A Detailed Concept Selection Strategy for Rear Suspension Design Entailing Comparison of H-Arm and Trailing-arm Geometries for ATV Application.

Choice of suspension geometry is an integral part of an ATV design. It directly affects the ride comfort and vehicle-dynamic characteristics, the most prominent one being the unsprung mass. In the rear, teams often face the decision to select either a Trailing-Arm suspension design or an H-Arm design. Teams must take into account their existing parameters to rightly decide which geometry will suit their application. In this paper, a concept selection strategy is proposed. This strategy combines the conventional way of analyzing mechanical systems and machines with product design aspects. We analyze several characteristics of the geometry and assign a criteria weight to each of these. These criteria include the cost to manufacture, unsprung mass, load handling capacity, acceleration gain ratio during bumps, ease of manufacturing, and ergonomics of the design. Further, using concept selection methods such as weighted decision matrix and analytical hierarchy process, we arrive at the suitable geometry for our team. The criteria weights are validated by extensive studies that prove the importance of the particular characteristic. Furthermore, ratings are assigned for concerned engineering characteristics to each of the two concepts using numerical modeling with MATLAB, computer-aided design and simulation with SolidWorks and Ansys, force analysis on ADAMS. Hence, arriving at a suitable conclusion as to which geometry is efficient and relevant for our case.