Analysis of an off road 4WD vehicle's suspension system modification: Case study of aftermarket suspension lift and modification of wheel track size

In this research, a four wheel drive (4WD) suspension of a vehicle has been modified by increasing the ride height to investigate stability and cornering potential of the vehicle through load transfer and variation of roll angle. Further investigation has been conducted to observe the characteristics which are deemed desirable for off road application but detrimental to the on road application. The Constant Radius Cornering Test (CRCT) was chosen as a base method for experimental investigation to observe the effect of the suspension modifications. The test was carried out by undertaking a known radius and cambered corner at a constant speed. For this test, the acceleration and gyroscopic data were measured to check and compare the accuracy of the analysis performed by OptimumDynamics model. The tests were conducted by means of negotiating the curve at the speed of 80 km/h and it was gradually achieved to allow a good consensus of the amount of body roll the vehicle experienced. Using a surveyor's wheel, the radius of the corner was estimated as 160 m and using the gyroscopic sensor, the corner camber was measured at 4 degrees. While comparing the experimental results with the simulation results, the experimental constraints led to higher values than those of the analytical results. The total load transfer reduced by 2.9% with the increased track size. It has been observed that the dynamic load transfer component is lesser than the standard suspension with the aftermarket suspension lift and the upgraded anti-roll bar (ARB). With the simulation of the fitment of the other modifications aimed to improve the characteristics of the raised vehicle, the vehicle showed a reduced tendency towards roll angle due to the stiffened anti-roll bar and the maximum increased wheel track demonstrated reduced lateral load transfer and body roll. Even with these modifications however, the decrease in load transfer is minimal in comparison to what was expected. © 2016 Author(s).