Does Double Wishbone Suspension Have Disadvantages?
3 Answers
The advantages and disadvantages of double wishbone suspension are as follows: 1. Advantages: The subframe can provide excellent suspension connection stiffness, isolating road vibrations for good comfort; turning the suspension into an assembly component improves suspension versatility and reduces development costs. 2. Disadvantages: Significant body roll during turns, requiring more space, fast response speed, and lateral forces being absorbed by both arms simultaneously. 4. Meaning of Double Wishbone Suspension: By convention, suspensions with 4 or more links are generally called multi-link suspensions. They can be divided into multi-link front suspensions and multi-link rear suspension systems. The front suspension is usually a 3-link or 4-link independent suspension, while the rear suspension is generally a 4-link or 5-link rear suspension system, with the 5-link rear suspension being more widely used.
Well, speaking of double-wishbone suspension, I had a car repair experience that left quite an impression. While this suspension offers great handling, it has quite a few drawbacks. First, the cost is too high—the design and manufacturing are overly complex, with many parts, making it several times more expensive than a standard MacPherson strut. Replacing parts is practically burning money. Second, it takes up a lot of space—the chassis area is packed tight. In my car, after installing this suspension, the rear legroom noticeably shrank, and the trunk became less practical. Third, maintenance is a hassle. Various links and ball joints wear out easily. I once tried fixing it myself—adjusting it was time-consuming and labor-intensive, requiring specialized tools. Most regular repair shops can't handle it; it's best to go to a 4S shop. Lastly, it's really not suitable for daily driving. The added weight increases fuel consumption, and in city traffic jams, its advantages are wasted while the ride becomes bumpy. For a family car, I'd rather go with something simpler.
Let me talk about the practicality of using the car. The double-wishbone suspension performs averagely in urban commuting, with obvious shortcomings in space and comfort. For example, when parking, the chassis takes up a lot of space, significantly reducing the trunk capacity; when getting in, the low chassis is prone to scraping against curbs, which is quite annoying. Maintenance is also a hassle—last time, servicing took me half a day, and the mechanic said there are many parts, making disassembly troublesome, which directly increased the repair costs. As for comfort, it has strong bumpiness on uneven roads, with many passenger complaints, especially family members finding it uncomfortable. In contrast, I’ve driven cars with ordinary suspensions, which are worry-free and cost-effective—such high-performance features are completely unnecessary for daily use. I suggest considering budget and practicality when buying a car, rather than chasing trends.
