Car Suspension Diagram Worksheet

All 9 parts on the diagram

Show the list

Strut (MacPherson strut) A tube with the shock absorber built in. It links the wheel to the body, so this corner needs no upper arm.
Coil spring Spring steel wound into a coil. It holds the car up and squeezes shorter when the wheel hits a bump.
Steering knuckle It carries the wheel hub and joins the suspension to the steering. It swivels so the front wheel can steer.
Wheel hub The turning center the wheel is bolted to. Wheel studs stick out of it to hold the wheel.
Lower control arm A hinged arm between the car's frame and the knuckle. It lets the wheel move up and down.
Ball joint A ball-and-socket joint between the control arm and the knuckle. It lets the wheel steer and the arm swing.
Tie rod end The jointed end of the steering's tie rod. It pushes and pulls the knuckle's arm to turn the wheel.
Sway bar (stabilizer bar) A steel bar across the car, joining the left and right sides. It twists to resist the body's roll in a turn.
Sway bar link A short rod joining each sway bar end to the suspension.

How this list was compiled: Read 2026-09-30; a name is kept only where at least two of these use it. (1) US Army, TM 9-8000, Principles of Automotive Vehicles (1985, public domain), chapter 30, Suspension systems, figures 30-1 (leaf springs: shackle, spring leaves), 30-9 (upper and lower control arm, upper and lower ball joint, steering knuckle, coil spring, shock absorber, stabilizer bar, stabilizer link), 30-13 (MacPherson strut) and 30-14 (U-bolts), paragraphs 30-8 (the strut houses the shock absorber and links the wheel and body) and 30-20 (swaybars), and chapter 33 (tie rod ends), https://archive.org/details/tm-9-8000-principles-of-automotive-vehicles-1985 . (2) Virginia Administrative Code, Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Regulations, 19VAC30-70-110, Steering and suspension, https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title19/agency30/chapter70/section110/ : shock absorbers, coil springs, MacPherson strut, tie rod end, ball joint, upper and lower control arm, bushing, stabilizer bars and links, shackles, U-bolts, axle. (3) Wikipedia, text only: MacPherson strut, Car suspension, Control arm, Ball joint, Steering knuckle, Anti-roll bar, Tie rod, Double wishbone suspension, Bushing (isolator), Leaf spring, Shackle, U-bolt, Beam axle, Shock absorber, Coil spring. Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's car, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

This car suspension diagram worksheet shows one front corner of a car from the front, the wheel in outline at the left. Nine parts carry a number, from the coil spring at the top to the arm along the bottom.

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Suspension word bank

Nine names, in alphabetical order: ball joint, coil spring, lower control arm, steering knuckle, strut (MacPherson strut), sway bar (stabilizer bar), sway bar link, tie rod end, wheel hub.

Numbers that get swapped

3 is the upright block (steering knuckle), 4 the flange with two studs beside the wheel (wheel hub). 5 is the long arm along the bottom (lower control arm), 6 the round joint at its outer end (ball joint). Two rods run off to the right. The upper one, with the ribbed boot, is the steering's, and 7 marks its end (tie rod end). The lower one is 8 (sway bar), and 9 the thin rod from its end up to the strut (sway bar link).

When marking, anti-roll bar is right on line 8, end link on line 9 and upright on line 3.
The body, the subframe and the steering rack are drawn to show where the parts are fixed. They have no number.

Questions and answers

What is a MacPherson strut?

A suspension whose telescopic damper top is the upper pivot the wheel steers on, so the strut turns with the wheel. It is widely used at the front of modern cars.

What is a ball joint on a car?

A spherical bearing that joins a control arm to the steering knuckle. Its stud is tapered and fits a tapered hole in the knuckle, and a rubber-like boot keeps dirt out.

Is a spindle the same as a steering knuckle?

No, though the names get swapped. On a wheel that is not driven, the knuckle usually has a spindle, a shaft the wheel turns freely on. On a driven wheel the knuckle has a hub instead, which holds the bearings and the drive shaft.

Is a tie rod the same as a track rod?

Yes. Track rod is the usual name in the United Kingdom. A car's tie rods are part of the steering, and they both push and pull.