LFS Editor/Guides/Suspension

This page or section is being initially created, or is in the process of an expansion or major restructuring. You are welcome to assist in its construction by editing it.

LFS Editor
Getting Started Quick Start Installation User Interface Learn Guides Vehicle Layout Modelling Loading & Saving a Model Importing External Model Rotating a Model Smoothing Groups Extrude and Lathe Level of detail (LOD) and Shadow / Physics / Collision Meshes Moving Parts of a Model to a Different Model Modeller Background Images Draw Order of Materials and Triangles Texturing Suspension Wheels & Tyres Drivetrain Engine Masses Lights Dashboard Number Plates Mirrors Steering Wheel Driver Animations Custom Skins Customisable Colours Aerodynamics Driver Side Swap Car Configurations Moving Parts Collaboration Optimisations Tutorials Reference Manual Vehicle Editor Modeller Options Keyboard Shortcuts File Formats Glossary Troubleshooting & FAQ Troubleshooting Frequently Asked Questions Version History
Vehicle Mods

LFS currently supports the following suspension types: Rigid, Linear, Front fork, MacPherson strut, Double wishbone, Trailing arm.

Double wishbone

To set double wishbone suspension you will need a thrust bearing, and upper and lower pivot. These are points on the car body, created in the Vehicle Editor in the same way as 'frame' points then set to the appropriate type.

1. 1 Press S to enter 'Special Draw' mode
2. 2 Click new point near the top right
3. 3 Position this point somewhere inboard of the lower part of the front suspension
4. 4 Adjust POINT type to 'lower pivot'
5. 5 Deselect that point by clicking on it
6. 6 Repeat steps 2 to 5 to create an 'upper pivot' somewhere above the lower pivot
7. 7 Repeat steps 2 to 5 to create a 'thrust bearing' somewhere above the pivot points
8. 8 Now you can set the type to Double Wishbone (in the Suspension tab at top left)

For single seaters you will probably want to add additional points and tubes so you form a 'wishbone' shape instead of a single rod connecting the suspension to the car.

For examples you can have a look at the existing Formula cars.

After setting up the suspension, press ⇧ Shift + L to see a diagram of the suspension geometry and press space to see how it reacts when the car is dropped. You can also switch on the Zero Springs Test in Suspension tab (at the top left) to see how the car falls down to the bump stops. This can help you to observe the way the camber changes according to the suspension geometry.

Bike suspension

See also: Bike steering & Suspension on YouTube

Rear suspension

The "trailing arm" suspension type is recommended for the rear suspension. You create a "trailing arm" object with its object centre at the pivot point for the rear suspension. That must correspond with a "lower pivot" point in the vehicle editor.

Front suspension

In the Modeller:

1) Adjust the "steering wheel" (handlebar) object so that the rotation point is aligned with the top bolt - the centre of the top bolt should have x=0 and y=0.

After the "steering wheel" is in the right place, then back in the vehicle editor:

2) Increase the "Trail Reduction" in the Steering / Driver section to match the offset between the stanchions and the steering axis. As you do that, the wheel moves forward. So then you reduce the "Forward" value in "Suspension" section by the same amount to compensate. By trial and error you can end up with the steering axis line going straight through the centre of the bolt, then the steering should work correctly.