Critical Suspension Relationships and Their Influence on Transient Behavior of Performance Vehicles

The complex interrelationships which occur between the suspension instant centers and their respective tire contact patches during transient vehicle maneuvers can lead to a reduction in cornering performance and unpredictable vehicle behavior. Analysis of the suspension instant center and roll center locations, and the change in position of these centers as the vehicle rolls, can be used to improve transient handling characteristics in performance vehicles. These properties are analyzed in detail, for short-oval track applications, to demonstrate favorable and less favorable designs. The analysis is performed primarily with kinematic analysis software which is augmented with suspension systems designed and evaluated by the authors.