The effects of front and rear tires characteristics on the snaking behavior of articulated steer vehicles

A virtual prototype of a real vehicle is used to study the effects of front and rear tires characteristics on the snaking mode of articulated steer vehicles. By using this prototype, the tire slip angles, forces and moments and articulation angle are simulated and reviewed. Then, the effects of some changes in the front and rear tires characteristics, more specifically, the cornering stiffness on the snaking mode are studied. Based on these studies, a decrease in the cornering stiffness of the rear tires can be used to reduce the snaking oscillations. The reduction in the cornering stiffness of the rear tires can be achieved by making some changes in the tire properties, such as use of the narrower tires.