Dual ball joint suspension
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A dual ball joint suspension uses a pair of arms, one in tension, one in compression, to replace a wishbone, in a
SLA suspension. The outer end of each arm terminates in a ball joint
, hence the name.
General description
The two arms, the spindle, and the body, form a
short long arms suspension
. This provides further opportunity for optimising the geometry.
Examples
It is used on large cars such as the
Zeta
-derived models.
Disadvantages
The extra ball joint adds weight and cost. It also increases steering friction, and the parasitic friction in the suspension. The geometry has some undesirable characteristics that need careful management, such as returnability from full lock when parking.
References
- Munro Live.
- The Automotive Chassis Engineering Principles, J. Reimpell, H. Stoll, J. W. Betzler, ISBN 978-0-7680-0657-5