Improvement of vehicle roll stability by varying suspension properties

Abstract

Vehicle roll dynamics are strongly influenced by suspension properties such as roll centre height, roll steer, and roll camber. In this paper, the effects of suspension properties on vehicle roll response have been investigated using a multi-body vehicle dynamics programme. Roll dynamics of a vehicle model with MacPherson (front) and multilink (rear) suspensions were evaluated for the fishhook manoeuvre and variations of its roll response due to changes in the suspension properties were assessed by quantitatively analysing the vehicle response through simulation. Critical suspension design parameters for vehicle roll dynamics were identified and adjusted to improve roll stability of the vehicle model with passive suspension. Design of experiments has been used for identifying critical hardpoints affecting the suspension parameters, and optimisation techniques were employed for parameter optimisation. This approach provides a viable alternative to costlier active control systems for economy-class vehicles.