The suspension tuning is the constructive coordination of suspension components from the factory to the intended use of the vehicle. Individual components are dampers and springs, the toe in, the steering roller radius and the handlebar length, the articulation point, the stabilizers and other parameters. A suspension tuning can be readjusted in the tuning workshop, especially motorcyclists benefit from it.
Purpose of the suspension tuning
In the case of a motorcycle, the struts can be adjusted by the driver to meet current requirements, which makes sense with changing road conditions and changing individual load (front passenger, luggage). The workshop adjusts the negative spring travel via the preload of the springs. The compression and rebound stages can also be varied. These determine the damping during rebound and rebound. In the car increasingly adaptive or active suspension elements enable better suspension tuning automatically while driving (electronic chassis). Some systems respond autonomously to sensor signals that capture external parameters such as speed, payload, lateral acceleration, or road conditions, while others also allow the driver to actively tune to a sportier or more comfortable suspension. In racing, there are a lot more settings, but most are not to be used while driving.
Exemplary: Suspension tuning of the suspension
The example of the suspension can be used to demonstrate how many factors are taken into account in the suspension tuning. The chassis geometry, the mass distribution and the force characteristics must be observed. Individual, sometimes variable parameters are:
- camber: This is the wheel angle, ie the deviation from a vertical position, which is called the camber angle.
- Toe angle: The parameter denotes the angle between the longitudinal axis and wheel center plane.
- The toe in a straight-ahead position can be positive or negative, it can be adjusted on the rear axle for better driving stability.
- The wheelbase is the axial distance in the longitudinal direction.
- The trailing is the distance between track and wheel contact point.
- With Kingpin refers to the distance between the steering axis of rotation and the section between Radmittel- and road level. This value can be negative.
- Spring travel and spring characteristic are quantities that measure the deflection and rebound of the wheel.
Other variables include the natural vibration coefficient, the damping capacity, the instantaneous and the rolling center, the roll axis and the track difference angle. Of course, there are even more components to the overall suspension tuning.
