Search Results

In order to replicate the vehicle chassis proving ground (PG) durability test on the laboratory half vehicle spindle coupled Road Test Simulator (RTS), a drive file which can excite the actuators of the RTS to duplicate the chassis component strain state need to be developed. Traditionally the Drive File Development (DFD) aims to match the spindle forces and moments in addition with some supplemental channels such as the suspension link axial forces and the suspension travels. However the suspension subframe which is connected to the vehicle body achieves the equilibrium state with the inertia force applied on the vehicle body at arbitrary time when the vehicle is running on the PG. Suspension subframes mounted on the fixture of the RTS experience reaction forces from a fixed static boundary. This boundary condition discrepancy between the vehicle PG test and the laboratory RTS test may particularly lead to a different strain state on the suspension subframe.

The Front Lower Control Arm (FLCA) is a key part of the automotive suspension for performance and safety. Many FLCA designs attach to the front sub-frame using rubber handling and riding bushings, which determine the vehicle dynamics and comfort. In this paper, a design for a ride bushing using a metal pin structure is discussed. The inner portion of the ride bushing is a hollow metal collar with a layer of rubber, and the FLCA pin structure is pressed into the rubber. For safety requirements, the bushings must meet a pin push-in and push-out force requirement. During the development of the bushing design, different test groups conducted tests to determine if manufactured parts meet the push-out force specification. Each group tested at a different load rate and generated different maximum push out force values. The push-in/out speed was found to have a strong influence on the generated maximum load.

More than 200 tensile-shear resistance spot welded specimens were produced and tested to analyze the effect of spot weld spacing, weld size, sheet thickness, and adhesive on the ultimate strength of joints made from a mild hot dip galvannealed steel and an unexposed quality hot dip galvannealed 590 MPa minimum tensile strength dual phase steel (DP590). The geometric layout parameters were analyzed by a design of experiment (DOE) approach. The analysis showed that weld size is a primary factor affecting the strength of the joints for a given material. It was also determined that structural adhesive created a large relative strengthening for joints made from the mild steel. Interactions of the geometrical factors are also presented.