International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 07 Issue: 12 | Dec 2020 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

Design & Analysis of Suspension System for a Formula Student Vehicle

Asad Ahmad1, Md. Hassaan2, Fardeen Nayeem3, Mansha Alam4
1-4Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Technology , Jamia Miliia Islamia ,
New Delhi, India
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Abstract - The objective of presented work is to layout the
optimum methodologies to design an efficient Suspension
system of a formula student vehicle. This report is final output
of the suspension design and analysis presentation at Formula
Bharat Competition 2020. Entire work was performed under
Formula Bharat rulebook restrictions and guidelines for an
efficient vehicle buildup accompanying optimum speed
considering excellent ride comfort. The paper enlists various
methodologies adopted for design and analysis of suspension
system which includes control arms, pushrod, bell crank,
damper springs and knuckle. LOTUS software was used for Figure 1: CAD model of Complete vehicle
static and dynamic analysis of suspension assembly
considering various geometrical attributes such as Roll center, 2. DESIGN METHODOLOGY
Wheel travel and various wheel alignment angles such as
Camber, caster and toe angles. The 3D modeling of the system For the competition we used pushrod suspension system due
assembly was performed on SolidWorks whereas the analysis to its high structural strength and its ease of track tuning.
was carried on both Autodesk Fusion 360 & ANSYS workbench.
The main requirements for the suspension system are:
Key Words: Double Wishbone pushrod system, Bell
Crank, Suspension Damper & Spring, LOTUS software,  It should have a minimum travel of 25 mm in both jounce
ANSYS simulation software, Knuckle & Hub and travel.

1. INTRODUCTION  The system must be responsive and also stable enough to

give best performance in cornering and straight line.
The purpose of the car’s suspension is to keep all four wheels
in optimal contact with the ground under any and all  The system should be such that it should help maintain
conditions. A well-designed suspension must handle bumps maximum tire contact patch for better friction.
and uneven surfaces as well as dynamic cornering, braking,
and acceleration. The FSAE car is a racecar purpose built for  It must be structurally strong but also lightweight to
a prepared track, so performance and handling will be maintain low unsprung mass.
prioritized over smoothness and suspension travel. It is
generally a system of shocks (dampers), springs, uprights Following above assumptions after multiple iterations over
and arms that altogether keep a vehicle suspended above LOTUS software the various basic parameters were decided
ground on its wheels. The major component involved in the & discussed upon and finally confirmed at requisite values:-
system includes damper & springs, wishbones,
1. WheelBase : 1727 mm
knuckle/upright and wheels. A Double wishbone Pushrod
actuated suspension design was primarily used because of 2. Front Track-width: 1300 mm
the aerodynamic and adjustability advantages it gives. They
consist of an inboard mounted spring a push rod and a bell 3. Rear Track-width: 1300 mm
crank assembly. The main requirement here is a structure
that will absorb the energy and transfer it to the frame 4. Camber Angle : -1.50 in front and -10 in rear
without disturbing the whole system. The study of the forces
at work acting on a moving car is called vehicle dynamics, 5. Caster Angle: 60 (front) & -60 (rear)
and the concepts required for designing suspension system
are clearly encapsulated further. 6. Toe Angle: 0.30 in front and -0.30 in rear

7. Kingpin Inclination: 2.50 in front and 20 in rear

8. Total Mass of Vehicle(with driver):310 kg

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9. Sprung weight: 210 kg centre, imply a vertical deflection. If the roll centre passes
through the ground level when the car is rolling there will be
10. Weight distribution : 45:55 (front: rear) a change in the movement direction of the sprung mass.
2.1 BASIC GEOMETRICAL SETUP

The process of assembly designing was initiated with at first

geometrical parameter such as Roll Centre and Roll Height
setup followed by proper Wheel alignment angles and
plotting its graphical analysis.

