Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Douglas C Campbell

David C Poirier

Howard Hans Ludwig

Patrick J Westphal

Fred G Wood

A vehicle suspension comprises dampers changeable between low and high damping modes and normally operated in the low damping mode. A damper control stores a plurality of sets of reference numbers as a function of vehicle velocity, the reference numbers of each set representing limit values of throttle velocity for the low damping mode for a given transmission gear mode. The reference numbers of each set increase in value with increasing vehicle velocity in a continuously non-linear manner so as to compensate for the decreasing acceleration and body lift produced by a given throttle velocity as vehicle velocity increases. The control changes the damper from low to high damping during vehicle acceleration for a predetermined time when the throttle velocity exceeds a throttle velocity limit reference derived from the reference number corresponding to the vehicle velocity in the set corresponding to the selected transmission gear mode. The control further changes the dampers from low to high damping for a predetermined time when vehicle deceleration exceeds a reference, when a transmission shift occurs or when engine torque first exceeds a reference.

Selectable damping vehicle suspension control responsive to engine torque

Selectable damping vehicle suspension control

A vehicle suspension comprises dampers changeable between low and high damping modes and normally operated in the low damping mode. A damper control stores a plurality of sets of reference numbers as a function of vehicle velocity, the reference numbers of each set representing limit values of throttle velocity for the low damping mode for a given transmission gear mode. The reference numbers of each set increase in value with increasing vehicle velocity in a continuously non-linear manner so as to compensate for the decreasing acceleration and body lift produced by a given throttle velocity as vehicle velocity increases. The control changes the damper from low to high damping during vehicle acceleration for a predetermined time when the throtle velocity exceeds a throttle velocity limit reference derived from the reference number corresponding to the vehicle velocity in the set corresponding to the selected transmission gear mode. The control further changes the dampers from low to high damping for a predetermined time when vehicle deceleration exceeds a reference, when a transmission shift occurs or when engine torque first exceeds a reference.

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Romulus, MI, United States of America

Douglas C Campbell