Kinematic Analysis of the Double Wishbone

Suspension in ADAMS
Shujun Yang, Yong Bao, Yang Liu, Cheng Li
College of Vehicle and Energy, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004
Phone: 13933615025; E-mail:727265619@qq.com

suspension) and the three-dimensional digital model

Abstract - The kinematic characteristics of suspension play an is assembled into the vehicle assembly design state. Secondly,
important role in the performance of steering and turning. In the coordinates in space of hard-points are measured in
this paper, a virtual prototype model of the vehicle's double
CATlA, the results are shown in Table I . Suspension
wishbone suspension is established in ADAMS. A comparison
simulation analysis model based on hard points is established
between the results of simulation and the results of kinematics
and compliance (K&C) test shows that the new model meets the in ADAMS as shown in Fig. 2. Finally, according to the
requirement of accuracy. The kinematic performance of vehicle measured data of prototype vehicle, such as the spiral spring
suspension is analyzed by using the model, and the result shows stiffness, the characteristics of speed and damping-force , the
that the parameters of wheel alignment are reasonable as the
mass of the parts and the moment of inertia, etc, the
vehicle's wheel displacement changes.
simulation analysis model of suspension is modified to make
Index Terms - Double Wishbone Suspension; Kinematics; it coincide with the real vehicle [12-14].
Alignment Parameters; Kinematics and Compliance; Simulation
Analysis

1. INTRODUCTION

Suspension system is an important assembly of the vehicle

and its performance affects vehicle handling stability and
steering safety directly [1]. Suspension system is a multi­
body dynamics system [2-4], so analyses of the suspension
kinematics and dynamics are extremely difficult. With the
development of multi-body dynamics theory and computer
technology, the software applied to the dynamics analysis is
developed in western countries, which is benefit to
suspension analysis. However, it is difficult to ensure the
accuracy of simulation analysis [5-9]. K&C test can evaluate
suspension kinematics characteristics accurately [10-11], but Fig. l. Three-dimensional Digital Model af Front Suspension.
it needs long research period and high cost. In this paper, a
TABLE I
suspension model of double wishbone type is established in
COORDINATES TN SPACE OF HARD-POINTS
ADAMS. A comparison between the results of simulation
and the results of K&C test shows that the new model meets Coordinates in Space (mm)
Hard-points
the requirement of accuracy. Then kinematics analysis of the X y Z
suspension is carried out by the vehicle model. Shaft inner 12 -317.1 -145
IT. CONTENTS LCA front -129.5 -34l.0 -205

A. Suspension system modeling LCA outer -4.381 -708.714 -224.005

Before simulating the suspension system, the vehicle's LCA rear 235.839 -34l.0 -194.157
double wishbone suspension is simplified as follows: Q) All Damper_lower -46.452 -540.773 -195.718
parts of the suspension are rigid body and have no
Damper_upper -48.055 -477.569 328.32
deformation in the movement process. Q) The connections
Tie rod inner -139 -386.8 -88
between the parts are simplified to hinges or bushes, ignoring
the internal clearance. G) Frictions among the parts are Tie rod outer -135.75 -719.431 -101.361
negligible in the movement process. Firstly, according to the UCA front -167.284 -407.0 268.349
suspension point cloud, a three-dimensional mathematical UCA outer 16.267 -606.075 238.151
model of the suspension system is established in CATlA (Fig.
UCA rear 72.817 -407.0 206.255
1 is the three-dimensional digital model of the front
Wheel center 0.147 -794.252 -132
 Camber Angle γ (deg)
Wheel Center Displacement f (mm)

Fig. 3. Curve of camber angle changing with wheel center displacement.

