scribbles

Just wondering about info about single a-arm setup on out cars versus dual a-arm setups on most other sports cars. And witch is better and why? I have been looking for info on the subject for a couple of hours but can’t find any info.

Black89

Megatons of info on this issue. 3rd Gen Camaros have a version of the McPherson strut (unique primarily in that the coil is not concentric with the strut itself). Only reason a designer elects to incorporate is low parts count, parts cost, and simplicity of vehicle assembly. A lot could be said, but the quickest summary (and they are pretty kind to the Mcpherson) can be found in a Wikipedia search on McPherson strut. Probably the worst impact of this design to us Camaro owners is that location of the upper strut depends on stiffness of the inner fender assembly, which is not one of the F-body's strong suits (chassis twisting & a little excess noise).

BMmonteSS

A couple quick pro's and con's.

Strut setup:

Pro's:
simple construction (less parts, easier to assemble, AKA cheaper)
1:1 motion ratio on the shock (same if the spring is on the shock)
Reletively constant RC and camber gain/loss.

Con's:
Takes up a lot of space
High CG of parts involved
Limits wheel width
limits camber gain
Can be difficult to hit certain roll center objectives.


Double A-arm setup:

Pro's:
Completely adjustable
Any roll center height you want
High camber gain is easy to get
Compact low CG
Lots of wheel room

Con's:
More parts to assemble and wear out
Easy to get too much geometry change going on at once with a bad design
heavier

Depending on the intended usage of the car it's a wash as to what design is the "best" in any level of racing except for the upper rungs where Double A-arms are almost always ran. Keep in mind that BMW's use a strut setup and did so with a lot of success. If you are just beating around the street or even auto-xing it won't be worth your time or effort to switch.

scribbles

GREAT info!!!!! Thank you so much I had no idea what to search for so I was unable to find anything... I will be able to search much more successfully now. Thanks again.