The Influence of Steered Axles on the Stability and Followability of Articulated Vehicle System

This paper presents an analytical study of the directional response of an articulated tractor/semi-trailer vehicle with steered rear tractor and trailer wheels. The steering input to the rear tractor wheels was a function of the steering input to the front wheels while the steering input to the semi-trailer wheels was either a function of the steering input to the tractor front wheels or a function of the relative articulation angle between the tractor and the semi-trailer. Computer simulation results show that the multi-wheel steering system could be useful in improving both the stability and followability of the articulated tractor/semi-trailer combinations.