"The three major parts of a car" is a word we often hear people say when buying a car or evaluating the quality of a car. Typically, the "big three" of a car are the engine, gearbox, and chassis. The engine and gearbox will generally have parameters as a reference, and the performance can be compared according to the data. The chassis is a relatively broad concept, how to look at the chassis? What makes a good chassis? This is a question that plagues many car consumers. In fact, although the "chassis" here includes a series of structures including braking and steering, in fact, it can bring the most intuitive experience to passengers, is the suspension, different suspensions have different advantages and emphasis, after mastering the characteristics of different suspensions, you can choose a car to buy a car according to your own car scene "prescribe the right medicine". Next, we will bring you the interpretation of car suspension.
There are two main categories of suspension: independent suspension and non-independent suspension
The suspension system can be divided into two categories: independent suspension and non-independent suspension according to the structure. In fact, it is very easy to understand according to the literal meaning. Independent suspension means that each wheel of the vehicle is suspended under the frame or body separately through the elastic suspension system, and several wheels operate separately and do not interfere with each other; Rather than independent suspension, the wheels on both sides of the front or rear axle of the vehicle are connected by a monolithic frame, and the wheels, along with the axles, are suspended under the frame or body by means of an elastic suspension system.
Independent suspension) due to the different structures, the performance of the two suspension structures is not the same. Independent suspensionEach wheel can be adjusted independently, so that the vehicle can be adapted to various road conditions and driving styles, providing better vehicle stability and handling, which can be understood as a configuration that pays more attention to comfort. Non-independent suspension is characterized by a relatively simple structure and fewer parts, but generally has a greater load-bearing capacity, strong reliability, and low maintenance costs. Therefore, many products with relatively large load pressure and off-road needs will use non-independent suspension.
non-independent suspension).
On the basis of the structure of independent suspension and non-independent suspension, different suspension types are derived according to the difference in the structure of parts, and the two types of suspension can also be mixed and matched. Among these suspension technologies, the common independent suspension mainly includes MacPherson independent suspension, double wishbone independent suspension and multi-link independent suspension; Non-independent suspension mainly includes leaf spring non-independent suspension, torsion beam non-independent suspension and integral bridge non-independent suspension. The different types of suspension have very distinct characteristics, and these characteristics are the main elements of our judgment of a chassis.
Independent suspensionMacPherson, comfort million essential oils
In the field of independent suspension, MacPherson should be the most widely used form of suspension. MacPherson independent suspension is to meet the front transverse engine front-wheel drive model came into being, this model not only needs to meet the engine arrangement, but also needs to increase the gearbox, differential, drive mechanism, steering and other main components, so the traditional suspension space is greatly compressed. The MacPherson independent suspension is mainly composed of coil springs, shock absorbers, and swing arms, which has a simple structure and occupies less space, which is more in line with the needs of this model.
Thanks to its relatively simple mechanics, the MacPherson Independent Suspension is lighter and more responsive, and automatically adjusts the wheel camber under a single swingarm and strut geometry, allowing it to adapt to the road surface when cornering, maximizing tire contact with the ground. It can take into account the advantages of comfort and space, so that MacPherson independent suspension is more used by family cars or MPV models.
IndependenceSuspensionMulti-linkformulaIt is silky smooth
A more complex type of suspension is a multi-link independent suspension consisting of multiple connecting rods and shock absorbers, each of which is responsible for attaching the tires to the body. Suspension with 4 or more links is generally referred to as multi-link. Due to the increased number of connecting rods and the ability to provide control in multiple directions, the tires can achieve the optimal position of the caster angle of the kingpin, greatly reducing the front-to-rear force from the road surface, thereby improving the smoothness and comfort of acceleration and braking, while also ensuring the stability of straight driving, so that the vehicle has a more reliable driving trajectory.
The advantage of multi-link independent suspension is that it provides greater comfort, as it is better able to absorb vibrations and shocks from the road. It also provides better control over tire movement, better handling, and adaptability to a wide range of road conditions. Multi-link suspensions are more complex to design and manufacture, making them more costly. And its disadvantages are also more obvious, due to the complex design, the weight of the multi-link suspension is relatively heavy, the maintenance and maintenance are relatively complex, and the maintenance cost is higher. Therefore, it is usually used in the rear suspension of some high-end passenger cars, and may be mixed and matched with MacPherson suspension, such as SAIC Maxus's fuel MPV models G90 and G70, which are known as the "MPV family", as well as the new energy MPV Dajia 9 and Dajia 7.
Independent suspensionDouble wishbone typeSoft and rigid
Unlike MacPherson independent suspension, double wishbone suspension has two upper and lower wishbones, and the lateral force is absorbed by both wishbones at the same time, and the struts only carry the weight of the body. At the same time, the upper and lower two A-shaped wishbones of the double wishbone suspension can accurately locate the various parameters of the front wheel, and when the front wheel turns, the upper and lower two wishbones can absorb the lateral force of the tire at the same time, and the lateral stiffness of the two wishbones is larger, so the roll of the turning is smaller.
