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Old 03-27-2007, 12:23 PM   #4
2001ragtop

 
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Drives: V8 american car
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Dallas, Tx
Posts: 1,417
zeta front suspension

This it not an exact photo of the Camaro setup, but it is an example. Very few cars use this style with two ball joints. (not sure if a 2004-2006 GTO also has this set up.)
The two arms you see in this photo (looking from the bottom of the car as shown) are not in the same plane like a typical "A" shaped control arm. They are at funky angles.

I am hoping this suspension will be useful on the new Camaro. Camaro front end uses the assembly below. I have read it allows there to be a "cushion" when you hit bad bumps and it reduces bump steer.

Name:  dd_virtualpivot.jpg
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Dual ball joint suspension

A dual ball joint suspension uses a pair of arms, one in tension, one in compression, to replace a wishbone, in a MacPherson or SLA suspension. The outer end of each arm terminates in a ball joint, hence the name.

General description
The two arms, the spindle, and the body, form a four bar link. Careful optimisation of the geometry leads to an effective virtual ball joint outboard of the spindle, which is very useful for a suspension designer, allowing negative Scrub radius whilst keeping the ball joints fairly close in to the body, out of the way of the brakes.

this info about GM zeta platform referenced from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dual_ball_joint_suspension
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