What is Double Wishbone Suspension?
3 Answers
Double wishbone suspension, also known as double A-arm independent suspension, features upper and lower wishbones that simultaneously absorb lateral forces, with the strut only bearing the vehicle's weight, resulting in high lateral rigidity. Double wishbone suspension excels in sportiness and is utilized by supercars such as Ferrari and Maserati. Below is an introduction to double wishbone suspension: Double wishbone independent suspension has an interesting name—Double-wish-bone suspension. It is said that this interesting name originates from a turkey bone that people enjoy eating during Western Christmas celebrations. When people start eating, they make a wish on a V-shaped bone from the turkey, which is called the wishbone (Wishbone). Since there are two "wishbones" in the double wishbone suspension structure, it is named Double-wish-bone suspension.
Every time I see car owners asking about double-wishbone suspension, I can't help but talk about this chassis black tech. Simply put, it uses two A-shaped control arms on each side to hold the wheel, like crab claws gripping something. What makes this structure so impressive? I've disassembled it during repairs—the upper and lower wishbones can simultaneously control the wheel's vertical movement and lateral tilt angle. It's most noticeable when taking sharp turns on mountain roads; the tires feel nailed to the road, and the steering feedback is rock-solid. Last year, I helped adjust the double-wishbone setup on an old Porsche 911—the premium vibration damping over speed bumps was something ordinary MacPherson struts simply can't match. However, the complex structure also means it takes up more space, which is why it's mostly used in sports cars and luxury SUVs these days.
As a seasoned driver who has driven over thirty different cars, the double-wishbone suspension left a profound impression on me. The moment you turn the steering wheel around a corner, you can clearly feel the distribution of grip across all four wheels. When going over bumps, the body sway is controlled within two oscillations. The principle is actually quite intuitive: its two control arms act like arms cradling the wheels, minimizing camber changes when the tires bounce, ensuring the contact patch remains full. I remember once driving a modified RV on the track; after switching to a double-wishbone setup, the lap time improved by a full two seconds. The difference is noticeable even in daily driving—my wife often compliments from the passenger seat how smoothly the car glides, as if on ice. The modification shop owner told me that many domestic high-end electric cars are now adopting this structure as standard.