Ride and drive comparison: Nivomat vs. conventional suspension
by habits on Apr.29, 2010, under investment
I had the opportunity recently to compare the ZF/Sachs Nivomat shock absorber system with a conventional system, both mounted on GMT-800 trucks. Both trucks were loaded to GVW on pallets secured in the rear.
Driving both vehicles on regular roads around the northern Detroit suburbs proved that the Nivomat shocks aided in vehicle stability. The Nivomat vehicle rode level and handled well while turning and braking.
In the Tahoe, with standard suspension, the weight was more evident. The tail of the vehicle sagged, unloading the front suspension. The vehicle tended to wander and over a particularly rough stretch of road, the vehicle experienced quite a lot of vibration in the front end.
The next portion of the test was a quick, evasive lane-change maneuver.In the standard suspension vehicle, the weight shifted to the outside during the first part of the maneuver, creating a noticeable body roll to the outside. When the vehicle was turned back into the next lane, the force of the weight coming the other way snapped the rear end around. If not for the fact that we were conducting a test, the vehicle might have easily come all the way around, or worse yet, ending up on the roof.
Again, though the weighted pallet was secured in the rear, the violent maneuver caused it to shift around.
The Nivomat system eliminated the body roll that was evident during the first test. Without the excessive body roll on the first snap turn, when the vehicle was snapped back into the next lane the tail end stayed where it was supposed to. The force of the weight did slide the rear tires some, but there was no fear of losing the back end.
Nivomat has proven itself as a potential technology in helping with stability control on large vehicles. But beyond air suspension systems, I think Nivomat’s biggest competitor will be the electronic stability control systems that are prevalent on today’s trucks and will become more prevalent in the near future as NHTSA begins roll-over tests on SUVs. This could be Nivomat’s strong point as these electronic systems will add cost to the vehicle, something that the OEMs are not looking at positively.