The double wishbone independent suspension provides good lateral support and the wheels are able to adhere to the ground, which is a very obvious advantage for improving the handling performance of the vehicle, such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and other supercars. In addition, the excellent torsional strength and lateral rigidity of the double wishbone are often used in high-end hard SUVs or pickup trucks. For example, the hard-core off-road vehicle territory of the domestic brand SAIC Maxus, as well as the front suspension of the high-end pickup interstellar pickup, all use a double wishbone structure, which perfectly balances comfort and performance. However, due to its more complex structure, it will take up more space and cost more, so it is generally common on high-end luxury models.
NoneIndependent suspensionLeaf spring type, the foundation of the foundation
Leaf spring non-independent suspension refers to the use of leaf springs as elastic elements of non-independent suspension. This suspension uses leaf spring pins to connect the leaf spring front end with the front bracket to form a fixed hinge fulcrum; The rear rolling lugs are connected to the rear hanging lugs and the hanging lug frame by leaf spring suspension lug pins. When the vehicle is moving, the leaf springs will deform according to the conditions of the road surface, thus acting as cushioning and shock absorption.
Leaf spring non-independent suspension is favored for its simple structure and low cost, while it also provides excellent load-bearing capacity and stability. With leaf springs, the suspension system exhibits good longitudinal stiffness and roll resistance, ensuring a smooth and safe ride. In addition, its simple structure also brings convenience to repair and maintenance. However, in the face of uneven road surface or vehicle turning, the comfort and handling shortcomings of non-independent suspension of leaf springs are very obvious, because this suspension system relies on leaf springs, it has higher requirements for the overall weight and center of gravity distribution of the vehicle, which is not conducive to the pursuit of the design goal of vehicle lightweight. Therefore, the suspension is usually used in trucks, trucks and buses with heavy loads.
non-independent suspension).Torsion beam type, lightweight hard support
Torsion beam non-independent suspension is a common type of suspension that uses a torsion beam to balance the up and down runout of the left and right wheels. The entire suspension system is connected to the body by the front end of the trailing arm, which is usually not equipped with a transverse link due to the rigidity of the trailing arm. When the body is tilted, the twisting of the torsion beam axle will affect the change of the wheel inclination.
Since the torsion beam is a non-independent suspension structure, when one wheel encounters an uneven road surface, it will interfere with the other wheel, and the comfort will be poor. However, it is precisely because this kind of suspension does not need to independently design complex connecting rods, so its structure is relatively simple, small in size, light in weight, has a stronger carrying capacity, better reliability and durability, and is relatively lower in cost, and can expand the rear passenger compartment and luggage compartment, so it is mostly used in some compact cars, light buses with space requirements, pickup trucks and other models.
non-independent suspension).Integral bridge typeTough guy exclusive
The structure of the non-independent suspension of the integral bridge is simple and special, the simplicity lies in connecting the left and right wheels through an axle, and then connecting the hard axle with the body; What is special is that the structure integrates the drive system, and the internal dental pack and half shaft can divide the power input from the gearbox into two and transmit it to the wheels on both sides. Here we will find that almost all the parts of the integral axle are rigid hard connections, unlike the torsion beam, the axle has a deformation margin, so the rigidity of the integral axle suspension is very high, which can withstand a greater degree of load and impact, so it is also more used in some hard-core pickup trucks or SUV cars. The integral bridge non-independent suspension is only the definition of the basic structure, if you want to better control the angle of wheel activity, you can add 3-5 connecting rods, so as to effectively control the dynamic angle of the wheels, this integral bridge non-independent suspension after the installation of connecting rods, also known as multi-link non-independent suspension. As we mentioned earlier, the SAIC Maxus Interstellar Pickup with double wishbone front suspension adopts a five-link non-independent suspension on the rear wheels, with coil springs, and its actual performance is comparable to the driving and riding comfort of a passenger car.
Previously, three pickup trucks, namely Interstellar Pickup, Jiangling Avenue Light Chaser, and Isuzu D-Max, were tested for shock filtration on bumpy roads. The front suspension of the three pickup trucks all uses double wishbone independent suspension, of which the rear suspension of the Jiangling Avenue Light Chaser adopts the integral bridge non-independent suspension (but it is a four-link link), and the rear suspension of the Isuzu D-MAX adopts the leaf spring non-independent suspension. The same size water cup is placed in all three models and the same amount of water is introduced, and the speed of 40km h through the ice and snow bumpy road is very well suppressed, and the swing amplitude of the interstellar pickup truck is very well suppressed, ensuring that there is enough suspension travel to meet the needs of hard-core off-road, while the comfort of the vehicle is also maximized. The test result is that the water in the cup is almost not spilled, and the water level in the final cup is also the highest among the three models.
The above is the type of suspension that you can often see in the market, and I believe that you will no longer have to be confused about all kinds of suspension after reading it. In fact, the concept of buying a car in the past and looking at the "three parts" has gradually been weakened in the current era of electric cars, because electric cars do not need engines and gearboxes. What continues is the site that carries the suspension structure, so mastering the knowledge of the chassis is very helpful for buying and choosing a car.