The initial setup affixed with some parameters:

Geometrical setup to get Roll center

Decision:

Roll centre Height of Front suspension was kept 22mm and

of Rear Suspension as 58mm. Rear Roll Centre Height is kept
more to keep our car aerodynamically stable at High speed
also. The graphical comparison with camber angles were
plotted as :-

The Right Wheel Camber was adjusted to approx. -1.50 as

stated already before with requisite values of Roll Angle, Roll
center so as to stabilize the camber value.

Some geometrical attributes related to camber procure

certain plots as:-

Roll Centre vs Right Camber

Kingpin Inclination: As stated above the KPI was setup to

2.50 in front and 20 in rear the requisite scrub radius was
further calculated and plotted alongside Roll angle variations
under dynamical aspect of vehicle. The graph is observed for
both bump and droop conditions which is on left and right
side plot respectively.
Right Camber vs Roll Angle Left Camber vs Roll Angle

Roll Center adjustments: The roll centre positions of your

front and rear suspension geometry are key features
affecting the lateral load transfer rates of your front and rear
axles. Their position and difference in height front to rear
can be used to tune the roll stiffness distribution of your car
in a similar way that you would adjust the stiffness of your
front and rear roll bars to tune understeer and oversteer.

If the roll centre is located above the ground the lateral force 2.3 SUSPENSION COMPONENTS DESIGN
generated by the tire generates a moment about the instant
centre, which pushes the wheel down and lifts the sprung The initial iteration of wheel alignment and geometrical
mass. This effect is called Jacking. If the roll centre is below setup ascertain certain suspension hard points both in
the ground level the force will push the sprung mass down. chassis and knuckle for different parts accommodation in
The lateral force will, regarding the position of the roll

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Volume: 07 Issue: 12 | Dec 2020 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

between such as control arms, bell crank, pushrod and reaction forces to both axle rear spring end supports. After
coilover (dampers) in an aesthetic manner. proper dimensioning and load calculations the CAD model of
bell crank was setup.

Geometrical setup of suspension parts

Material Selected for suspension components: Front Bell Crank Rear Bell Crank
The material selected for suspension design components The well dimensioned CAD model of Bell Crank is depicted
including A-arm and other mountings & platforms for the here which outlines its geometrical structure.
vehicle was AISI 4130 Mild Steel which embodies a good
range of supportive features to be ideal for a Vehicle system. Knuckle & Hub: Knuckle is the non-rotating part in the
wheel assembly. The stub axle is welded on the knuckle. Any
Suspension Control Arms: A-Arms or Control Arms design change in the shape of knuckle can lead to the change in the
started with CAD geometry drawing using suspension suspension geometry. The rear hubs were designed in
compartments and considering track width, wheelbase and parallel with the front hubs, since they are the main interface
other similar parameters. Selection of material for A-Arm between the suspension and the tire. In order to simplify
was done as per Material availability and Machining cost. manufacturing, the rear hubs were created identical to the
front hubs, with the exception of the wheel bearing preload
The CAD model of control arms with its other sections is hardware and the addition of a torque transmission method.
depicted as:- However, the hub is completely encased in this region by the
wheel bearing which is Angular contact roller bearing, so no
yielding should occur.

Figure 4: Front and Rear Knuckle

Figure 3: Lower and Upper Control Arms

Bell Crank: A bell crank sometimes depicted as rocker arm

aids in transferring bump and droop motion during vehicle
translation from wheels via pushrod to suspension dampers
in order to ascertain healthy ride comfort. To overcome the
unequal load distribution which occurs with the reactive
balance beam suspension when either driving or braking, a
non-reactive bell crank lever and rod linkage has been Figure 5: CAD model of Wheel HUB
developed which automatically feeds similar directional

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Assembly: Firstly the knuckle is taken. The bearing is press

