Department of Motor Vehicle Engineering

Vehicle Dynamics (MV 6131) Worksheet-1

Acceleration Performance
1- A car with the following specifications. Weight, m = 1550 kg, wheel base length, l = 2620mm. Assume center of
gravity is located at the mid-point of wheel base and 720mm height from the ground, where coefficient of
friction of a road surface is μx = 0.8. Determine the maximum acceleration of the car if
a. The car is rear-wheel drive
b. the car is front-wheel drive
c. The car is four-wheel drive.
2- Consider a midsize sedan that weight 14,234.3 N under a certain load. The vehicle is going uphill at 5 O slope at a
speed of 26.82 m/s. the frontal area of the vehicle is 2.044 m 2, and the coefficient of drag is 0.4. The
aerodynamic resistance is acting on center of gravity. The wheelbase of the vehicle is 2.74 m and the center of
gravity is 1.372 m from the front axle and 0.508 m above ground. The density of air is 1.226 kg/m3
a. Determine the load on each axle if the vehicle is under no acceleration.
b. What would the loads be if the vehicle is accelerating at 1.524 m/s2
c. Calculate the axle forces when going downhill at 5O slope with the same speed.
3- A vehicle weighs 20.02 kN and has a wheelbase of 279.4 cm. The center of gravity is 127 cm behind the front
axle and 50.8 cm above ground level. The frontal area of the vehicle is 2.32 m 2 and the aerodynamic drag
coefficient is 0.45. The coefficient of rolling resistance is given by f, = 0.0136 + 0.4 × V2, where V is the speed
of the vehicle in kilometers per hour. The rolling radius of the tires is 33 cm. The coefficient of road adhesion is
0.8. Estimate the possible maximum speed of the vehicle on level ground and on a grade of 25% as determined
by the maximum tractive effort that the tire-road contact can support if the vehicle is (a) rear-wheel drive, and (b)
front-wheel-drive. Plot the resultant resistance versus vehicle speed, and show the maximum thrust of the vehicle
with the two types of drive.
4- A car with the specifications: mass, m = 1599.8 kg, wheelbase, l = 2669.6 mm, wheel truck, w = 1539.3 mm and
Assume the center of gravity is located at the mid-point of the wheel base and 760mm height from the ground
and μx = 0.75, find the optimal traction force ratio Fx1 /Fx2 to reach the maximum acceleration.
5- A 21,351.46-N passenger car has a wheelbase of 2844.8 mm and a center of gravity 1270 mm, behind the front
axle and 508 mm above the ground. Ignoring drag and rolling resistance.
a. The tractive effort distribution gives the front axle 50% of the total tractive force. The car is moving on
a horizontal plane. Determine which tires will skid first, if the car is moving on a surface with first a
0.75 coefficient of friction and second 0.25 coefficient of friction.
b. At 0.25 coefficient of friction, determine the maximum tractive force, maximum acceleration and the
distribution factor
c. The vehicle strategy requires a front axle skid on dry surface and the front torque distribution factor is
chosen at 0.7. The vehicle is moving on a low friction surface with 0.25 coefficient of friction.
Determine the maximum tractive force and which axle would skid first.
6- A vehicle including wheels weights 22,215 N. each wheel weights 266.6 N and the rolling radius of the wheel is
355.6 mm. the radius of gyration is 279.4 mm. the engine is driven at 3000 rpm and is driving 406.27 Nm. The
total drivetrain efficiency is 86% and the transmission is the fourth gear with a ratio of 4.5:1. The components
rotating at the engine speed having an inertia of 0.788 kgm 2. Assume a slip of the running gear at 2% and
coefficient of rolling resistance of 2%. The front area of the vehicle is 1.858 m 2, the aerodynamic drag coefficient
is 0.4, and the speed of the wind is zero.
a. Determine the acceleration at that point.
b. Assume the engine torque remain constant during a takeoff acceleration and acceleration is happing
while the transmission is engaged. Determine how long it would take the vehicle to reach a constant
speed of 97 Km/h
7- A vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission consisting of a torque converter and a three-speed gearbox.
The torque converter and the engine characteristics are shown in Figs-1 and 2, respectively. The total gear
reduction ratio of the gearbox and the drive axle is 2.91 when the third gear is engaged. The combined efficiency
of the gearbox, propeller shaft, and the drive axle is 0.90. The rolling radius of the tire is 33.5 cm. Calculate the
tractive effort and speed of the vehicle when the third gear is engaged and the engine is running at 2000 rpm with
an engine torque of 407 N - m. Also determine the overall efficiency of the transmission, including the torque
converter
a. Determine the normal forces at the front and rear axles, FZ1 , FZ2, and
b. Determine the tractive force Fx2 at the rear wheel.
c. What would be the maximum road grade φMax , that the car can be parked, if μx2 = 1.
 Fig-1 Capacity factor of an internal combustion engine Fig-2 performance characteristics of a torque convertor

