Most peculiar suspensions.

Here are our CFD links and discussions about aerodynamics, suspension, driver safety and tyres. Please stick to F1 on this forum.
DaveW
DaveW
239
Joined: 14 Apr 2009, 12:27

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

Sombrero wrote:The Lotus active suspension story

http://www.gglotus.org/ggtech/activesus ... vesusp.htm

I read somewhere (Peter Wright) that the active suspension was already a "plan B" to fix the issues with the full length ground effect chassis Lotus 80. It was rejected : too soon. "Plan A" was the twin-bodied Lotus 86 "Torrey Canyon" that lead to the Lotus 88.
A good summary. A couple of additions:

Both "Plan A" & "Plan B" had been proposed when issues with the '80 appeared terminal - it was the first time that the ground effect instability known as "porpoising" had been recognized (in spades). "Plan B" had not been thought about in detail until the '88 had finally been banned, & we then started from scratch.

The system installed in the '92 was powered hydraulically by a pump attached to the DFV cam shaft, and electrically by a separate (uncharged) battery (the existing vehicle system was too noisy). The control system was an analogue computer with multiplying DAC's acting as potentiometers, controlled by a low power digital computer (the ubiquitous DSP came later).

The system was removed after the second race simply because Lotus had switched to Renault turbo power, & Renault refused to allow the hydraulic pump to be driven from the engine.

xpensive
xpensive
214
Joined: 22 Nov 2008, 18:06
Location: Somewhere in Scandinavia

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

Don't know if we have had the Lotus 88 on this thread yet, but it had a very peculiar suspension;

Image

Image

Image

Image
"I spent most of my money on wine and women...I wasted the rest"

Sombrero
Sombrero
126
Joined: 22 Feb 2012, 20:18

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

The Lotus that looks like a soviet tank... :wink:

xpensive
xpensive
214
Joined: 22 Nov 2008, 18:06
Location: Somewhere in Scandinavia

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

Doubt it, but this is a T88 for a Supra;

Image
"I spent most of my money on wine and women...I wasted the rest"

autogyro
autogyro
53
Joined: 04 Oct 2009, 15:03

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

Sombrero wrote:The Lotus that looks like a soviet tank... :wink:
Soviet tanks have a very efficient form of ground effects.
Its called weight.

xpensive
xpensive
214
Joined: 22 Nov 2008, 18:06
Location: Somewhere in Scandinavia

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

Porsche 956, sospensioni orrizzontali;

Image
Last edited by xpensive on 29 Mar 2014, 20:32, edited 1 time in total.
"I spent most of my money on wine and women...I wasted the rest"

Jersey Tom
Jersey Tom
166
Joined: 29 May 2006, 20:49
Location: Huntersville, NC

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

Those might be the squarest tires I've seen
Grip is a four letter word. All opinions are my own and not those of current or previous employers.

xpensive
xpensive
214
Joined: 22 Nov 2008, 18:06
Location: Somewhere in Scandinavia

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

Sorry I changed the image above JT, but I wanted to focus on the below. Tires were Dunlops btw.

But this is the really peculiar part with the 956 suspension, the progressive coil-spring winding, take a close look;

Image
"I spent most of my money on wine and women...I wasted the rest"

xpensive
xpensive
214
Joined: 22 Nov 2008, 18:06
Location: Somewhere in Scandinavia

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

As complicated as you can get, notice the common anti-roll bar;

Image
"I spent most of my money on wine and women...I wasted the rest"

xpensive
xpensive
214
Joined: 22 Nov 2008, 18:06
Location: Somewhere in Scandinavia

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

Image
"I spent most of my money on wine and women...I wasted the rest"

xpensive
xpensive
214
Joined: 22 Nov 2008, 18:06
Location: Somewhere in Scandinavia

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

Image
"I spent most of my money on wine and women...I wasted the rest"

xpensive
xpensive
214
Joined: 22 Nov 2008, 18:06
Location: Somewhere in Scandinavia

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

Ferrari 333 SP;

Image
"I spent most of my money on wine and women...I wasted the rest"

User avatar
Tim.Wright
330
Joined: 13 Feb 2009, 06:29

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

333 SP suspension doesn't seem so peculiar to me...
Not the engineer at Force India

xpensive
xpensive
214
Joined: 22 Nov 2008, 18:06
Location: Somewhere in Scandinavia

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

I remember having to buy the 1:12 Tamiya kit to get this on the BT44;

Image

Image
"I spent most of my money on wine and women...I wasted the rest"

xpensive
xpensive
214
Joined: 22 Nov 2008, 18:06
Location: Somewhere in Scandinavia

Re: Most peculiar suspensions.

Post

The rear of the Cosworth car was indeed peculiar;

Image
"I spent most of my money on wine and women...I wasted the rest"