Explain with sketch the working of Mac-pherson strut type independent suspension, with its advantages and disadvantages.

• The Mac-pherson strut is a type of car suspension system which uses the axis of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot.
• It is widely used in modern vehicles and named after Earle S. Mac-pherson, who developed the design.
• Mac-pherson struts consist of a wishbone or a substantial compression link stabilized by a secondary link which provides a bottom mounting point for the hub or axle of the wheel. This lower arm system provides both lateral and longitudinal location of the wheel.
• The upper part of the hub is rigidly fixed to the inner part of the strut, the outer part of which extends upwards directly to a mounting in the chassis of the vehicle.
• The wishbone is hinged to the cross member and resists accelerating, braking and side forces.

Advantages:

• Simple design
• Low manufacturing cost
• It is lighter than double wishbone type and hence unsprung weight is lower.
• It gives maximum room in the engine compartment and hence generally used in FWD vehicles.

Disadvantages:

• It requires substantial vertical space and a strong top mount.
• Geometric analysis shows it cannot allow vertical movement of the wheel without some degree of either camber angle change, sideways movement, or both.
• It is not generally considered to give as good handling as a double wishbone or multi-link suspension, because it allows the engineers less freedom to choose camber change and roll centre.
• It tends to transmit noise and vibration from the road directly into the body shell, giving higher noise levels and a "harsh" feeling to the ride compared with double wishbones.