Suspension A-Arm
Performance suspension component for track-day vehicles. Topology-optimized for minimum weight with maximum stiffness.
-42%
reduction
+18%
stiffness
500k+
cycles
PROBLEM
A track-day enthusiast building a time-attack car needed lighter suspension arms without sacrificing stiffness. The OEM cast iron arms were overbuilt for street duty but poorly optimized for track loads. Reducing unsprung mass was the highest-impact change remaining in the suspension system.
APPROACH
Extracted hardpoint geometry from a 3D scan of the existing suspension. Defined the design space as the maximum envelope that clears the wheel, brake, and spring assembly through full travel. Topology optimization with stiffness maximization as the objective, subject to a mass target of 60% of OEM.
SIMULATION
Multi-axis structural FEA under combined braking, cornering, and bump loads extracted from on-car data logging. Fatigue analysis (S-N approach) with the actual load spectrum from 10 hot laps. Buckling analysis of the optimized thin-wall geometry. Contact stress at the spherical bearing interfaces.
RESULTS
42% mass reduction (cast iron to machined 7075-T6). Stiffness increased 18% in the primary loading direction despite the mass reduction. Fatigue life exceeds 500k cycles at the measured track load spectrum, equivalent to 50+ track days. Ball joint packaging maintained OEM kinematics.
SPECIFICATIONS
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