Road Vehicle Suspensions

Road Vehicle Suspensions gives a comprehensive survey of the kinematics, elasto-kinematics, and design methods for vehicle wheel suspensions.

Available for the first time in English (from the second edition in German), this book will serve as an invaluable reference source for automotive design, test, and development engineers, as well as a useful student text.

CONTENTS INCLUDE

• Basic characteristics of wheel suspensions
• Kinematic analysis of wheel suspensions
• The tyre
• Springs and dampers
• Traction and braking
• Cornering
• The steering
• Elasto-kinematics
• Synthesis and design
• Motorcycle suspensions
• Independent wheel suspensions
• Rigid-axle suspensions
• Compound suspensions
• References
• Index

Basic characteristics of wheel suspensions: degrees of freedom of wheel suspensions

Elements of wheel suspensions

Basic types of wheel suspensions. Kinematic analysis of wheel suspensions: basic rules of planar kinematics

Basic rules of vector calculation

Considerations of wheel-suspension systematics

Motion analysis of the wheel carrier

External and internal forces

Influence of driveshafts and reduction gears

Attitude and motion of the wheel. The tyre. Springs and dampers: purpose of springing and damping

Vehicles vibrations

Interaction of springs

Interaction of springs suspension

Vehicle springs

Hydraulic dampers

Controlled suspension systems

The wheel-travel angle. Traction and braking: steady-state accelerating and braking

The support angle

Traction and braking pitching

Tandem axles. Cornering: Camber and steering angle with wheel displacement

Forces and moments under lateral acceleration

The roll centre

Vehicles attitude in steady-state cornering

Vinematic self-steering

Driving stability of two-track vehicles

Cornering of motorcycles. The steering: basic systems

Steering boxes

Characteristics of steering geometry

The steering linkage

Self-aligning steering systems. Elasto-kinematics: principal considerations

Elasto-kinematics of independent wheel suspensions

Synthesis and design: general remarks

Planar wheel suspensions

Spatial wheel suspensions

Design considerations. Motorcycle suspensions. Independent wheel suspensions: general remarks

Front suspensions

Rear suspensions. Rigid-axle suspensions: general remarks

Kinematically exact systems

Over-constrained systems. Compound suspensions. Final remarks.

Wolfgang Matschinsky is the author of Road Vehicle Suspensions, published by Wiley.