A two-degree-of-freedom system with a clearance and subjected to harmonic excitation is considered. The correlative relationship and matching law between dynamic performance and system parameters are studied by multi-parameter and multi-performance co-simulation analysis. Two key parameters of the system, the exciting frequency ω and clearance δ, are emphasized to reveal the influence of the main factors on dynamic performance of the system. Diversity and evolution of periodic impact motions are analyzed. The fundamental group of impact motions is defined, which have the period of exciting force and differ by the numbers p and q of impacts occurring at the left and right constraints of the clearance. The occurrence mechanism of chattering-impact vibration of the system is studied. As the clearance δ is small or small enough, the transition from 1–p–p to 1–(p+1)–(p+1) motion (the fundamental group of motions, p≥1) basically goes through the processes as follows: pitchfork bifurcation of symmetric 1–p–p motion, period-doubling bifurcation of asymmetric 1–p–p motion, non-periodic or chaotic motions caused by a succession of period-doubling bifurcations, symmetric 1–(p+1)–(p+1) motion generated by a degeneration of chaos. As for slightly large clearance, a series of grazing bifurcations of periodic symmetrical impact motions occur with decreasing the exciting frequency so that the number p of impacts of the fundamental group of motions increases two by two. As p becomes big enough, the incomplete chattering-impact motion will appear which exhibits a chattering sequence in an excitation period followed by a finite sequence of impacts with successively reduced velocity and reaches the non-sticking region. Finally, the complete chattering-impact motion with sticking will occur with decreasing the exciting frequency ω up to the sliding bifurcation boundary. A series of singular points on the boundaries between existence regions of any adjacent symmetrical impact motions with fundamental period are found, i.e., two different saddle-node bifurcation boundaries of one of them, real-grazing and bare-grazing bifurcation boundaries of the other alternately and mutually cross themselves at the points of intersection and create inevitably two types of transition regions: narrow hysteresis and small tongue-shaped regions. A series of zones of regular periodic and subharmonic impact motions are found to exist in the tongue-shaped regions. Based on the sampling ranges of parameters, the influence of dynamic parameters on impact velocities, existence regions and correlative distribution of different types of periodic-impact motions of the system is emphatically analyzed.