Mechanical Engineering Department

Addis Ababa Science and Technology University

2018-19 A.Y Semester II
Vehicle Dynamics (MENG 6106)-Worksheet-4
1- A passenger car weighs 20 kN and has a wheelbase of 279.4 cm. The center of gravity is 127 cm behind the
front axle. If a pair of radial-ply tires, each of which has a cornering stiffness of 45.88 kN/rad, are installed
in the front, and a pair of bias-ply tires, each of which has a cornering stiffness of 33.13 kN/rad, are installed
in the rear, determine whether the vehicle is understeer or oversteer. Also calculate the characteristic or
critical speed of the vehicle as appropriate. What would happen to the steady-state handling characteristics
of the vehicle, if the front and rear (Wong, Ex-5.1)
2- A sports car weighs 10 kN and has a wheelbase of 2.26 m. The center of gravity is 1.22m behind the front
axle. The cornering stiffness of each front tire is 58.62 kN/rad and that of each rear tire is 71.36 kN/rad.
The steering gear ratio is 20:l. Determine
a. Ackerman Steering angle for 4, 8 and 10m turning radius
b. Under steer gradient,
c. Static Margin
d. The following Steady state responses
i. Yaw velocity gain
ii. lateral acceleration gain
iii. Radius of Curvature gain
iv. Side slip angle gain for 25, 50, 100, & 150 km/h (Wong, Ex-5.2)
3- Calculate the steady-state cornering and draw the diagrams of Gyaw, Gacc, Gcurv, and Gslipangle; under vehicle
parameters for a passenger car given are: m= 1500 kg, a= 1.1 m, b= 1.6 m, Cαf = 55 kN/rad, Cαr =60 kN for
U= 0, 20, 40, 60 m/s (Masato, 3.3)

4- Consider a car with the following characteristics

Cαf= 600N/ deg and Cαr = 550N/ deg
m = 1245 kg and Iz = 1128 kgm2
a = 120 cm and b = 138 cm
U = 40m/s and δ=3 deg
Determine
a) Identify if the car is understeer, neutral steer, or oversteer
b) Develop equation of motion as a function of f(r and V) and f(r and 𝛽 ) in state space form
c) Determine the steady-state responses of side slip angle, β, yaw rate, r, turning radius, R, lateral
acceleration, ay
d) Determine characteristic speed in case of under steer and critical speed in case of oversteer
(Jazar: Ex 10.6)
5- Examine the stability factor (under steer gradient), K and
a. Determine the condition to have an understeer car, if a= b.
b. Determine the condition to have an understeer car, if Cαf = Cαr.
c. Do the results show that if we use the same type of tires in front and rear with Cαf = Cαr, then the
front of the car must be heavier?
d. Do the results show that if we have a car with a= b, then we must use different tires in the front
and rear such that Cαr > Cαf ? (Jazar: Ex 10.8)
6- Consider a car with the characteristics
Cαf = 600N/ deg and Cαr = 750N/ deg
m = 1245 kg and Iz = 1328 kgm2
a = 110 cm and b = 132 cm
U = 20m/s. and δ=0 deg
a) Determine the coefficient matrix [A]
b) Determine the characteristic equation, the eigenvalues and find out if the car is stable
c) Determine the weight distribution ratio and a/b, such that the car is neutral stable.
 d) Determine natural frequency (ωn) and damping ratio(ξ) (Jazar: Ex 10.14)

7- Consider a car with the characteristics

Cαf = 600N/ deg and Cαr = 750N/ deg
m = 1245 kg and Iz = 1328 kgm2
a = 110 cm and b = 132 cm
𝛿 𝑡>0
U = 20m/ s. and a steering input 𝛿(𝑡) = {
0 𝑡<0
a) Develop equation of motion as a function of f(r and V) and f(r and 𝛽 ) in state space form
b) Convert the two coupled first order differential equation in to second order single variable deferential
equation
c) Find the nontrivial roots, S1 and S2, Natural frequency, ωn and damping ratio, ξ of the characteristic
equation for free response or zero steering input δ =0
d) Determine the time response of the car (lateral velocity, yaw rate and side slip angle) to a step input
δ= 10 deg.
e) Determine the time response of the car (lateral velocity, yaw rate and side slip angle) to a ramp input
δ= 5t deg.
f) Determine the time response of the car (lateral velocity, yaw rate and side slip angle) to a sinusoidal
input of δ (t) = sin0.5t for 0 < t < 2π and δ (t) = 0 for t ≤ 0 and t ≥ 2π.

8- A car has a weight of 8856N on front axle and 6903N on the rear with a wheelbase of 255cm. the tire have
the following cornering stiffness values
Load (N) Cornering Stiffness (N/deg) Cornering Coefficient (N/N/deg)
1001 298.3 0.298
2002 538.5 0.269
3003 759.8 0.253
4003 1000.8 0.25
5004 1140.9 0.228
6005 1333.1 0.222

Determine the following cornering properties for the vehicle

a) Ackerman steer angle for 15m, 30m, 60m, 150m turn radius
b) Understeer gradient
c) Characteristic speed
d) Lateral acceleration gain at 27 m/s
e) Yaw velocity gain at 27 m/s
f) Side slip angle at CG on 244 m turn at 27 m/s
g) Static margin
(Gillespie, page-231)
9- A passenger car has an equal arm (parallel) independent from suspension and convention sold axle with
leaf spring suspension. The front suspension has a roll stiffness, Kφf of 170 n-m/deg. The leaf spring have a
rate of 13 N/m and lateral separation of 100 cm
a. What is the rear suspension roll stiffness
b. If the sprung mass is 12.2 KN at a C.G height 20.3 cm above the roll axis, what is the roll rate
c. Assuming a camber stiffness that is 10% of the cornering stiffness, estimate the understeer
gradient due to camber effect.
d. The rear leaf springs have an effective trialing arm angle of 7 deg, what is the understeer gradient
due to rear roll steer
(Gillespie, page-231)