Wishbone suspension

[Cedric]

When wishbones are referred to in car books is there often ambiguity involved? I mean, is there one type of wishbone suspension (like the triangular arms?) or do several varieties exist? When I come across 'wishbones' it is sometimes accompanied with illustrations of triangles, 4 parallel links, one top arm and two lower arms etc.

[Matra et Alpine]

a wishbone is normally the triangle and a ball joint mounted to the stub axle.

4 link is dynamically the same only each arm of the wishbone is separate and mounted to the stub on a shaft rather than ball joint.

Many will use wishbone to cover all as the DYNAMICS of the setup are the same. But nit-picking () the wishbone is only if it is a single unit. The rest are multi-link arms.

Wishbones or "parallel arms" can be used in top , bottom or both of the stub axle to body.

[Cedric]

Is there any institution/book/website that has adequately defined these various wishbone suspension types? Cos I've the impression that authors just do as they please.

[Cedric]

so, this would be the only type to which wishbone should refer:

[Matra et Alpine]

Is there any institution/book/website that has adequately defined these various wishbone suspension types? Cos I've the impression that authors just do as they please.

depends on the author and their target audience.

Some times an author will choose not to complicate an explanation by ahving to cover all the bases. Hell just look at the rep I get here from some folks who dont' like to have to read all the details Sometimes "knowing less" is best

Then you have those who are regurgitating and dont' really understand things. They do it through "ignorance". The down side of the web is you don't knwo which is which

yes, that's a wishbone
and howstuffworks is pointed to SO many times on UCP you shoudl know to try there
See http://auto.howstuffworks.com/car-suspension7.htm

[Alastor]

Here are a few more websites that you may find interesting, although a bit more detailed.

http://www.carbibles.com/suspension_bible.html

and

http://www.automotivearticles.com/Su...pensions.shtml

[RacingManiac]

On the HSW article, they refer to the pushrod mechanism as "multi-link"?

pfft...

[Matra et Alpine]

On the HSW article, they refer to the pushrod mechanism as "multi-link"?

pfft...

That would usually be used if their is either soem form of rotation or translation in the link fpr the pushrod. is that the case ??

[RacingManiac]

I forgot to put it the pushrod for F1 cars as they mentioned in the article...

It's for damper/spring actuation, but it doesn't affect geometry, only rates...

Unless you pick up the pushrod on the upright, in which case the rate then becomes steering angle dependent as well....(which BTW, some F1 team, namely Renault, does do this)....