Front

LEGEND
1 Aluminum Crossbeam
2 Co-axial Spring and Damper
3 Upper Wishbone
4 Vertical Link and Bearing Assembly
5 Lower Wishbone
6 Stabilizer Link
7 Lower Wishbone Ball Joint
8 Upper Wishbone Ball Joint
9 Stabilizer Bar
10 Front Hub
11 Hub Nut/ABS Rotor

The independent front suspension is of the double wishbone type and is mounted on an aluminum crossbeam.

The crossbeam is a heat-treated aircraft specification aluminum casting and is mounted on four resilient mountings. It carries mounting points for upper and lower wishbones, steel crossbeam tie bar, stabilizer bar, power steering rack and engine mounts.

A two-piece steel forged wide base lower wishbone and a one-piece steel forged upper wishbone are used. A vertical link is installed between the wishbones and carries the live front hub, combined hub nut and ABS rotor, ABS sensor and connector, cartridge wheel bearings, and brake rotor and caliper assemblies. The vertical link swivels in two ball joints which are pressed into the upper and lower wishbones.

A co-axial spring and damper unit is installed between the lower wishbone and the vehicle body.

A stabilizer bar is mounted on the crossbeam and is connected to each lower wishbone by a short link.

As the road wheel rises, the movement is transmitted to the vertical link, then through the ball joints to the upper and lower wishbones and the co-axial spring and damper assembly.

The spring absorbs the shock and the damper damps any unwanted spring frequencies, which could lead to an unstable vehicle.

When cornering, weight is transferred to the outer wheel and there is a natural tendency for the inner wheel to lift.

The stabilizer bar helps to minimize this by transferring some of the apparent rise of the outer wheel to the inner wheel through the links to the lower wishbones. This helps to provide a more level ride.

Adaptive damping may also be specified as an option.