Ferrari F2012 Front Pull-Rod Suspension

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Here are two fairly in-depth articles regarding the new front suspension. It is a little technical, but plain enough for the everyday person to grasp.

First article:
http://www.vivaf1.com/blog/?p=10173





Second article:
http://www.vivaf1.com/blog/?p=10280






What seems clear from all the different technical analyses I've seen is that while many would like to say Ferrari has gone out on a limb with the new front suspension, just because it hasn't been used in 10 years doesn't mean it won't work and work well. It's fairly safe to say the front pull rod suspension will be the least of our worries.
Enjoy, it's great reading & will help all TIFOSI better understand our new car. Also keep in mind this new "radical" car will also be the basis of the 2013 car so it's paramount the team has a full understanding of the new machine. #TIFOSI

[Forza 27]

Ferrari front pull-rod

When the rumour of front pull-rod was circulated during the pre-season, it didn't seem realistic that this could work. At the rear the low position of the gearbox makes the pull-rod geometry easy to achieve, but at the front the chassis is some 30cm in the air; this places the pull-rod nearly horizontally.

Intuitively, this looks like the rod would barely move the rocker as the wheel rises. But the pull-rod actually operates by creating a triangle with the wishbone, so in actual fact it's the angle between the wishbone and pull-rod that creates the displacement. When comparing Ferrari's pull-rod geometry to a push-rod, the relative angles are the same and therefore both operate the rocker equally efficiently.

So clearly Ferrari has found a solution that has similar geometry to the push-rod that went before it. So it's unlikely that they have gone this route for improvement in operating suspension. The most likely benefit will be aerodynamics and packaging.

Aerodynamics may seem an odd benefit; it's true the pull-rod can be thinner, which might create a small benefit, but it's likely the near horizontal position of the pull-rod is the key to the real benefit. Teams already shape their wishbones to manage airflow off the front wing. Within the tight rules, quite a lot of aero effect is achieved with the wishbones. As the pull-rod is horizontal compared to the angled push-rod, it can be more effective in altering the airflow over the car.Also the packaging around the front brake ducts becomes easier compared to push-rod, as a pull-rod no longer passes straight through the area where the cooling scoop is fitted. This creates more freedom for the designer to shape the brake ducts.

With the F2012's nose and chassis being raised to their maximum, the centre of gravity of the car will be also be raised. As pull-rod effectively turns the push-rod system upside down, the weight of the rockers, torsion bars and other mechanical parts are now placed at the bottom of the nose, rather than the top. This helps lower the centre of gravity a little, to offset the new nose design.

However, no gains come without compromises. Having the pull-rod mounted to the top wishbone creates much greater loads in the wishbone. This means the wishbone and its mounting with the chassis need to be stronger, this will cost some weight.

Ferrari appeared to have struggled in the first test. With so many new solutions on the car it's hard to pinpoint what might be causing the issues. Going its own direction with pull-rod suspension at the front might be seen a risk this year, but with suspension simulation on both computer software and on the seven-post rig, it's unlikely the pull-rod set-up will be contributing to the problems.

Overall, the gains for a pull-rod set-up are small, but clearly worth chasing. Ferrari has stolen a march on its competitors with the front pull-rod. Its rivals will not be able to react to the change this year, due to a completely now monocoque and front suspension being needed. For such a small gain, this would be a time consuming and expensive change mid-season. Now doubt this concept will go onto the "to do" list of the design teams for their 2013 cars.

Copyright: Craig Scarborough & AutosportPlus

I agree with you that front suspension can't be the main problem at the moment. It seems that they achived enough suspension movement and geometry is similar to the push-rod suspension. We will see how much those benefits influence the stability and aero. The team has to gain some experience on setup work which is quite different from what Ferrari did before so there is more potencial to be extraced from the suspension itself.

Ps. I added analysis for last picture in first post.

[Stormsearcher]

Thanks crucial!! Its much better now, knowing what they are talking about.

[Crucial_Xtreme]

Thanks crucial!! Its much better now, knowing what they are talking about.

no problem. I just wanted to post something so people would know more about the suspension. Our rivals try to make it out like we were dumb for switching or that it's going to cause lots of problems. So I wanted to show everyone the best technical explanation for knowledge of the system and to alleviate any fears for going with something that hasn't been used in 10+ years. Cheers. #TIFOSI

[zuludemon]

Ive not read all that been said but the issue with a front pull rod from my understanding i one of motion ratio and the additional load that will be going through uprights/rockers... The advantage is the rod is generally smaller than a push rod as its easier to work with something thats predominantly in tension.