Type of test
Durability testing
Road load data at the wheel and on the parts, recorded on the proving ground, to size components and drive the rig.
A durability test starts from the loads the vehicle really sees. They are measured on the road, at the wheel and on the parts, then replayed on the rig or used to size the components.
WFT · slip rings · load cells
Which loads do you need to record?
Road load questions, at the wheel and on the parts. Each application shows the mounting on the vehicle, the instruments and the signals that size the component or drive the rig.
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Durability Wheel loads on the road Three forces and three moments at each wheel, recorded while the vehicle is driven. Discover -
Test rig Road simulators The loads measured at the wheel on the road, and the proof that the simulator reproduces them. Discover -
Durability Durability campaigns The load each wheel really sees on a pothole, an obstacle or a rough track, as recorded data. Discover -
Durability Wheel mass and adapters A wheel force transducer assembly as close as possible to the mass of the production wheel, so the measured peak loads are the real ones. Discover -
Component Engine mount loads The three forces each mount passes to the frame during start-up, acceleration and gear shifts. Discover -
Component Seat forces The three forces each seat mounting takes while driving and in a crash, without changing the driving position. Discover -
Suspension Suspension component loads How the wheel loads split between the suspension components and enter the chassis. Discover -
Suspension MacPherson strut force The total load into a MacPherson strut, measured at its lower attachment or at its top mount. Discover -
Suspension Ball joint force Vertical, lateral and longitudinal force in a ball joint, measured on the strain gaged production part. Discover
In short
Durability testing, in short
What is measured in a durability test?
A durability test measures the loads the road puts into the vehicle: three forces and three moments at each wheel, then the forces in the suspension components, at the engine mounts and at the seat mountings.
The wheel loads are recorded together with acceleration, wheel speed and wheel position, so each peak can be related to the event that caused it.
What does a pothole look like in wheel force data?
The vertical force drops when the wheel falls into the hole, and the largest peak comes on the way out, when the wheel strikes the far edge.
In a recording made on the right front wheel of an SUV at 40 km/h, the radial force starts just under 6.7 kN, the load carried by the wheel. After the peak, the force oscillates while the suspension responds. The whole event lasts less than 0.5 s.
The durability campaigns page gives two more examples, an electric SUV and a student off-road car.
Does the mass of the instrumented wheel change the measured loads?
Yes. If the transducer assembly is significantly heavier than the production wheel, the test may generate lower peak loads than the same test run with lighter wheels.
The mass is brought close to that of the production wheel with a transducer of the appropriate range and weight-optimized adapters: a rim adapter machined from an aluminum forging and a hub adapter machined from titanium. The adapters are designed on the maximum static load of the vehicle.
The instruments behind these applications
The products these applications cite most. Each one can be rented or bought on its own.
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Product family · 7 applications Wheel force transducers The LW and TW series and how to choose between them. Discover -
Product · 4 applications TR3D Three forces in one compact body, in the mount adapter. Discover -
Product · 1 application TW series When only drive and brake torque is needed. Discover -
Product · 1 application SGA3A Excites and amplifies the three bridges of one TR3D to ± 10 V DC, with remote shunt calibration. Discover
Durability testing, frequent questions
Which vehicles can be fitted with a wheel force transducer?
Vehicles from a motorcycle to a class 8 truck. The LW series goes from the LW-MC-3.5K, 15.5 kN, to the LW700, 700 kN, on rim and hub adapters made for the vehicle.
Can wheel force transducers be rented for one durability campaign?
Yes. Wheel force transducer sets can be rented for the length of a campaign and are calibrated before shipping.
How long does a pothole event last in the data?
Less than 0.5 s in a recording made on an SUV at 40 km/h. The transducer has to follow the event and survive it.
A test close to yours?
Tell us the vehicle, the quantity and the conditions. An engineer answers with a first measurement setup.
More details to give? Use the full contact form.