ULSAB - Advanced Vehicle Concepts - Chassis and Suspension

The ULSAB-Advanced Vehicle Concepts (AVC) chassis and suspension concepts surpass the ULSAB-AVC mass targets using steel. Steel technologies such as tailored blanks for wishbones, tailor tube hydroforming for trailing arms and high-strength steel stampings where there would normally be a heavier casting (steering knuckle). Furthermore the application of highstrength steel throughout all contributed to mass efficiency with excellent performance. State-of-the-art automotive technologies, such as an electrical parking brake and electro-hydraulic brake system also have contributed to the mass reduction achieved.

This paper summarizes the chassis and suspension designs, including some of its specific steel applications. To understand the steel nomenclature used to describe