What is the difference between double wishbone and double transverse arm?
2 Answers
Double wishbone and double transverse arm have the following differences: 1. Different in nature: Double transverse arm suspension refers to a suspension system with two transverse arms. Double transverse arm suspension can be further divided into equal-length double transverse arm suspension and unequal-length double transverse arm suspension. The equal-length double transverse arm suspension can maintain the kingpin inclination angle unchanged when the wheels move up and down, but it causes significant changes in wheel track, leading to severe tire wear, and is rarely used nowadays. Double wishbone suspension, also known as double A-arm independent suspension, features upper and lower A-shaped wishbones that can precisely position various parameters of the front wheels. When the front wheels turn, both the upper and lower wishbones can absorb the lateral forces on the tires, while the strut only bears the weight of the vehicle body. 2. Different advantages: The advantage of double transverse arm independent suspension is that the shock absorber does not bear lateral loads, and the upper end height is relatively low, which helps reduce the height of the front of the car and improve the vehicle's styling. The advantages of double wishbone suspension are high lateral stiffness, excellent anti-roll performance, good grip performance, and clear road feel. 3. Different disadvantages: The disadvantage of double transverse arm independent suspension is its complex structure and large space occupation. The disadvantage of double wishbone suspension is the complexity in setting the suspension positioning parameters. 4. Different applicability: For unequal-length double transverse arm suspension, by appropriately selecting and optimizing the lengths of the upper and lower transverse arms and through reasonable arrangement, the changes in wheel track and front wheel positioning parameters can be kept within acceptable limits, ensuring good driving stability for the vehicle. Currently, unequal-length double transverse arm suspension is widely used in the front and rear suspensions of sedans, and some sports cars and racing cars also adopt this suspension structure for their rear wheels. Double wishbone suspension is not suitable for the front suspension of small cars. Double wishbone suspension excels in sportiness and is used by supercars such as Ferrari and Maserati.
I've been in the car enthusiast circle for a long time, and I often think about suspension systems. Double wishbone and double lateral arms sound like relatives, but they're pretty similar—both are components under the car responsible for wheel support. Double wishbone is more common, especially in sports or performance cars. It uses two fork-shaped arms to control wheel steering more precisely, making high-speed cornering super stable and driving as smooth as cutting tofu with a knife. As for double lateral arms, some people use it to refer to the same structure, but it might have a slightly simplified design in some budget cars, reducing costs at the expense of handling flexibility. Over time, you'll notice that double wishbone maintenance is more expensive—after all, the parts are intricate, and you need to regularly check the connection points for wear, or else the tires will wear out quickly. As for the difference? In most cases, it's just a name variation. When choosing a car, checking the manual or asking a mechanic is the most reliable—don't let the jargon confuse you.
