Suspension software

Whats the latest on suspension design software? I'm not a professional so I'm not looking to spend $10k on a license.

Free is preferred but Ill consider paying for a license depending on the features.

 

What exactly are you looking to do? Are you looking to design suspension components? Do you want to be able to run FEA simulations to analyze your parts under varying scenarios/conditions?

Solidworks is probably the standard 3D modeling software but there's a number of alternatives but I'm not familiar with any that are free, unless you're a student. At my work we use Siemens NX and regular old Autocad. You can get a Solidworks for Makers License for $10/month or $100/year, it's essentially a hobbyist license and the best deal I've seen for personal use.

Another thing to consider is the computer you'll be running the software on. Most of those programs have minimum hardware requirements for a smooth experience as those programs are very taxing on the hardware especially if running simulations.

 

I would like to do some FEA. I'm using fusion360 now but it's so expensive. $40/month plus a few dollars for every simulation. Fusion also doesn't support GPU so it's really only good for small designs even with the best CPUs. All the FEA stuff in fusion is done in the cloud so processing there doesn't matter. I would rather use my own hardware insteaded of waiting for them to render it.

I hate to learn a totally new tool but it sounds like it could be worth it.

 

it doesn't look like I can do FEA on a hobbyist license. A standard add on for simulations is $2,194.00/year :'(

I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see it included in the list below.

 

No experience with Fusion360 but $40 a month isn't too bad for all the extra's included, but for hobby related tasks it is still a little up there so I feel that.

That's correct it is not included which is why I asked and there's no way to include it for a Makers/Hobbiest license either, for solid modeling it's hard to beat but it's limited on the Makers license. You could export your drawings into a free FEA software for your testing but sometimes files from a certain programs don't always play nicely together.

If you're okay deviating from the big guys in CAD, you could look into https://www.freecadweb.org/ for your designs and https://freefem.org/ for your simulations but when talking free not sure you'll find something that encompasses both in a package but if there is something I'd like to know too!

 

I misspoke. It's $70/month. This gives you unlimited model storage as opposed to only 10. It also allows you to run simulations. For example, a shape optimization costs $3 to run but you can only run it if you pay the $70/month subscription. I appreciate the links. I'll check them both out.

 

Hey there! There are several suspension design software options available, both free and paid. Some popular ones include OptimumG Suspension Analyzer, SusProg3D, and CarSim. OptimumG offers a free trial, while SusProg3D has a free version with limited features. CarSim offers a student version at a reduced cost. You can also use grey box vs. black box testing to test the site. I hope that helps!