Assembling a Suspension with Constraints
Assembling a suspension means selecting parts and identifying the constraints upon that design. The term constraints, adapted from Finite Element Analysis, means identifying the desired characteristics of the suspension and what must be altered to achieve those goals. In the example below the constraints (shown in red) are the lower a-arm, the camber (4.0 degrees), the caster (7.0 degrees) and the toe (-0.5 degrees). The Upper A-arm and the steering tierod (shown in green) are free to achieve the desired parameters.
Displaying the Results Numerically
The results of the calculations are displayed as soon as the Compute button is
clicked.
In this example both the upper and Lower ball joint move but the dimensions of
the Upper and Lower A-arms are not changed. This was a constraint. The inner
mounting points of the Upper A-arm do change to produce the desired camber and
caster.
Displaying the Results Graphically
The effect on the Upper A-arm is displayed graphically. The original A-arm is in
black. The revised A-arm has the same dimensions but the Camber and Caster
changes are most apparent in the fore-aft and lateral movement of the A-arm. The
A-arm is not changed.
