Editing a Front MacPherson Strut (1pc LCA)

This front suspension was selected in the Wizard. After you have stepped through the Wizard, you can use the System/Assembly panel to make further adjustments.

  1. in the Model Browser, click on Frnt macpherson susp (1 pc. LCA) to view the System/Assembly panel. The front MacPherson strut (1pc LCA) suspension offers a standard set of attachments, options, and properties that you can set.
  2. Click the Attachments tab.
    Attachments determine how the MacPherson Strut attaches to the rest of the system. The front MacPherson strut (1pc LCA) suspension has attachments for the lower control arm (LCA). The strut rod attachment is set in the strut subsystem.

    The lower control arm attaches to the sub-frame by default, if a subframe is present. When a sub-frame is not present in the model, the Assembly Wizard attaches the lower control arm to the vehicle body. If the vehicle body is not present, for example in a half vehicle model, then the Assembly Wizard will attach the lower control arm (LCA) to ground.

    The strut-rod attaches to the vehicle body by default. When a vehicle body is not present in the model, for example in a half vehicle model, then the Assembly Wizard will attach the strut-rod to ground.

    1. Set the attachment for the lower control arm by revising the attachments within the Attachments tab on the System/Assembly panel.
    2. Set the strut-rod attachment by revising the attachments within the Attachments tab on the System/Assembly panel.
  3. Click the Options tab.
  4. For Compliant, make a selection:
    • No: The suspension bushings are replaced with joints making the suspension kinematic, and the lower control arm bushings are replaced with a single revolute joint at the front bushing, with a rotational axis directed along the line from the front LCA bushing to the front LCA bushing.
    • Yes:
  5. For Spindle compliance, make a selection:
    • No:
    • Yes: The wheel body connects to the wheel hub via a universal joint and bushing. The universal joint allows camber and toe deflection of the wheel relative to the wheel hub. The wheel hub bushing’s Kx and Ky rates determine the amount of spindle compliance introduced.
  6. The front MacPherson strut (1pc LCA) suspension includes a static alignment dataset and form holding toe and camber variables that determine the orientation of the wheel relative to the knuckle and body in the Global coordinate system. To set the values for toe and camber, in the Model Browser, click Data Sets > Static Wheel Alignment or Forms > Static Wheel Alignment and alter the values of the toe and camber variables in the panel.
    It is important to note that you cannot set the toe angle and camber angle independently for the left and right wheels; the toe and camber values must be symmetric.
    The toe and camber values that you set will change the location of the spindle align point relative to the wheel center point via parametric expressions. You can view these expressions by selecting the spindle align point and examining its X, Y, and Z locations.