Road transport plays an important role in the transport of goods and people and is important for the national economy. Damage usually excludes the means of transport from operation, which causes disruption of supply chains. One such damage is the failure of the suspension system of the vehicle or trailer, which usually occurs when the vehicle is heavily loaded. Such a defective system has been analyzed in this publication. Mathematical apparatus and finite element method (FEM) numerical simulations were used. A dangerous axle cross-section in terms of load was indicated and the maximum stresses in this area were calculated for two types of roads. On highways, the stress at the critical point was 199 MPa, and on uneven roads it increased to 304 MPa, which is comparable to the yield point. It was found that the second form of vibration may cause stresses in the damage area, but the excitation frequency would have to be quite high. The probability of such a load and failure event occurring is low under operating conditions.
Keywords: FEM analysis; failure analysis; fracture mechanics; macroscopic research; semi-trailers.