Stock Car Suspension Stiffness Ratio AnalysisShow full item record
Title | Stock Car Suspension Stiffness Ratio Analysis |
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Author | Nikolai, Danny |
Date | 2019 |
Abstract | A racecar's suspension is one of the key contributors to its performance on a track. Each component -- springs, shocks, links, etc. -- can be dealt with as a variable within a mathematical model. There are hundreds of combinations of these variables, with each change affecting the overall stiffness ratio of the car. The stiffness ratio is a dimensionless cumulative indicator of the suspension's ability to absorb dynamic load in the front end of the car relative to the rear. The stiffness ratio is a driver-dependent condition that is heavily reliant on driver comfort level, with a higher ratio yielding a more tightly handing racecar and a lower ratio yielding a more loosely handling racecar, and the ideal stiffness ratio is one that is present in the car when the driver feels the most comfortable and can drive the car as quickly as possible. Using the sway bar as the alterable variable of interest and the employment of data acquisition and computer modeling, a mathematical was developed for predicting the stiffness ratio as a function of sway bar diameter. During test runs at Kern County Raceway Park, the driver felt most comfortable with a stiffness ratio of approximately 2.5, which was most closely predicted to be achieved with a 1.25" outer diameter sway bar, using the derived mathematical model. This model can simplify the time-consuming iterative process that is "racecar setup" by allowing a race team to plug numbers into an algorithmic equation to make predictions instead of conducting on-track test sessions to determine the results of each component change. |
Link | https://repository.tcu.edu/handle/116099117/26965 |
Department | Engineering |
Advisor | Harville, Mike |
Additional Date(s) | 2019-05-19 |
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- Undergraduate Honors Papers [1362]
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