Date of Defense

12-2-2025

Date of Graduation

12-2025

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

First Advisor

Matthew Cavalli

Second Advisor

Ryan Lenger

Abstract

This project presents the design, analysis, fabrication, and preliminary testing of an off-road, triangulated four-link rear suspension trailing arm tailored for light-duty prerunner applications common in the Midwestern United States. Existing aftermarket trailing arms are typically optimized for heavy desert-racing environments, resulting in components that are overbuilt, overweight, and unnecessarily costly for Midwest hobbyist use. To address this gap, a fully parametric sheet-metal trailing arm was developed in SolidWorks, enabling rapid adjustment of geometry, material thickness, and motion-ratio characteristics for a wide range of vehicles. The design was evaluated through numerical calculations, joint and bolt analysis, Euler buckling checks, and finite element simulations to characterize expected static, dynamic, and axial loading conditions up to 3 G’s. A prototype trailing arm and a dedicated test fixture were fabricated, with bearing stresses, deformation patterns, and predicted failure modes validated through controlled loading and strain-measurement techniques. Results indicate that the optimized design meets the target factor of safety of 2.0, with intentional failure modes occurring at the shock-mounting bolts rather than within the arm structure itself. The outcome of this project is a lighter, more manufacturable, and cost-effective trailing arm design suited for off-road recreation, along with a configurable toolset and experimental framework for future adaptation and refinement.

Comments

Co-authored with:

Jesse Hunt

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Restricted

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