What kinds of car suspensions are there? (from good to bad)

There are two kinds of automobile suspension: dependent suspension and independent suspension. The wheels of the dependent suspension are installed at both ends of the integral axle. When one wheel jumps, it will affect the corresponding jumping of the other wheel, making the whole body vibrate or tilt, and the stability and comfort of the vehicle are poor. However, due to its simple structure and large bearing capacity, some cars still use this type of rear suspension.

The axle of the independent suspension is divided into two sections, and each wheel is independently installed under the frame (or body) with a spiral spring. When one wheel jumps, the other wheel is not affected, and the stability and comfort of the car are good. However, this kind of suspension structure is complex and its bearing capacity is small. The front and rear suspensions of modern cars mostly adopt independent suspensions, which has become a development trend.

The structure of independent suspension is divided into candle type, McPherson type and connecting rod type, among which candle type and McPherson type are similar in appearance, and both combine spiral spring and shock absorber, but there are significant differences due to different structures. The candle shape is named after the suspension whose wheels move along the direction of the main pin shaft. Its characteristic is that the position of the kingpin and the positioning angle of the front wheel do not change with the wheel jumping up and down, which is beneficial to the maneuverability and stability of the automobile. McPherson suspension is composed of articulated strut and lower cross arm. The shock absorber can also be used as the steering kingpin around which the steering knuckle can rotate. Its characteristic is that the position of the kingpin and the positioning angle of the front wheel change with the up-and-down jumping of the wheel, which is just the opposite of candle hanging. This suspension has the advantages of simple structure, compact layout, small front wheel alignment change and good driving stability. Therefore, McPherson suspension is the most widely used independent suspension in automobiles.

Although according to the grade, complexity and materials of suspension, multi-link type is the best, followed by double wishbone and McPherson type. Although it can be classified in this way, everything in the world has advantages and disadvantages. The reason why these three kinds of suspension can exist in a large number of models certainly has its own performance advantages.