An Analytical and Experimental Study of Automobile Dynamics With Random Roadway Inputs

This paper presents the results of an analytical and experimental study of ride vibrations in an automobile over roads of various degrees of roughness. Roadway roughness inputs were measured. Three different linear mathematical models were employed to predict the acceleration response of the vehicle body. The models used included two, four, and seven degrees of freedom, primarily for vertical direction motion. The results show that the prime source of errors in predicting responses of this type lies in the common assumptions made for roadway roughness spectra. With adequate description of the roadway inputs, the results showed that the seven degree of freedom model accurately predicted the low frequency response (up to 10 Hz). Using the seven degree of freedom model, predicted accelerations compare well with measured data for a wide range of roadways in the low frequency range. Higher frequency components in the measured acceleration response are significant and are illustrated here.