What are the advantages of double-wishbone suspension?
3 Answers
The advantages of double-wishbone suspension are: 1. It absorbs more vibrations, improving the chassis's vibration filtering performance; 2. It can suppress the body's roll, keeping the wheels more grounded; 3. The shock absorber has no lateral load, and the upper end is relatively low, which helps reduce the height of the front end and improve the body's styling. Double-wishbone suspension refers to a suspension system with two wishbones. Depending on whether the upper and lower wishbones are of equal length, it can be further classified into equal-length double-wishbone suspension and unequal-length double-wishbone suspension. For unequal-length double-wishbone suspension, by appropriately selecting and optimizing the lengths of the upper and lower wishbones and arranging them reasonably, the changes in wheel track and front-wheel alignment parameters can be kept within acceptable limits, ensuring the vehicle has excellent driving stability.
As a frequent mountain road driver, I must say what impresses me most about the double-wishbone suspension is its rock-solid stability during cornering. This suspension system uses two lateral links to control wheel movement, allowing tires to maintain excellent road grip when turning, with significantly reduced body roll. Especially when driving on highways in rainy conditions, the solid feedback through the steering wheel provides exceptional reassurance. Another advantage is its superb performance on rough roads - unlike torsion beam suspensions where the whole body shakes over speed bumps, the independent movement of left and right wheels now minimizes vibrations. Even better, tire wear is more even, with virtually no need for tire rotation after 50,000 km. However, this suspension design does occupy more space, and replacement of chassis components can be more expensive, but for daily driving it's absolutely worth every penny.
After repairing cars for over a decade, I've noticed that owners of double-wishbone suspension vehicles rarely complain about handling issues. With its upper and lower wishbones securing the wheels, this structure is inherently more stable than MacPherson struts, especially in withstanding lateral impacts. When replacing shock absorbers, pay attention—tires on such vehicles usually show remarkably even wear patterns. Moreover, this system offers greater adjustability for toe and camber angles, allowing customized wheel alignments for different driving styles. However, the complex design brings one drawback: winter road salt can easily corrode the control arm bushings, requiring frequent inspections. If you hear a clunking noise when going over speed bumps, it's likely time to replace those bushings. Overall, this is an excellent design that balances handling and durability.
