Suspension sims

Tay L. Chaser > wrote in article
>...
> I am looking for any geometry sims that show range of motion. I
understand
> the geometry and the physics (to a limited degree) but I am horrible at
> math. Trig is out of the question. So I need something to model front and
> rear suspension travel of rack and pinion dual A front end and a 4 bar
rear
> suspension, both with coilovers. I know what a car likes, but I don't
know
> what my (new) car has.
>

Go to a quality bookstore such as Barnes & Noble, and pick up Allen
Staniforth's "Competition Car Suspension" for about $40 USD.

In addition to it being a superb book on racing chassis suspension design,
in the appendices, he shows and describes a string/pin/ruler/poster board
device that is used to compute front roll centers - or as he calls them,
"centres". It can be assembled anywhere from full-size - to mount on your
shop/office wall - down to much smaller scales such as quarter-size.

This string computer will allow you to determine initial static roll
center, and to follow the roll center movement through either chassis roll
and/or suspension movement.

It will also track left versus right chassis roll on asymmetrical cars such
as oval-track, and it will define dynamic roll center left/right migration
as one side moves up and the other moves down.

For all the above, it is really a simple device that you should be able to
assemble in an afternoon once you have gathered the materials.

I'm working on making one from aluminum, since I do so many different cars.

--
Bob Paulin - R.A.C.E.
Race Car Chassis Analysis & Setup Services
Chassis Blueprinting Services (as in engine blueprinting)