In order to adjust the swing stiffness of the wheel hub

bearings, the rigid connection between the steering knuckle
Fig. 2. Simulation model of the front suspension.
and the wheel is changed into connection with elasticity
bushing. The simulation analysis is carried out again after the
stiffness of the elasticity bushing is adjusted, and the result is
shown in Fig. 4.
B. Simulation Verification of Suspension on Kinematics
According to the above simulation results, considering the
The vehicle’s front suspension is analyzed by a single axle
impact of the wheel hub bearings’ stiffness on the camber
K&C test platform. The main tests have been carried out as
angle, the result of the simulation analysis coincides with that
follows: vertical force load test, longitudinal force load test,
of the K&C test, which shows high accuracy of simulation
lateral force load test, body roll test and turning geometry test.
results.
The main parameters measured in the vertical force load test,
include the change of camber angle, the change of toe-in
angle, the change of kingpin inclination angle, and the change
of caster angle, the change of lateral and longitudinal
Camber Angle γ (deg)

displacement of the tire-road contact patch. The main

parameters measured in longitudinal force load test, include
the change of camber angle and the change of toe-in angle.
The main parameters measured in lateral force load test
include the change of camber angle, the change of toe-in
angle and the height-change of roll center, etc.
The simulation analysis of parallel wheel jumping means
keeping the left and right wheels at the same height and
making the wheels jump and rebound at the set scale. The
Wheel Center Displacement f (mm)
steering wheel will be kept in a fixed angle during the
simulation. Fig. 4. Curve of camber angle changing with wheel center displacement.
The contrast change-curve of camber angle of the prototype
vehicle’s front suspension with the wheel jumping is shown
In Fig. 5, Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, the red continuous lines show
in Fig. 3. The red continuous line represents the result of the
the simulation analysis results of parallel wheel jumping. And
simulation analysis, and the blue dashed lines show the
the blue dashed lines represent the results of K&C test. The
results of the K&C test. A comparison between the results of
change-trends of the toe-in angle, the caster angle and the
the simulation analysis and the K&C test shows that the
lateral displacement of the tire-road contact patch with the
change-curves of the camber angle with the wheel jumping
wheel jumping in the simulation analysis, is similar to those
have the same trend. But the variation range of the camber
in the test, which is based on the comparison analysis of the
angle in the simulation analysis is smaller than that in the test
above three figures. And the difference in curves between test
results, and the biggest difference between them is 0.25 deg.
and simulation analysis is quite small, so the simulation
The total variation of the camber angle in the K&C test is 2.8
model of the front suspension is accurate.
deg, and the biggest difference is equal to about 9% of the
In Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, the red continuous line represents the
total variation in the K&C test, which is acceptable. The
simulation analysis results of the longitudinal force. And the
difference is mainly caused by the swing stiffness of the
blue dashed lines show the test results of the longitudinal
wheel hub bearings and rim.
force in the same direction. Toe-in angle and camber angle
play important roles in keeping the vehicle running straight.
When the vehicle is going along a straight road, longitudinal
force from ground is transmitted to wheels (including driving

Camber Angle γ (deg)

force and braking force). Therefore, when the directions of
longitudinal tire force are the same, the change characteristics
of toe-in angle and camber angle with longitudinal force are
compared.
Toe-in Angle γ (deg)

Longitudinal Tire Force F (N)

Fig. 9. Curve of camber angle changing with longitudinal tire force.

The change-trends of the toe-in angle and the caster angle

with the longitudinal tire force of the tire-road contact patch
in the simulation analysis, are similar to those in the test,
Wheel Center Displacement f (mm) which is based on the comparison analysis of the above two
Fig. 5. Curve of toe-in angle changing with wheel center displacement. figures. And the difference in curves between simulation
analysis and test is quite small, so the simulation model of the
front suspension is accurate.
In Fig. 10, the red continuous line represents the simulation
analysis result of the lateral force. And the blue dashed lines
Caster Angle γ (deg)

show the test results of the lateral force in the same direction.
The change-trend of the camber angle with the lateral tire
force of the tire-road contact patch in the simulation analyze,
is similar to that in the test, which is based on the comparison
analysis of the curves. The biggest variation of camber angle
in the simulation analysis is 0.33 deg, and that in the K&C
test is 1.8 deg. The change range of the simulation analysis
Wheel Center Displacement f (mm) result is smaller than the test result. When the lateral force is
Fig. 6. Curve of caster angle changing with wheel center displacement. 3000 N, the difference between simulation analysis result and
the test result reach maximum, 0.25 deg. The difference in the
change range is mainly caused by the swing stiffness of the
wheel hub bearings and rim.
Tire-road Contact Patch b (mm)
Lateral Displacement of the

Camber Angle γ (deg)

Wheel Center Displacement f (mm)

Fig. 7. Curve of lateral displacement of the tire-road contact
patch changing with wheel center displacement. Lateral Tire Force F (N)
Fig. 10. Curve of camber angle changing with lateral tire force.

