Relevance analysis of the bushing stiffness of rear multi-link suspension to handling stability and ride comfort of vehicle and optimization research to improve both performances

Abstract

This study focuses on the relevance of bushing stiffness for E-type multi-link suspension to handling stability and ride comfort of vehicle. The influence of bushing stiffness on suspension performance is illustrated theoretically from the force point of view. The principle of the influence of bushing stiffness on vehicle handling stability and ride comfort is described. In simulation study, the influences of specific bushing stiffness on vehicle handling stability and ride comfort are analyzed. The simulation results show that the bushings stiffness of the upper and lower control arm of the suspension significantly influences vehicle handling stability and the influences are more significant in the low frequency range. The vehicle ride comfort on the random road is mainly influenced by the bushing stiffness of the top mount of shock absorber, and on bump road by the bushing stiffness of the trailing arm mostly. Finally, the NSGA-II and MOPSO algorithms are used to optimize handling stability and ride comfort. The optimization results show that the handling stability and ride comfort of the vehicle could be improved with reasonable adjustment of the bushing stiffness. The results obtained in using the NSGA-II algorithm are more suited to the optimization requirements of this study.