Luke Warmshoe

I'm interested in doing some research into suspension dynamics. I know the bare-bones basics, but would like to go more in-depth.

I know I can go to Amazon or the like, hit search, and 100 titles pop up before like magic. I'm worried about misinformation and/or out-of-date information, though, and don't want to waste my time getting the wrong books.

I've noticed in my lurking that there are quite a few seemingly very informed individuals whom use this type of information regularly at the track or auto-x.

Which book or books stand out above the rest for you?


Thanks

cthree

The book I like the most is one called Race Car Engineering and Mechanics by Paul Van Valkenburgh ISBN 0768007178. It's not a suspension book specifically but a very readable general race car prep book which includes suspension, chassis dynamics and so forth. If you aren't a mechanical engineer or any kind of engineer then this I found to be a good introduction to all the basics.

You will find most of the suspension specific books to be engineering texts which are completely unreadable for the average person. They contain a ton of hard facts but none of the wisdom you need to actually use them in practice. I suppose that's what professors are there for. I have a couple of these which I haven't even cracked.

The other book I use the most isn't even a book but rather a flip chart by Carroll Smith called Engineer in your Pocket ISBN 0965160017. On one side it has cause and effect and on the other it has effect and cause. So if you want to know what happens if you over damp the front shocks it tells you, if you want to know why you are washing out on corner entry it tells you on the other side. It's durable and fits in your tool box and that is where mine lives. It takes 2 seconds to look up a problem and it gives you a few options to try and correct it. Very sweet, everyone should have this.

twohoos

If you're not afraid of a little math (and can swing the $100 price), Milliken&Milliken's Race Car Vehicle Dynamics is the seminal text on the subject. ISBN: 1560915269

pantyraider

I've always heard that book is the "bible" of suspension dynamics, but I've never seen any excerpts of its text nor can i find it at any bookstore.

Have you found it helpful in actually setting up your car ?

Sri

Suspension

Yes, Milliken's book is considered the "Bible" but it won't help you set up your car. It's more theoretical (but with a lot some simplifications) and more about characterizing a car's performance.

As my screenname implies, I have a great interest in suspension design and tuning. In college I participated in the FSAE program and learned a lot.

As cthree mentioned, Carroll Smith's "Engineer in your pocket" would be a great resource to have to tune your car and figure out why your car is acting the way it is. If you want more in-depth information you can read Smith's Tune to Win book and a couple other of his.

I recommend starting with the basics and learning about tire behavior and vehicle dynamics: understanding load transfer, roll centers, camber gain, chassis stiffness, roll couple distribution, ackermann, understeer, oversteer, etc.

Has there been any discussions on this board about vehicle dynamics? Has anyone ever measured the hard points on the car to do some suspension analysis? I'd be interested in knowing those numbers.

cthree

It's one of the texts laying uncracked in my bookshelf. It has all the math you need to impress your friends and none of the practical advice needed to properly setup a car DIY style.

cthree

The topic comes up now and then, search on magic keywords you think might appear in such topics. They usually go on for a few pages and then break down to the usual you suck, no you suck routine

Luke Warmshoe

Thanks for the replies guys.

Race Car Engineering and Mechanics by Paul Van Valkenburgh had blipped on my radar and seemed like a good candidate, so it's nice to hear it get the
I'll be picking it up.

I also like the sound of the Carroll Smith flip-type book, so that'll get the nod too.

In reality, at least right now, I'm looking to expand my knowledge base at an enthusiastic driver/informed mechanic level. My job is technical in nature and I enjoy reading about the engineering side of it, so the suspension bible is intriguing, but I'll save borrowing a dusty copy from someone when I get a little more serious or divorced.

WarrenW

I started a thread about a month ago regarding the HP Book "How To Make Your Car Handle". Problem is, it's 25yrs old and while the basics haven't changed, many more things have. From what I found, the book is still in print but no updated version has been printed.

Warren

rlaifatt

Problem for someone like me is that, even with some knowledge of suspension dynamics and tuning, it's not very useful when I can't drive consistently enough to see a consistent difference in laptimes even after changing suspension settings. I can feel the difference, but what feels faster isn't necessarily faster, and sometimes the laptimes are slower! I end up just choosing a setting fairly arbitrarily that "feels" reasonably good, then learn to drive the car to it's limit in each corner. Some day when I become consistent enough I can start finetuning the car to suit my driving and not the other way around.