System and Method For Adjusting A Motor Vehicle Chassis

Abstract

An adjustment system and method for adjusting a chassis property of a motor vehicle wherein an understeering sensitivity of the motor vehicle is increased upon detecting that a trailer has been coupled to the motor vehicle. A detection unit operates to detect when a trailer is attached or coupled to the motor vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for adjusting a chassis property of a motor vehicle comprising:
 detecting whether a trailer is coupled to the motor vehicle;   providing an adjustable chassis adjuster associated with one of a front axle of the motor vehicle and a rear axle of the motor vehicle; and   using said adjustable chassis adjuster to increase an understeer of the motor vehicle upon detecting that a trailer has been coupled to the motor vehicle.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  including increasing the understeer of the motor vehicle by increasing roll stability of the front axle of the motor vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  including increasing the understeer of the motor vehicle by adjusting a front stabilizer coupled to the front axle such that said front stabilizer has a greater torsional stiffness than a torsional stiffness of a rear stabilizer coupled to a rear axle. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  including increasing the understeer of the motor vehicle by adjusting a rear stabilizer coupled to the rear axle such that said rear stabilizer has a less torsional stiffness than a torsional stiffness of a front stabilizer coupled to a front axle. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  including providing a right wheel vertical chassis actuator on the front axle and a left wheel vertical chassis adjuster on the front axle; and
 using the right wheel vertical chassis actuator and the left wheel chassis actuator to increase wheel load differences between a right wheel and a left wheel. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  including providing a right wheel vertical chassis actuator on the rear axle and a left wheel vertical chassis adjuster on the rear axle; and
 using the right wheel vertical chassis actuator and the left wheel chassis actuator to increase wheel load differences between a right wheel and a left wheel. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein detecting whether a trailer is coupled to the motor vehicle includes using contact information generated by a contact detector positioned between the trailer and motor vehicle. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein detecting whether a trailer is coupled to the motor vehicle includes using operating characteristics of the motor vehicle. 
     
     
         9 . A method for adjusting a vehicle comprising:
 obtaining information for determining if a trailer is coupled to the vehicle;   using said information to determine whether a trailer is coupled to the vehicle; and   adjusting a vehicle chassis setting to increase vehicle understeer based on a determination that a trailer is coupled to the vehicle.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  including adjusting a roll stability of at least one of a front axle and a rear axle. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the step of adjusting a roll stability of at least one of the front axle and a rear axle includes providing a front stabilizer associated with the front axle and increasing a torsional stiffness of the front stabilizer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the step of adjusting a roll stability of at least one of the front axle and the rear axle includes providing a rear stabilizer associated with the rear axle and decreasing a torsional stiffness of the rear stabilizer. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9  including providing a right wheel vertical chassis actuator on a front axle and a left wheel vertical chassis actuator on the front axle; and
 adjusting the right wheel vertical chassis actuator and the left wheel vertical chassis actuator to increase the wheel load differences between a right wheel and a left wheel. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9  including providing a right wheel vertical chassis actuator on a rear axle and a left wheel vertical chassis actuator on a rear axle; and
 adjusting the rear wheel vertical chassis actuator and the left wheel vertical chassis actuator to decrease the wheel load differences between a right wheel and a left wheel. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of obtaining information for determining if a trailer is coupled to the vehicle includes using a contact detector positioned between the trailer hitch on the vehicle and a trailer. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of obtaining information for determining if a trailer is coupled to the vehicle includes using motor vehicle operating information including a lateral acceleration value or a yaw rate value.