Abstract

Equipments of passenger cars with modern technologies are gaining their importance. Related with such developments, the four-wheel steering system (4WS) was introduced recently to a few passenger cars in the market. The most important research goal on this new steering system is improvement of active safety, in other words, improvement of handling characteristics of vehicle stability and maneuverability. This paper presents a computer-based study about the effects of 4WS system on the vehicle handling characteristics. A simple bicycle model of 2 d.o.f. is used for the development of four wheel control algorithms of 4WS system, and the rear wheel control strategies are applied to a complex vehicle model of 16 d.o.f. for simulation of selected ISO-driving tests. The 4WS systems, which reduce the sideslip angle at the mass center of vehicle to almost zero, show much improved handling characteristics compared to that of the conventional 2WS system. These 4WS systems, however, result in vehicles with eigen-steer characteristics of extreme understeer behaviour.

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