Off Road Spring Rates pt2 - Adding Dampers

In the first part of this series I explained the method of choosing spring rates based on the desired ride frequency of the vehicle. In this video I describe how physical laws first defined by Newton and Hooke back in the 17th century affect the behaviour of off-road suspension systems and how we can use those laws to design an effective suspension system. I introduce the concepts of damper ratio and damper coefficient and suggest the values you should be choosing for damper ratio. I also explain why critical damping isn't a good idea for vehicle applications. I also show that the force produced by the damper may actually be significantly greater than that produced by the spring.

Reading List

Paper
The ride comfort vs. handling compromise for off-road vehicles
This paper has a very good summary of the compromises that have to be made when choosing spring rates for off-road vehicles. It includes some experimental and modelling data for a 12tonne armoured vehicle and a Land Rover Defender.
https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream...

Books
Please ensure you use the correct UK or USA link as they take you to different Amazon sites.

Theory of Ground Vehicles
This is probably the most significant book still in print on the subject of off-road vehicles, although it also covers quite a lot of on-road content and has a chapter on hover craft. It isn't an especially user friendly book, but is probably the most detailed book on the science of off-road vehicle engineering available.
UK Link https://amzn.to/2SBLzat
USA Link https://amzn.to/3be6HtF

Chassis Design Principles and Analysis
This book was prepared from the notes of Maurice Olley who was one of the great vehicle designers of the 20th century. This is a very technical book and certainly not for the feint-hearted, but if you are serious about understanding suspension design then this is the most comprehensive book ever written on the subject.
UK Link https://amzn.to/2RzNPP4
USA Link https://amzn.to/3xQgm3k

Car Suspension and Handling
This is a very good and easily accessible book on the topic of car suspension and handling. It doesn't specifically cover off-road vehicles, but has a great deal of theory that is relevant to off-road vehicle engineers. It is also the cheapest book on my list!
UK Link https://amzn.to/3vQiKVT
USA Link https://amzn.to/3hc60ot

Tires, Suspension and Handling
This is also a very comprehensive and relatively easily accessible book on the subject of car suspension and handling. Again it doesn't have any specific off-road vehicle content, but is a very useful book for off-road vehicle engineers all the same.
UK Link https://amzn.to/3xXH22b
USA Link https://amzn.to/3uxXfcq

The links below each of these books will take you to Amazon, where you may purchase them. The links are what are known as Affiliate Links, which means that by clicking on the link Amazon will pay me a small commission on any purchase you make on the Amazon site within 24 hours of clicking the link. This applies to any qualifying purchase you make, so it doesn't matter if you click on one of my links and then by a different book. You will not be charged extra for using my links, in effect Amazon will pay me a referral fee. Amazon's official wording is "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." By using these links you will be making a small contribution to support the production of the videos on this channel. Thanks for your support!

Images of Isaac Newton and Robert Hooke are both in the public domain and license free.