wishbone shape

[Kev_205]

Does wishbone shape affect how a car handles?
I am looking at ways to lower my engine and the main issue is the driveshafts run too close to the subframe and wishbone pickup points.
so I want to modify the subframe and in effect decrease the wishbone width

from this sort of shape

OOO /---------
OO /
--
OO \
OOO \---------

to something a little less symetrical


000 /----------
00/
--
00 \-----------

obviously there would be potentially a higher risk of bending in an impact or heavy knock but I cant see a problem otherwise. This seems a little easier than the suggestion of rotating the gearbox to raise the driveshafts up, as that adds so many other problems to sort

ps and obviously those attempts at diagrams are awful too lol

edit
damn - my spaces were removed. The zeros' are air :P

[Dave Brand]

What you need to do is draw the two layouts & plot the path taken by the upright through the full range of suspensio movement - if it's the same for both, there's no problem. If there are significant differences, it will affect handling.

[dtype38]

If you keep the basic geometry of the joints the same... ie if the inner pivot centre line is the same, the distance from that to the ball joint (length of the wishbone) is the same, and you don't move the ball joint forwards or backwards, then the shape of the wishbone itself is pretty irrelevant. You just have to be careful to make it wide enough at the pivot end to take the fore/aft loads from the wheel and make sure it clears everything from full lock to full lock and for the full suspension travel

[*J*]

Are you talking about shape? or hard point location? If its hard points then yes. If its shape, then aslong as no strange flexing goes on, no aerodynamic, and no mass centre changes are experienced then no.

[Kev_205]

so if I keep the hardpoint of the hub and the front subframe hardpoint the same as long as the wishbone movement is not altered the rear subframe hardpoint can be moved without affecting the car handling

[dtype38]

Yes, you can move it backwards or forwards so long as its still in line with front one. Just keep in mind that if you move it forward, it increases the stress on the chassis.