Abstract: This paper details a structured methodology for designing and validating a coil-spring cab suspension system for a heavy commercial vehicle (HCV) to enhance driver ride comfort. The design process focuses on isolating the cabin from road-induced chassis vibrations. Key inputs include vehicle weight distribution and data obtained through road load data acquisition (RLDA). A single-degree-of-freedom base excitation model is utilized to set a target natural frequency of 2 Hz for the cab suspension. Detailed calculations determine the stiffness and geometrical parameters for the front and rear coil springs. The performance of the designed system is virtually validated using Multi-Body Dynamics (MBD) analysis in MSC ADAMS. Simulations for standard ride events, such as rough road and low-speed bumps, yield a Ride Quality Number (RQN) between 6.5 and 7.5, indicating satisfactory performance. A comparative analysis confirms the superiority of the four-point coil spring configuration over alternative design schemes. The study concludes that an integrated approach, combining theoretical calculations with advanced CAE tools, is effective for developing a cost-effective and performance-optimized cab suspension.

Keywords: Cab Suspension, Ride Quality, Vehicle Dynamics, Spring Design, Finite Element Analysis, Heavy Commercial Vehicle.

Downloads: | DOI: 10.17148/IARJSET.2025.121014