Title: Effects of tyre pressure variations on vehicle handling

Authors: W.-D. Kappler, H. Godthelp

Addresses: Research Institute for Human Engineering (FGAN-FAT), Wachtberg, West Germany. ' Institute for Perception (IZF-TNO), Soesterberg, The Netherlands

Abstract: Open and closed-loop test procedures and subjective rating procedures on vehicle handling properties were developed and used in two experiments with an instrumented car. In the first experiment, the influences of tyre pressure variations on vehicle handling were determined in open-loop tests, i.e. steady-state curve driving, step steering inputs and random steering inputs. Under/oversteering coefficient, yaw gain and response time were used to describe differences in vehicle handling properties. The second experiment dealt with the effects of three different handling characteristics - severe understeering, understeering and oversteering - on straight-lane driving. Six subjects drove on the right-hand lane of a traffic-free highway with fixed speeds from 20 to 100 km/h. Special interest was given to the spectral analysis of driver steering inputs. Top frequency, top amplitude and energy distribution measures showed significant differences between the three vehicle handling characteristics. These differences were also verified with subjective ratings.

Keywords: vehicle design; tyre pressure; tyre wear; vehicle handling; vehicle safety; open-loop tests; closed-loop tests; driver sttering; understeering;; oversteering coefficient; yaw gain; response time.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1988.061524

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1988 Vol.9 No.4/5, pp.517 - 532

Published online: 26 May 2014 *

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