Kr
fitted on the knuckle. Then the spacer between the knuckle rf  where Kr is ride rate & w1 is sprung wt.-1wheel
and hub is press fitted on the bearing in order to w1
accommodate with tire. After wards the inner race of the
bearing is press fitted on the hub. The knuckle is taken and Assuming ride frequency (ѡrf) of 2.5 Hz as in the case of
the outer race of the bearing is press fitted in the knuckle. most FSAE sport vehicles and using weight as 47.25 kg as
sprung mass over 1 wheel at front:
Bearings: The bearing installed with the above system was
an Angular contact roller bearing with the purpose of its Ride rate  rf 2  w1
selection to withstand both axial and longitudinal loads
during dynamic motion of the vehicle.
 2.52  47.25  295.31 kg-Hz2
Suspension Dampers: Suspension shockers/dampers are
the prime functional part of suspension assembly which The dimension of the selected tire for our FSAE vehicle was
dampens the incoming loads through the wheel encountered 20”-7.5”-13” with a tire rate of 19.16 N/mm
during vehicle’s translation. The suspension damper
employed in the system was a coilover structure type in As we know:
which damper containing fluid is coiled over with the spring
to bear the compressions. The aforementioned geometrical K w  Kt
Kr  , where Kw &Kt are wheel rate and tire rate
assembly of suspension quite well establishes the various K w  Kt
linkages where dampers are linked to bell crank which in
turn receives the forces from knuckle through pushrod respectively:
assembly. The CAD model of suspension damper and spring
Putting values of tire and ride rate from above, we get:
was designed on SolidWorks after multiple dimensioning
over chassis for proper adjustments in order to maintain Wheel rate (Kw) = 18.2 N/mm
desired stroke of the coilover and the spring was designed
after enough calculations. Spring rate/stiffness = Wheel rate /Motion ratio
Design of Spring (Calculation involved): The designing of We have kept installation ratio, i.e.
coilover spring enlists calculation involved in finding out the
coilover spring attributes such as free length, mean springtravel
diameter, Number of active turns and Total number of turns. Motion ratio (= ) to be 1.
wheeltravel
At first we consider weight acting on single wheel keeping
the view of sprung and unsprung mass and move further as: So spring rate/stiffness (Ks) is 18.2 N/mm in front
suspension assembly.
Total weight of vehicle: 310 kg
Design of spring : Initially we first use deflection of spring
Sprung weight: 210 kg formula which relates spring rate and shear modulus of
spring material as:
Unsprung weight: 100 kg
Gd4
Weight distribution (front: rear): 45:55 KS  , G=shear modulus; d=wire diameter; D=
8D3  N
Front weight: 139.5kg mean diameter; N=no. of active coils

Front sprung weight: 94.5 kg Keeping Ks=18.2 N/mm and G= 10169 psi

Rear weight: 170.5 kg d4

we get  1.441 ……………..(i)
Rear sprung weight: 115.5 kg D3  N
Front sprung mass on 1 wheel: 94.5/2 = 47.25 kg Later from Tresca theory we find maximum shear stress as
half of ultimate tensile strength and relate as:
As we know ride frequency, ride rate and sprung mass are
related as: 8  D  FS
 max   K ,  max (shear stress) = 56 psi
3.14  d 3
Fs= w1/Motion ratio = 47.25 N & K=8(Wahl’s factor)

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We get D/d3 from above and later we solve with (i) to get D= Front outer:
45.13 mm, d=8.8 mm and N= 5 turns and Nt= 7

Figure 5: CAD model of damper and spring

Vertical wheel load = 1305.6N
3. ANALYSIS
On applying dynamic multiplication factor
The analysis was performed for various suspension
assemblies like control arms, bell crank, suspension spring Fvertical = 1.3x1305.6 = 1697.28N
after proper load applications in order to ascertain stress
and displacement factor of parts during action of load Flateral = 1.2x 1697.28N = 2036.7N
dynamically during vehicle in motion.
Force on upper A-arm = (Flat xh1)/h2 = 1503.62N
Geometry Considered:
Force on lower A-arm = (Flat xh1+ h2)/h2 = 3542.3N

Rear A-arm:

