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Certification for Suspension Components in the UK - question?
woodsy144 - 25/11/19 at 12:49 AM

Hello,

Just have a question, in the UK do you have to demonstrate engineering for self made components such as control arms when you present your vehicle for registration?
ie FEA reports, physical testing reports

In AU we have to demonstrate to the certifying engineer that self made components meet a certain level, and was just wondering what is the process in the UK?

steve m - 25/11/19 at 07:55 AM

The answer is NO

However cars built post 1999 have/had to go through an inspection called SVA/IVA and if the tester saw some dodgy welding or poorly construction, the car would probably fail

steve

Mr Whippy - 25/11/19 at 12:35 PM

No chance, testing in service, then moaned about on here when the wheels fall off...

Even aftermarket OEM parts have no paperwork with them so could be make from old fridges and Chernobyl for all we know.

Saying that I've had original suspension parts on tin tops fitted by the manufacturer snap right off at the welds so there's no winning

Full certification and testing, that's why airplanes are so expensive.

coyoteboy - 25/11/19 at 05:30 PM

Not required. Plenty of dangerously designed aftermarket parts out there.

big_wasa - 25/11/19 at 08:01 PM

I once see an Iva/sva inspector say to a builder “your welding is poo but there is plenty of it so it probably won’t fall of”

woodsy144 - 25/11/19 at 09:38 PM

Very interesting.
Thanks guys

In Victoria (Australia) all suspension components have to be deemed fit for purpose.
For made components they must be either physically tested or proven by FEA / hand calcs.
The load case is at the contact patch,

- bump loads: 4g vertical;
- rut loads: 1g vertical combined with 0.6g lateral; and
- skid loads: 2g vertical combined with 1.2g skid (longitudinal).
- overturning loads: 2g vertical combined with 2.5g overturning

Mr Whippy - 26/11/19 at 12:41 PM

tbh those loads seem quite low

So when you buy, say a replacement wishbone for your car it comes with all this certification??? here your doing well if it's in a bag, the sign of quality...

nick205 - 26/11/19 at 04:55 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
tbh those loads seem quite low

So when you buy, say a replacement wishbone for your car it comes with all this certification??? here your doing well if it's in a bag, the sign of
quality...



Aint that true!

I've bought replacement front wishbones (ball joints and bushes already fitted) here in the UK before several times, certainly no certification given with them and if they come in a cardboard box or poly bag you're doing well.

chillis - 27/11/19 at 10:58 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
No chance, testing in service, then moaned about on here when the wheels fall off...

Even aftermarket OEM parts have no paperwork with them so could be make from old fridges and Chernobyl for all we know.

Saying that I've had original suspension parts on tin tops fitted by the manufacturer snap right off at the welds so there's no winning

Full certification and testing, that's why airplanes are so expensive.


This is not true. I work for a company whose business is certification and testing and we test a lot of aftermarket and generic replacement parts for many business lines and certify as required. Much of this is to do with covering the manufacturer in the event of failures and the subsequent claims. A court would expect the manufacturer to have conducted suitable testing of a product before sale.
It is however not a business area that is talked about much within the general public so it is easy to see how people may think aftermarket or generic products are not tested.

To answer the OP's original question, an enthusiastic amateur can make suspension and other parts but before the vehicle can be registered for road use an IVA examination of the vehicle must take place, though the components are usually only visually inspected.

HTH

Mr Whippy - 27/11/19 at 12:25 PM

nope never seen once any testing cert for an aftermarket part, best I've seen is a bag and a bar code, as for stuff made in China hmm