Which suspension design features upper and lower control arms with a ball joint connection to the steering knuckle?

• A. MacPherson Strut
• B. Trailing Arm Suspension
• C. Short/Long Arm Suspension
• D. Multi-link Suspension

Answer: (C)

The design tested is defined by having an upper and a lower control arm, both ending in ball joints that connect to the steering knuckle. This is the short/long arm suspension, also known as a double-wishbone setup. The two-arms arrangement lets the wheel hub move while maintaining better control of the wheel’s camber as the suspension cycles, which keeps tire contact with the road more consistent during compression and rebound.

This differs from a MacPherson strut setup, which uses a single lower control arm and a strut assembly that attaches directly to the knuckle, limiting the arm count and relying on the strut for much of the vertical load path. Trailing arm configurations use a single arm extending rearward, not a pair of arms at the knuckle, and multi-link designs use multiple links to control motion, often with different linkage configurations. The hallmark among these for the described feature is the two arms with ball joints to the knuckle, which points to the short/long arm suspension.