EFFECTS OF LIGHT TRUCK AND ROADSIDE CHARACTERISTICS ON ROLLOVER. VOLUME II. VEHICLE PROPERTY MEASUREMENTS AND FIELD ROLLOVER TESTS

Eight vehicles were instrumented and subjected to tripped rollover tests. Prior to the rollover tests, physical properties including mass, CG location, mass moments of inertia, one product of inertia, vertical suspension characteristics, horizontal suspension deformation characteristics, roll axis and steering sensitivity were measured in the laboratory. The driverless vehicles were self powered and controlled by an onboard computer control system that followed a prescribed path laid out on the test pavement. Computer recorded instrumentation consisted of a set of six accelerometers, wheel tachometers, string potentiometers for suspension deflection measurements, odometer, and dual video cameras. Test maneuvers included departure from the pavement in a turn with soft soil as a tripping mechanism, departure from the pavement in a turn with a 4-inch concrete curb as a tripping mechanism, departure from the pavement in a skid with a soft soil as a tripping mechanism, and departure from the pavement in a skid with a 4-inch concrete curb as a tripping mechanism.