Overview
This project involved the complete design, analysis, and optimisation of the suspension system for a Formula Student single-seater race car. The goal was to maximise cornering grip and minimise body roll while keeping the assembly within strict weight and packaging constraints.
Key Outcomes
- 14% reduction in body roll compared to the baseline geometry
- Improved camber curve — maintained optimal tyre contact patch through full suspension travel
- Weight reduction of 1.2 kg through topology-optimised uprights
- Validated against FSAE rulebook packaging constraints
Methodology
1. Geometry Definition
Defined wishbone pickup points and kingpin geometry in SolidWorks. Iterated on roll centre height, anti-dive, and anti-squat percentages using kinematic analysis.
2. Kinematic Simulation
Used MATLAB to script a kinematic solver that swept the suspension through ±50 mm of travel, plotting camber gain, toe change, and roll centre migration.
| Parameter | Target | Achieved |
|---|---|---|
| Roll Centre Height | 25–40 mm | 32 mm |
| Camber Gain | ≥ 0.8°/° | 0.95°/° |
| Anti-dive | 20–30% | 26% |
| Body Roll (1g) | < 1.5° | 1.2° |
3. Structural FEA
Performed static and fatigue FEA on the wishbone tubes and uprights using ANSYS Structural. Applied worst-case load cases (3g bump, 2g cornering).
- Material: 4130 Chromoly steel (wishbones), 6061-T6 aluminium (uprights)
- Safety factor: 2.5 minimum on all structural members
- Max von Mises stress: 187 MPa (well below yield of 460 MPa)
4. Manufacturing
Produced detailed engineering drawings with full GD&T callouts. Components were CNC-machined and TIG-welded in-house.
Lessons Learned
Balancing kinematic performance against manufacturability was the biggest challenge. The optimal geometry from simulation had tight tolerances on the pickup points that were difficult to achieve with the available tooling — requiring a design compromise that still hit all performance targets.