Influence of Dynamical Wheel Geometry on Vehicle Handling and Tyre Wear, Demonstrated on the Opel Corsa

The modern chassis has to satisfy stringent requirements relating to driving safety, driving comfort and vehicle economy.

These requirements are substantially influenced by, among other factors, the dynamic wheel geometry, i.e. the changes of the toe and camber angle in respect to the static condition resuting from the elasticities and kinematics of the axle. Therefore, extensive measurements during the development phase of a chassis are necessary for exact determination of the dynamic wheel geometry. For this purpose Opel has developed a new opto-electronic measuring system in cooperation with a German manufacturer of optical equipment. This measuring system was also used in combination with the Opel steering machine to investigate the dynamic steering ratio, i.e. the actual steering ratio in driving operation.

Using the dynamic test results of the Opel Corsa as an example, it is shown that the use of modern measuring equipment allows fast and efficient chassis development steps in order to optimize the vehicle handling and the tire wear.