Overview – 3D Suspension Types
The 3D module has 30 pre-defined suspension types;
1) Double Wishbone, damper to lower wishbone
2) Lower H frame, single upper link
4) Non-Steerable Macph Strut, two lower ball joints, tie to ground
5) 5-Link Rigid Axle (Panhard Rod)
6) Double Wishbone, damper to upper wishbone
7) Non/Steerable Macpherson Strut, steering arm to lower wishbone
8) 4-Link Rigid Axle (Panhard Rod)
9) 4-Link Rigid Axle (Twin Upper)
10) Trailing Arm with Two Cross Car Links
12) Steerable Twin Parallel Wishbones with Steering Knuckle
13) Double Wishbone, Damper to Knuckle
14) Double Wishbone with Push Rod Suspension
15) Double Wishbone, Rocker Arm Damper
16) Non/Steerable Lower ‘A’ Arm with Toe Link
17) Double Wishbone, Push Rod, Mono-shock
18) Double Wishbone, Upper Toe Link, Drop ‘S’ Link
19) Hinged Trailing Arm, Twin lower Link
20) Double Wishbone, Twin Outer Ball Joints
21) 5-Link Rigid Axle (Watts Linkage)
22) Double Wishbone, Twin Outer Ball Joints, Spring Front
23) Double Wishbone, Anti-Roll Bar
24) Steerable Macpherson Stut, Twin Outer Ball Joints
25) Double Wishbone, Twin Lower Outer Ball Joints
26) Double Wishbone, Damper to Lower Wishbone, Compliant Rack
27) Steerable Macpherson Strut, Twin Lower Link
28) 4-Link Rear, Transverse Control Link
Some of these suspension types are steerable and in which case will appear as options for both front and rear suspension selections. Whilst non-steerable suspension types will only appear in the rear suspension list. The majority of these templates are just corner models, some axle templates are included. Users can convert these or their own corner templates to axle templates using the menu item ‘Edit / Convert Corner to Axle Model’.
For steerable suspension types the steering mechanism type is selected separately from either a rack or steering box.
Selecting the 3D Front Suspension Type
It is possible to define your own 3d templates. These can be loaded automatically and either used as additions to the existing hard coded templates, replacements for or modifications of the hard coded ones. Templates that are loaded automatically are referred to as ‘default’ templates. Users can also load additional ‘user’ defined templates by browsing for an external file. All templates loaded from external files, (i.e. both default and user), are loaded into a certain template index. Thus it is possible to overwrite an existing hard coded template with a default or user template having the same index number. Similarly it is possible to overwrite a default template with a user template. The default templates are stored in a text file named ‘_User_Templates.Dat’ and is searched for in the programs startup folder. It is scanned for a program start-up and if found it is read and any extra templates loaded.
It is possible to re-run the defaults loading process during a session, (without the need to restart), by using the menu item File / Re-Read Default Templates.