Suspension is used to improve the vehicle's ability to maintain ground contact and smooth the ride for the vehicle's body. To do this, it must absorb the vertical accelerations experience while traversing through rugged terrain.

Sprung mass: total mass supported by the vehicle's suspension

Unsprung mass: total mass unsupported by the vehicle's suspension, i.e. the suspension system itself, dampers, wheels, etc.

Want to have a higher sprung to unsprung mass ratio so that the sprung mass pushes down on the unsprung mass, thus increasing contact with the ground
Also important to have a light unsprung mass system, because the lighter it is, the faster it reacts to bumpy terrain more quickly. This results in better handling

The main 3 suspension components...

Linkages: the bars and brackets that support the wheels, springs, and shock absorbers. These will undergo vertical movement
Springs: absorb shock from bumpy and uneven terrain. The most common types of springs used in suspension include coil springs (compress under load), torsion bars (twist under load), and leaf springs (flexes under load)
Shock absorbers: dampening tools used to dissipate the energy absorbed by the springs. Most commonly used are hydraulic cylinders

Dependent suspension: transmits movement and loads between the two wheels it supports.

Independent suspension:

WIP

Resources...

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