Vehicle Dynamics Concepts end may sag, which would decrease my approach angle. Additionally what may have been a $1,500 cost with the addition of a bumper and winch may now cost you additional $1,500 or more to upgrade my suspension. Actions have consequences.
Vehicle Dynamics is a class that I’ve been teaching for several years. The premise is this: vehicles were designed, tested and built to function a certain way. As soon as we start During this class we usually start at makingmodificationtoourvehicles, thewe bottom of the vehicle and work our are fundamentally changing how they way up, a process which gives us the weredesigned.Modificationsarenot opportunity to discuss each component necessarily a bad thing, but for every and how they affect the vehicle, and change we make, there can or will be whether we should delete, modify or a consequence; sometimes this can replace components in or on the vehicle. be good and sometimes it can lead to Developing needs and wants can help potentially dangerous outcomes. us prioritize certain aspects of the build, while vehicle dynamics lets us During class I usually have the understand the consequences to those studentswalkaroundamodifiedvehicle. actions. Wediscussthemodificationsandhow they affect the handling characteristics Typically,thefirstthingIask of the vehicle, which gives the students students to do is to research their a process for deciding a need or want, vehicles. They can look in their vehicle as well as developing a good sense for manuals and utilize the placard that unintended consequences. A common is typically found on the inside of the example would be: I may want a steel driver’s door. We are looking for several bumper with a winch which could easily important pieces of information, such as add an additional 200 pounds to the what does the vehicle weigh and what front of the vehicle. While the bumper is the GVWR or Gross Vehicle Weight can provide additional protection, Rating, which is how much it can carry, the choice of adding a bumper may max load. Understanding these two depend on what I plan on doing with benchmarks will help you determine the vehicle. This may be a want and not what you can and can’t do with your necessarily a need. Think of it like this, build, or more importantly, what you if I add additional weight in the front need to modify so that your vehicle can ofavehicle,Imayfinditnecessarytoproperly function not only out on the trail upgrade my suspension. The vehicle but during everyday travel as well. While might still be drivable, but the front there are other pieces of information
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that we will need when building a vehicle,thesearetwothatIfindthe most important. Adding things like bigger tires, different suspension and roof racks will fundamentally change how your vehicle performs; these things will change your center of gravity and potentially change your braking distance. As you increase your vehicle’s weight, you may notice that you are wearing through your brake pads faster, which may lead you to needing to upgrade your brakes. My goal is to give students a good working knowledge to be able to think through the process of adding additional gear. I’m not asking you to become an engineer, but having a good understanding of how making one decision can affect another is important. It is certainly essential to understand that some components on our vehicles are more than capable to handle the day-to-day activities that we will put them through, but when venturing off the beaten path it’s also essential to identify weak points and what common issues we may need to address sooner rather than later. The end goal is to enjoy the outdoors, and by making smart decisions as we build our vehicles, it helps to limit the issues that may arise down the road. Over the next several issues we will dive further into building vehicles and address some of the most common questions that arise.
