Iranian Journal of Manufacturing Engineering

Iranian Journal of Manufacturing Engineering

Evaluation of the mechanical behavior of the suspension spring under quasi-static loading: comparison of analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Seyed Ahmad Mirmahdi 1
Mahdi Gerdooei 1
Javad Alinejad 2
Hossein Jalali 2
1 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Sharood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran
2 Iran spring science and technology center (ISSCT), Iran Fanarlool Company, Damghan, Iran
10.22034/ijme.2025.521482.2078
Abstract
The helical spring, a critical component of the MacPherson suspension system, plays a pivotal role in enhancing ride comfort, vehicle stability, and control. This study, conducted by the Iran Spring Science and Technology Center, investigates the mechanical behavior of a vehicle’s front suspension spring under quasi-static loading using analytical, numerical (finite element), and experimental approaches. In the analytical method, the internal energy function of the spring, derived from shear force and torsional moment, was formulated, and axial displacement and spring stiffness (19 N/mm) were calculated using Castigliano’s theorem. Finite element modeling, assuming a homogeneous and isotropic elastic material (EN10270-P2 steel, shear modulus 79.5 GPa), was performed in Abaqus with a standard solver. An experimental compression test, conducted using the IST-LT4 device equipped with a load cell and displacement sensor, generated a force-displacement curve to validate the analytical and numerical results. The comparison revealed that the finite element model, with an accuracy of 99.3%, outperforms the analytical model (95.1%) in predicting the spring’s mechanical behavior, primarily due to its ability to account for nonlinear geometric effects and frictional contact in inactive coils. Furthermore, hexahedral (Hex) elements demonstrated higher accuracy than tetrahedral (Tet) elements in simulating stress and displacement distributions. These findings underscore the superiority of the finite element method and the importance of selecting appropriate element types.
Keywords
Iran Fanarlool
Helical Spring
Compression Spring
Castigliano's Theorem
Finite Element Suspension System
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