Influences of the Suspension Parameters on the Vehicle Suspension Performance for a Terrain Vehicle

This paper describes an effective methodology for evaluation of the suspension parameters intended to be used for a terrain vehicle. The objective of this approach is to make quick analyses of the sensitivity of the vehicle suspension parameters. For the purpose of developing such a methodology, a mathematical modeling of a quarter vehicles suspension system is developed. Sensitive analysis of the suspension parameters is performed by employing the standard deviation of the vehicle body acceleration, dynamic tire load, and suspension travel. Sensitivity analysis results have shown that the spring stiffness, damping coefficient, tire stiffness and sprung mass have substantial influence on the ride comfort and road holding, while un-sprung mass on the other side has much lower impact in performance of the vehicle suspension system.