What books should i buy?

[itmejeremy]

Hi everyone! I am really trying to teach myself everything there is to know about suspension geometry like roll centers, scrub radius, center of gravity and so on. I was wondering what books do you guys recommend that might help me learn some suspension geometry. I have Herb Adams Chassis engineering book. Great book but i want to learn more. Any help would be great! Thanks alot

Jeremy

[ironworks]

Racecar Vehicle Dynamics. I guarantee there is too much info in that book.

It is very expensive, but worth every penny.

Rodger

[DDY RCKT]

Racecar Vehicle Dynamics. I guarantee there is too much info in that book.

It is very expensive, but worth every penny.

Rodger

:thumbsup:

I was going to suggest starting with the Herb Adams Book, and moving on to RVD. Since you've got the first, get the second. It's a great book! I have a couple others that I like a lot, but I'll have to get the titles off my bookshelf when I get home. Not sure you need anything more than RVD, but an intermediate step might be usefull.

[MtotheIKEo]

All of Carroll Smith's books are good

[itmejeremy]

Thanks guys for helping me out. I found the Racecar Vehicle Dynamics on amazon for $100. That is a little expensive for a book but if you guys really recommend it and you think it will help me understand suspension geometry then i will get it. What i am looking for in a book is explaining the different points of the suspension and how they affect one an another without being overly complemicated to understand. Does this book sound like it might be what i am looking for? I would like to get to a point where i could build my own complete frame, suspension and be able to explain why i did this or that while everything works great. I hope that make sence. Thanks for you help

Jeremy

[greencactus3]

ive read herb adam's, and im in the middle or reading don alexander's book now. its very redundant, which makes for a slow read, but the redundancy is on important parts, so it may work well.
i havent read the whole thing yet, so i cant really reccomend it yet, but it is more in depth than herb adam's

[itmejeremy]

Well i just ordered RCVD! I also got Carroll Smith Tune to Win and his Nuts and Bolts books. They were only $12ea so i figured what the hell. After i get the book i will share my novice opinion on the book for to help others thinking about these books. Thanks again for you help and if there are any other books that you guys recommend please let me know.

Jeremy

[ironworks]

The RCVD will make you head hurt. I have to take advil 3 hours before I read it.

Rodger

[DDY RCKT]

The RCVD will make you head hurt. I have to take advil 3 hours before I read it.

Rodger

:rofl:

This is truth. I totally recommend some other texts before hitting this one. Though no where near as bad as a few of the text books I have lying around, most notably quantum mathematical analysis. :willy:

[itmejeremy]

Ahh great..... I guess that means it I need a PHD in automotive engineering to understand the introduction:_paranoid. I already ordered it so i guess i will have to pretend like i know what there talking about:rofl: . Is there any other books that might make my tranisition in the book a little easier?

Jeremy

ps. Rodger you do some amazing work.

[byndbad914]

Ahh great..... I guess that means it I need a PHD in automotive engineering to understand the introduction:_paranoid. I already ordered it so i guess i will have to pretend like i know what there talking about:rofl: . Is there any other books that might make my tranisition in the book a little easier?

Jeremy

ps. Rodger you do some amazing work.
A basic understanding of algebra at the most is all that is required if you feel like doing the math. I am an engineer, been thru all the calculus and differential equations and I don't bother with all of the math in that book. When I laid my suspension design out for my race car, I pulled out a couple protractors, some graph paper and a ruler. You can lay linkage motion (which is all a suspension is, a bunch of metal with points of rotation and therefore essentially a linkage) out on graph paper very easy, it is easier to visualize than math for obvious reasons.

Then you can see your your instant centers move and so forth. Unfortunately, I don't think the way you lay it out is probably not in any of those books, but it isn't hard to explain. I know they show images of the layouts and that should help.

The good part of the book is it is as in-depth as most could want, so most likely you will get a good understanding of how things work from it. Simplified texts might be too simplified (I am not familiar with the Adam's books, but the Smith ones are good too so you should be happy with those).

[chicane]

Carroll Smith's entire collection (Carroll Smith)

How to make your car handle (HP books)

Chassis Engineering (HP books)

Brake Systems (HP books)

Smokey Yunick's Power Secrets (HP books)

Best Damn Garage in Town (Smokey Yunick, three book set)