On the Ride Comfort Effect of Unsprung Mass Reduction Using a Composite Wheel Rim

Is it possible to feel the difference in terms of comfort and handling between wheel rims having the same size but different weight in a sports vehicle? It is well known that reducing the unsprung mass has a positive effect both on vertical accelerations and forces transferred from the ground to the body of the vehicle. In the present study, a simplified quarter car model is exploited to quantify the real advantage of using composite wheel rim instead of aluminium one for a sports vehicle. Despite the common belief, a reduction of more than 12 kg of the unsprung mass leads to a reduction of less than 1% of the vertical force oscillation; unfortunately, this positive effect is not perceived by the occupants. The influence of the damping parameter on the dynamic response is critically discussed. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.