Kinematic Versus Elasto-Kinematic Model of a Twistbeam Suspension

The Twistbeam axle suspension is a cheap and robust layout for rear axles at front wheel driven midsize cars. Appropriate models have to take the elastic deformation of the torsion beam into account. A Finite Element approach requires detailed informations of the material properties and the shape which are usually only available in the final production stage. This paper presents a lumped mass model which can easily be integrated into a multibody vehicle model and can be used in the early stage of development. An approximation by the design kinematics further reduces the complexity of the model and considers only the kinematic properties of the Twistbeam suspension. Simulations using a nonlinear and three-dimensional vehicle model with different maneuvers, such as steady-state cornering, step steer input, and driving straight ahead on random road, demonstrate the performance and, in particular, the difference of the presented Twistbeam suspension models.