Braking Performance
1- A car is parked on an uphill with φ = 30o and the hand brake is connected to the rear wheels. The weight of the
car is 1430 kg, wheel base is 2560 mm. The center of gravity is located at the mid-point of the wheel base a
height of 520 mm height from the ground.
2- Consider the rolling resistance coefficient of 0.02 for all wheels in addition to taking all data of question-2.
Determine the normal forces at the front and rear wheels
a. When the vehicle is on the horizontal ground with no acceleration.
b. When the vehicle is moving uphill with deceleration of at 3.048 m/s2
c. When the vehicle is moving downhill of 5O slope grade with the same speed
3- A passenger car weights 21.24 KN and has a wheel base of 2.87 m. the center of gravity is 1.27 m behind the
front axle and 0.508 m above the ground level. The car is moving on the horizontal plane
a. The braking effort distribution on the front axle is 60%. The coefficient of rolling resistance is 0.002.
determine which set of tires will lock first on the two road surfaces: one with a coefficient of road
adhesion µ=0.8 and the other with µ=0.2
b. Determine the maximum braking force, maximum deceleration rate, and distribution factor to achieve
maximum braking force for a road surfaces with a coefficient of road adhesion µ=0.75 and the other
with µ=0.25, ignore both drag and rolling resistances.

4- For a tractor-semitrailer combination, the tractor weighs 66.72 kN and the semitrailer weighs 266.88 kN. The
wheelbase of the tractor is 381 cm, and the trailer axle is 1016 cm behind the rear axle of the tractor. The hitch
point is 25 cm in front of the tractor rear axle and 122 cm above the ground level. The center of gravity of the
tractor is 203.2 cm behind the tractor front axle and 96.5 cm above the ground. The center of gravity of the
semitrailer is 508 cm in front of the trailer axle and 177.8 cm above the ground. What is the ideal braking effort
distribution between the axles that ensures all the tires being locked up at the same time on a surface with a
coefficient of road adhesion p = 0.6? Also calculate the normal loads on the axles and the forces acting at the
hitch point.
Supplementary Questions
1- A parked car on a banked road with m = 2569.6kg, l = 2946.4mm, wf = 1732.3mm, wr = 1701.8mm. Assume b1
= b2, h = 940mm, and use an average track to determine the wheels load when the car is parked on a banked road
with φ = 12 deg.

Figure-3 A parked car on a banked Road

2- Develop the equations for the traction and normal forces for the following conditions
a. car with trailer on inclined surface, as shown in Fig-4
 b. Three-axle car moving on an inclined road, as shown in Figure-5
c. Cresting vehicle at a point where the hill has a radius of curvature Rh., as shown in Figure-6
d. Dipping vehicle at a point where the hill has a radius of curvature RH as shown in Figure-7
3- For a car and trailer as shown in Figure-4
a. Calculate FZ1, FZ2, FZ3, Fxt and Fx2
b. Show the max inclination angle φM at which the car cannot accelerate the vehicle,
2
sin ϕ m = ( F x 1+ F x2 )
( m+mt ) g
4- For a car shown in Figure-5, calculate the axles load on a level road when the car is moving with no acceleration.
5- For a car shown in Figure-6
a. Calculate FZ1, FZ2, Fx1+Fx2, and the centrifugal force
b. Show the critical minimum speeds Vc1and Vc2 to start flying (Losing the road contact in a crest.).

√
v c1= 2 g R H ( hl sin ϕ+ 12 cos ϕ ) √
v c2= −2 g RH ( hl sin ϕ− 12 cos ϕ)
6- For a car shown in Figure-7, Calculate FZ1, FZ2, Fx1+Fx2, and the centrifugal force

Fig-4 Car with trailer on inclined plane Fig-5, Three-axle car moving on an inclined road
l = 2272mm, w = 1457mm, h = 230mm, a1 = a2, h1 = 310mm, b1 = 680mm, b2 = 610mm, b3 = m = 1800 kg, a1 = 1100mm, a2 = 1240mm, a3 = 1500mm, k1 = 12800N/m, k2 = 14000N/m and
120mm, h2 = 560mm, m = 1500 kg, mt = 150 kg, μx = 1, φ = 10deg and a = 1m/s2 k3 = 14000N/m

Fif-6 Cresting vehicle at a point where the hill has a radius of curvature Rh Fig-7 Dipping vehicle at a point where the hill has a radius of curvature RH
l = 2272mm, w = 1457mm, m = 1500 kg, h = 230mm, a1 = a2, v = 15m/s, a = 1m/s2 , RH = l = 2272mm, w = 1457mm, m = 1500 kg, h = 230mm, a1 = a2, v = 15m/s, a = 1m/s2 RH
40m, φ = 30deg, θ = 2.5deg = 40m, φ = 30deg, θ = 2.5deg .