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While much research has focused on improving terrain mobility, energy and fuel efficiency of terrain trucks, only a limited amount of investigation has gone into analysis of power distribution between the driving wheels. Distribution of power among the driving wheels has been shown to have a significant effect on vehicle operating characteristics for a given set of operating conditions and total power supplied to the wheels. Wheel power distribution is largely a function of the design of the driveline power dividing units (PDUs). In this paper, 6×6/6×4 terrain truck models are analyzed with the focus on various combinations of PDUs and suspension systems. While these models were found to have some common features, they demonstrate several different approaches to driveline system design.

This article reports on a Continental Teves compact class demonstration vehicle (the “30m-car”) that uses a control network of selected, in part newly developed chassis systems to show a solution helping “Mr. or Mrs. everyday driver” to shorten their entire stopping distance (normal reaction distance plus brake force build-up distance plus braking distance) in emergency braking situations. The car is fitted with special concept tires with magnetized sidewalls that communicate with the newly developed SWT (Sidewall Torsion) Sensor, a brake-by-wire electro-hydraulic brake system and an electronic chassis system with controllable airsprings and hydraulic shock absorbers. The driver’s reactions are monitored by accelerator and brake pedal sensors, an ACC distance sensor unit serves to monitor the traffic in front of the vehicle. All chassis subsystems were cross-linked within one control network.

Recently, during the course of different experimental problem-solving activities on automotive vehicles, several examples have been found in which the identification of the cause of a particular vibration problem related to a specific component or subsystem involves detecting the presence of an impulsive effect on measured time signals. The difficulty in identifying such an effect arises due to the fact that the vibrational response signals measured during operation are dominated by relatively high amplitude harmonics which tend to mask the impulsive component. This article describes two case studies for this type of identification problem, a servo-assisted steering system and a front suspension shock absorber strut.