanallenbolt,thereisaradiusbetweentheshankandthehead,partofthemanufacturingprocess.
Thesetwoissuescausetheboltheadtoworkintothealuminiumcausingthestructuretocomelooseandflex.Animportantpartof
designisthechoiceandutilisationofthecorrectfasteners.
Onmonocoquechassis,acommonsolutionistofeedloadsintoapointonaflatpanel.Invariably,thiswillpanttosomedegreeor
anotherunderload.Ihavewritteninapreviouscolumnabouttheimportanceofloadpaths.Iftheloadisfedappropriatelyintoa
monocoqueskin,thenthereshouldnotbeanyseriousproblems.Yetweregularlyseepanelsloadedperpendicularly.Ifeelthisisnotbecausethe
designerdoesnotunderstandhowtoreacttheforce,butbecausethedesignercannotvisualisethevectoroftheforces.
Ihavementionedcomplianceinsuspensioncomponentsandmountscausingunwantedvariationsincamberandtoe.Ontubularchassis,suspension
mountclevisesareoftenmountedtoasheetsteelbracketweldedtothechassis.Thismaybean
easywaytomountsuspensionandpermitseasyshimmingforcamberadjustment,however,the
chassisstiffness/complianceisreducedtothatofthebracket.

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