Vehicle Testing

The Keweenaw Research Center conducts vehicle dynamics testing on several types of surfaces and with a wide variety of vehicles. Dynamics testing is conducted year round and may be done on paved, gravel, dirt, grassy or snow and ice covered surfaces. Instrumentation and portable data acquisition systems are routinely used to measure accelerations, roll, pitch and yaw, vehicle speeds and any number of other parameters required for the particular analysis.

KRC works with OEM’s and suppliers to conduct automotive vehicle dynamics tests on snow and ice covered surfaces including ISO double lane changes, J-turns and other tests used to characterize the handling, stability and control of vehicles. KRC’s packed snow handling loops are routinely used for tire performance analysis in lateral and longitudinal stability, and handling.

KRC often works on vehicles that are out of the ordinary such as forestry and agricultural equipment. For example, KRC was involved in a logging truck dynamics study sponsored by the Michigan Department of Transportation. The study was initiated due to recent controversy involving logging truck log load spills. KRC instrumented logging trucks and studied chain tensions as well as log movement, from the logging site to the mill.

Other vehicle dynamics studies have involved snowmobiles, small off-road only pickup trucks, transit buses and, of course, a variety of military vehicles. KRC has over 20 years of experience in vehicle instrumentation and vehicle dynamics testing. No ground vehicle is too small or too large!