C. Suspension Simulation Analysis

Toe-in Angle δ (deg)

In Fig. 11, the red continuous line represents the change-

Longitudinal Tire Force F (N)
Fig. 8. Curve of toe-in angle changing with longitudinal tire force.
curve of the camber angle with the wheel jumping. Under the
design load (that is, the wheel center displacement is zero),
the camber angle is -0.08 deg.
The study shows that when camber angle is positive, the
lateral tire force from road surface will decrease as the load
reaches maximum.
In order to avoid an obviously positive camber angle of the
outside wheel which provides most of the lateral tire force ,

Camber Angle γ (deg)
Wheel Center Displacement f (mm)
Fig. 11. Curve of wheel camber angle changing with wheel center
displacement.
the design must be ensured that wheel camber angle changes
to the negative direction during the compression stroke (that
is, the wheel jumping up) of the suspension, and the rebound
stroke changes to the positive direction (that is, the wheel
jumping down). According to the result of simulation analysis,
the change-slope of the camber angle with the wheel jumping
will increase as the wheel travel increase, which can ensure
that the outside wheel provides most of the lateral tire force
during turning. According to the result of analysis shown in
the curve, the change-trend of the camber angle with the
wheel jumping up and down doesn't lead to the decrease of
lateral tire force during turning.
Fig. 12 is the change-curve of toe-in angle with the wheel
center displacement. Under the design load, toe-in angle is -
0.04 deg.
It is significant to keep the motor vehicle running straight.
When wheel jumps up and down, the change of toe-in angle
plays a vital role in increasing under-steer characteristics,
reducing the tire wear and keeping the vehicle’s stability of
straight-line driving. In the design, we hope that toe-in angle
is a constant value during the wheel jumping up and down, in
order to avoid the tires wearing badly and to ensure the
vehicle’s stability of straight-line driving. But in driving,
keeping a fixed toe-in angle for the independent suspension is
only an ideal form. It is very difficult to achieve the target in
the practical process of design. For the vehicle’s front wheel,
the designed change of toe-in angle with the wheel jumping
up is a negative value, in order to make the vehicle still keep
the under-steer characteristics in curve driving. So it can get
weak under-steer, when the vehicle is going along a curved
road.
Toe-in Angle δ (deg )
Wheel Center Displacement f (mm)
Fig. 12. Curve of toe-in angle changing with wheel center displacement.
Fig. 13 is the change-curve of caster angle with the wheel
center displacement. Under the design load, caster angle is
2.64 deg.
Caster Angle τ (deg)
Wheel Center Displacement f (mm)
Fig. 13. Curve of caster angle changing with wheel center displacement.
Caster trail and aligning torque of lateral force to kingpin
axis increase when caster angle is positive. When the vehicle
runs in medium and high speed and the steering wheel angle
is small, the effect of aligning torque is obvious. The manual
steering force will increase with the increase of aligning
torque. In order to increase aligning torque and caster angle
appropriately, the modern motor vehicle is equipped with
hydraulic power steering system or electric power steering
system.
The negative caster angle will reduce aligning torque of
lateral force to kingpin axis, which can reduce the driver's
steering force. But if the negative caster angle is too large, the
direction stability of vehicle will be poor. In that condition,
even a very small lateral force can lead to the change of
wheel steering angle, so that the driver must constantly turn
the steering wheel to correct the direction to keep driving in a
straight line.
III. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper, a virtual prototype model of the vehicle’s
double wishbone suspension is established in ADAMS. A
comparison between the results of simulation and the results
of K&C test shows that the new model meets the requirement
of accuracy. The kinematic performance of vehicle
suspension is analyzed by using the model, and the result
shows that the parameters of wheel alignment are reasonable
as the vehicle’s wheel displacement changes.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This research is supported by the National Natural Science
Foundation of China (No.51175449).
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