Static stiffness calculation and test validation of bushing-type rubber suspension for tracked vehicles
LI Ningyi
LIU Xixia
CHEN Hongqian
ZHANG Yu
Abstract：[Objective]At present,there is no targeted static stiffness calculation method for bushing-type rubber suspensions of tracked vehicles under combined deformation conditions.A static stiffness calculation method applicable to multiple bushing configurations was proposed to provide reference for the initial design and stiffness matching of rubber suspensions.[Methods]Firstly,based on the linear elastic mechanical analysis method,the effects of radial,tilting and torsional deformations of axisymmetric rubber bushings on suspension travel were analyzed,and calculation formulas for the balance elbow rotation angle and road wheel vertical displacement were derived to support stiffness calculation.Secondly,combined with the cross-sectional characteristics of axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric rubber bushings,vertical deformation compensation and rotation angle correction coefficient were introduced,and calculation methods for the static vertical stiffness and static torsional stiffness of the suspension under combined deformation were established.Then,finite element models of the bushings were established using Ansys/Workbench software,and static mechanical simulation analysis was performed to verify the accuracy of deformation calculation.Finally,a loading test bench for rubber suspensions was constructed,and the engineering applicability of the stiffness calculation method was verified through quasi-static loading tests.[Results]The results show that the force and deformation law of the rubber bushing is consistent with the simulation and test results.The errors between the calculated values and test values of the static vertical stiffness and static torsional stiffness are 9.43％and 5.71％respectively,both within the 10％allowable engineering error range,which can satisfy the engineering requirements of preliminary suspension design.
Keywords：Rubber bushingRubber suspensionVertical stiffnessTorsional stiffnessLoading test
Publication Date：2026-08-15
Online Publishing Date：2026-09-12(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：8( 183-190 )