Comment on changing torsion bars to controlled shock absorbers – value of measurement and simulations

I Deleted My Tahoe’s Torsion Bars for Something Much Better at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOyuvd5epFg

There are apps for your cell phone that record the data from the three axis accelerometer. So you can change the settings and run on a given road at different settings to see the change in the impulse response of the car to road variations, speed, height and direction changes. But it requires writing or finding ways to use the data and to visualize it. There are android tablets and many laptops that can read three axis accelerometers and three axis gyroscopes for the same kind of data. All these things have models, but it is so clumsy still, you cannot yet reliably predict and model the response of vehicles. You can measure, but even that is hard, again because the models and equations and tools are scattered all over the Internet and in people’s heads, or written “somewhere’ on paper or in papers.

The sway you “feel” can be measured and looked at, to make more objective and informed choices.

You might try looking at results from these kinds of searches

“shock absorbers” “impulse response” has 16,900 entry points

“shock absorbers” “impulse response” (“vehicles” OR “cars”) has 10,900 entry points (4 Oct 2021) and interestingly many on energy harvesting which is growing in popularity.

“shock absorbers” “impulse response” (“vehicles” OR “cars”) “safety” has 8,400 entry points

“shock absorbers” “impulse response” (“vehicles” OR “cars”) “performance” has 11,000 entry points.

If these studies were made into globally accessible calculators and simulators, then anyone could see simulations of what to expect., not just a few numbers (with no real explanation) on paper. But that would mean people working together for the benefit of all, so not very likely.

Best of luck, and thanks for sharing.

Richard Collins, Director, The Internet Foundation