International Truck and Engine High Performance Vehicle Driveability - Ride and Handling

This paper describes the methodology and results of International Truck and Engine Corporation's High Performance Vehicle program with respect to the targeting and achievement of Best-in-Class Driveability for medium duty trucks. The Driveability initiative is an ongoing and evolutionary program at International and encompasses the areas of powertrain performance, driver environment, ride and handling. This paper specifically addresses the ride and handling portions of the Driveability initiative and the manner in which the best possible balance of these attributes was determined and obtained. The first step in the process was to determine the desired metrics of the program and measure the characteristics of competitive as well as our own current production and pre-prototype High Performance Vehicles (HPV). In parallel with this benchmarking effort, several design option ‘levels’ were developed which gave us the ability to progressively modify and improve our systems to achieve the desired performance targets derived from the benchmarking effort. Following the initial testing phase, the required system design modifications were selected and prototype systems were obtained and installed in such a manner as to allow iteration of key parameters and to ‘dial in’ the resultant performance levels. These system installations were then benchmark tested and analyzed to ensure that the final design would provide the targeted balance of ride and handling to satisfy the requirements of the International Driveability initiative.