Outer vertical wheel load = 1068.35

Figure 4: Front and rear geometrical figures
On applying dynamic multiplication factor
Analysis of Control Arms: For control arms analysis we
start with load calculations in front and rear suspension’s A- Fvertical = 1.3x1068.35 = 1388.8N
arms both upper and lower during knuckle movement
encountering cornering or braking and the same with the Flat = 1.2x1388.8 = 1666.67N
chassis movement.
Force on upper A-arm = (Flat xh1)/h2 = 1328.3N
Load Calculations:
Force on lower A-arm = (Flat xh1+ h2)/h2 = 2994.8N
Max cornering force= 3720N

Total lateral weight transfer

= (cornering force) x (cg height) / (trackwidth)

= (3720 x 288)/1300 = 824.12N

The calculation was performed based on A-arm position in

reference to knuckle mounted to the wheel hub.

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Output: Output:

Figure 7: Analysis w.r.t various parameters

Suspension spring simulation:

Figure 6: ANSYS output of Upper and Lower A-arm
Load Calculation:
Bell Crank Analysis: The bell crank is in attachment to
pushrod acted over by respective loads which is calculated as The load will be transmitted parallely without any
under: aberration from pushrod to suspension spring via bell crank
so as to compress it towards chassis.
Load Calculations:
So,

Ffront suspension=2242.8N

Frear suspension= 3019.2 N

Fixing the other end as it is to be mounted on chassis and

applying loads on the another end as calculated above , we
get the output over Fusion 360 as:

Output:

Maximum vertical load per side = 4557N

Rear wheel design vertical load = 2506.35N

Front wheel design vertical load = 2050.65N

Fpushrod front = vertical load/sin(Ө) = 2050/sin(66.1)

=2242.8N

Fpushrod rear = vertical load/sin (Ө) = 2506/sin(56.47)

= 3019.2N

Max force which is applied on the bell crank is 2242.8N for Figure 8: Analysis of spring
front & 3019.2N for rear.

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3.1 ANALYSIS OF COMPLETE SETUP ON LOTUS

The complete setup of suspension assembly ranging from

wheel & knuckles to control arms arranged altogether were
iterated finally on LOTUS suspension simulation software so
as to ascertain Pitch and Roll Analysis for an efficient
suspension system. The different values obtained as
calculated above were input and the results of setup were
iterated for both static and dynamic condition of Vehicle.

Figure 9: Bump and Roll simulation

4. CONCLUSIONS

This paper sums up the basic design and analytical concepts

of the suspension system used in student formula car. After
designing wishbones, knuckle and spring 3D model built
with the help of CATIA and analysis done on ANSYS
workbench. Integral assemblies were simulated on LOTUS
software. Results obtained by simulation match with
designed parameters. And after analyzing various
suspension components, the paper lays down a methodology
for analysis of different components. The FSAE guidelines
have been thoroughly followed while working on this paper.
The bump and roll simulation output was confirmed after
Besides, it is to be noted that “Iteration is the key to
bump force calculations on wheel:
perfection”.
At the time of a bump in the surface a force will act on the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
portion of the bearing which is inside the knuckle. This is
because the hub is bolted directly to the wheel. This force is We would like to thank Team Alpha4ZE, Jamia Millia Islamia
obtained from the wheel rate. For design purpose the wheel for their continuous help and support throughout the
rate is kept as 45N/mm2. project.
Also it is considered that there will be no bump more than REFERENCES
30mm as the track is extremely flat.
[1] Smith, Caroll. 1978, “Tune to win”, Chapter 2, Aero
Bump Force = Wheel rate × Travel due to bump = 45× 30 publishers Inc.
=1350 N
[2] Derek Seward, “Introduction to Vehicle Dynamics-7th
Edition”

[3] Miliken, William F., Milliken, Douglas L. 1995 “Race Car

Vehicle Dynamics”.

[4] Aditya Sinha, Ashish Jagtap, Saumitra Deshpande,

“Design, Analysis and Simulation of Double Wishbone
Suspension System for Formula Student Vehicle”,
Volume: 05; Issue: 01 Jan-2018

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