Experimental research of the controllable suspension strut

This paper provides an essential approach of investigation of the front suspension of Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with a MacPherson strut. The original shock absorber was modified and a prototype hydraulic damper was used with the ability to control the damping force during compression and rebound. On the basis of laboratory tests, the static characteristics of the shock absorber prototype and dynamic suspension strut were determined in relation to the original vehicle suspension. The suspension system was forced by external excitation pretended to irregularities for various road classes in accordance with the ISO 8608 standard. For these tests, assessment indices of selected suspension quality parameters were determined.