Running Analyses
Using Adams/Car to analyze a virtual prototype is much like ordering a test of a physical prototype. You
specify the virtual prototype by opening or creating an assembly that contains the appropriate
components, or subsystems, that make up the prototype. For example, you create suspension assembly
containing suspension and steering subsystems and the suspension test rig.
In Adams/Car, you can run suspension and full-vehicle analyses. To learn more, select an entry on the
left.
Adams/Car
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Running Suspension Analyses
You perform suspension analyses, which in Adams/Car are quasi-static equilibrium analyses, to learn
how a suspension controls the wheel motions and transmits load from the wheels to the chassis. To
perform a suspension analysis, you first create or open a suspension assembly that contains the selected
subsystems and the test rig. To create a suspension assembly, you can select any subsystem that has either
a suspension or a steering major role.
Using Adams/Car, you can:
• Easily modify the topology and the properties of the components of your suspension.
• Run a standard set of suspension and steering maneuvers.
• View suspension characteristics through plots. Learn about suspension characteristics.
For a suspension analysis, you can specify inputs to:
• Move the wheels through bump-rebound travel and measure the toe, camber, wheel rate, roll
rate, side-view swing-arm length, and other characteristics.
• Apply lateral load and aligning torque at the tire contact path and measure the toe change and
lateral deflection of the wheel.
• Rotate the steering wheel from lock to lock and measure the steer angles of the wheels and the
amount of Ackerman, which is the difference between the left and right wheel steer angles.
You specify the inputs to the analysis by typing them directly into an analysis dialog box or by selecting
a loadcase file that contains the desired inputs.
During the analysis, the test rig articulates the suspension assembly in the specified number of