Analytical calculation method and simulation of deformation and stress of Z-type guide arm for interconnected air suspensions

Y To design and check the strength of the Z-type guide arm of interconnected air suspensions for semi-trailers rapidly and effectively, this paper proposes the analytical calculation methods of its deformation and stress. First, based on the guide arm structure, it is marked as two parts by its mountpoint on the axle as the boundary. The part containing the eye was marked as Arm-1. The other part was marked as Arm-2. Then the analytical formulas of their stiffness and stress were derived, respectively. With a case study, the deformation and the stress were computed and simulated. The results show that the values computed are close to those simulated. The relative deviations are not more than 5.0%. The results show that the analytical formulas are acceptable. Moreover, it can be seen that for the superimposed Arm-1, when the other structural parameters are fixed, the position of the maximum stress is affected by the thickness ratio of the end thickness to the root thickness for each piece. Finally, a stiffness test was performed on the Z-type guide arm. The results show that the computed stiffness values are closed to those tested and the relative deviations are not more than 3.5%. This further verified the validity of the established model and methods.