Dual-pivot steering geometry (also known as virtual pivot) is a geometric arrangement of linkages in the steering of a car designed to reduce or eliminate scrub radius by moving the pivot point of the king pin outboard, in order to improve steering precision and straight line stability. [1] [2]
It is typically used with a MacPherson strut, but can also be applied to a double wishbone suspension. [3] In either case, the difference is that the single bottom wishbone is replaced by a pair of suspension links forming a trapezoidal four-bar linkage. This allows the kingpin to pivot about a pivot point nearer the center of the wheel's contact patch instead of the traditional pivot point at the ball joint of the bottom wishbone. [2]
The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles. The name comes from American automotive engineer Earle S. MacPherson, who invented and developed the design.
A strut is a structural component commonly found in engineering, aeronautics, architecture and anatomy. Struts generally work by resisting longitudinal compression, but they may also serve in tension.
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), also known as the Detroit Auto Show, is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., at Huntington Place. The show was held in January from 1989 to 2019. It was intended to move to the summer in 2020, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic that year and 2021, before returning in September 2022. It is among the largest auto shows in North America. UPI says the show is "regarded as the foremost venue for [car] manufacturers to unveil new products".
Independent suspension is any automobile suspension system that allows each wheel on the same axle to move vertically independently of the others. This is contrasted with a beam axle or deDion axle system in which the wheels are linked. "Independent" refers to the motion or path of movement of the wheels or suspension. It is common for the left and right sides of the suspension to be connected with anti-roll bars or other such mechanisms. The anti-roll bar ties the left and right suspension spring rates together but does not tie their motion together.
A double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design for automobiles using two wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckle. The shock absorber and coil spring mount to the wishbones to control vertical movement. Double wishbone designs allow the engineer to carefully control the motion of the wheel throughout suspension travel, controlling such parameters as camber angle, caster angle, toe pattern, roll center height, scrub radius, scuff, and more.
The Chapman strut is a design of independent rear suspension used for light cars, particularly sports and racing cars. It takes its name from, and is best known for its use by, Colin Chapman of Lotus.
Automobile was an American automobile magazine published by the Motor Trend Group. A group of former employees of Car and Driver led by David E. Davis founded Automobile in 1986 with support from Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, using the credo No Boring Cars.Automobile distinguished itself as more of a lifestyle magazine than the other automotive publications, an editorial theme that Davis greatly expanded upon from his tenure as the editor of Car and Driver, though it was a sister publication to Motor Trend.
The Chicago Auto Show is held annually in February at Chicago's McCormick Place convention center. It is the largest auto show in North America.
The New York International Auto Show is an annual auto show that is held in Manhattan, New York City in late March or early April. It is held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. It usually opens on or just before Easter weekend and closes on the first Sunday after Easter.
The Alfa Romeo GT is a coupe automobile that was produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 2003 and 2010. The GT was introduced in March 2003 at the Geneva Motor Show. Production started on 28 November 2003 at the Pomigliano d'Arco plant, which the GT shared the assembly plant with the 147 and 159. A total of 80,832 units were produced.
In automotive suspension, a control arm, also known as an A-arm, is a hinged suspension link between the chassis and the suspension upright or hub that carries the wheel. In simple terms, it governs a wheel's vertical travel, allowing it to move up or down when driving over bumps, into potholes, or otherwise reacting to the irregularities of a road surface. Most control arms form the lower link of a suspension. Control arms play a crucial role in the suspension system of a vehicle. They help to keep the wheels aligned and maintain proper tire contact with the road, which is essential for safety and stability.
Torque steer is the unintended influence of engine torque on the steering, especially in front-wheel-drive vehicles. For example, during heavy acceleration, the steering may pull to one side, which may be disturbing to the driver. The effect is manifested either as a tugging sensation in the steering wheel, or a veering of the vehicle from the intended path. Torque steer is directly related to differences in the forces in the contact patches of the left and right drive wheels. The effect becomes more evident when high torques are applied to the drive wheels because of a high overall reduction ratio between the engine and wheels, high engine torque, or some combination of the two. Torque steer is distinct from steering kickback.
The Los Angeles Auto Show, also known as the LA Auto Show, is an auto show held annually at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is open to the public for ten days, filling 760,000 square feet (71,000 m2) of exhibit space. Since 2006 the event is held in November or December.
In an automobile, ball joints are spherical bearings that connect the control arms to the steering knuckles, and are used on virtually every automobile made. They bionically resemble the ball-and-socket joints found in most tetrapod animals.
A dual ball joint suspension uses a pair of arms, one in tension, one in compression, to replace a wishbone, in a MacPherson or SLA suspension. The outer end of each arm terminates in a ball joint, hence the name.
The D-segment is the 4th category of the European segments for passenger cars, and is described as "large cars".
RevoKnuckle is a variation of the MacPherson strut suspension design by Ford which separates steering and suspension movements to provide lower scrub radius and kingpin offset than traditional MacPherson struts.
The Fiat C-platform was an automobile platform used in small family cars of the Fiat Group. The predecessors of the C-platform were the Type Three and Type Two platforms, and the successor is the new Compact platform which debuted in Alfa Romeo Giulietta in 2010.
The Acura TLX is a four-door entry-level luxury sedan sold by Acura, a luxury division of Honda, since 2014. It is the successor to both the TL and TSX models. As of 2021, the discontinuation of the RLX leaves the TLX as the flagship sedan in Acura's lineup.
The Type Two platform was a front wheel drive platform designed by the Italian Fiat Group and used during the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s for a range of Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia models. It introduced the concept of a "modular" platform, albeit not as modular as current platforms are, allowing the group to assemble various models, also with some special modifications, from the same floorpan. It uses four-wheel independent suspension, composed of MacPherson struts at the front and trailing arms at the rear, with Alfa Romeo Spider and GTV using a multilink setup rather than trailing arms.