Self-Steering Axles: Theory and Practice

This paper presents an analytical study of two types of self-steering axles. The general characteristics of the self-steering axles are presented and the influence of self-steering axle design parameters on the steady-state handling behaviour of various vehicle configurations is examined. Finally, the aspect of the axle's brake-steer performance is considered. Two performance criteria are formulated, namely, the “Cornering Performance Criteria” and the “Brake-Steer Performance Criteria”. The criteria are intended to serve as guidelines for the design and application of self-steering axles.