Front axle: further modifications to McPherson technology

A McPherson front axle offers substantial advantages for front-wheel-drive vehicles and Mercedes-Benz has taken the development of this design to a new level. Where the wheel is normally located by the suspension strut, track rod and a camber arm with anti-roll bar, the front axle of the new A-Class can call on the additional benefits of rigid wishbones. These assume wheel location duties from the anti-roll bar, which is linked to the strut suspension by a torsion bar linkage and newly developed rubber mounts. This solution widens the scope of possible chassis settings – especially when it comes to enhancing elasto-kinematics and reducing road roar and tyre vibration - and at the same time facilitates the precise adjustment of the caster angle and camber. The wishbones each consist of two welded sheet steel shells and are attached to the frame-type integral support using large rubber mounts. Optimised sup-port heads have also been developed for the McPherson axle’s twin-tube shock absorbers.