Suspension textbook recommendation

Hi all,

I’m looking for a recommendation for a book or books on suspension design. Ideally it’ll be a textbook that covers the basics (for a newbie like myself) to theory to something more advanced. Not looking to get a PHD in vehicle dynamics but I love entry level textbooks because they assume the reader to know nothing, yet is comprehensive enough to get the reader up to a level that allows him or her to take that knowledge to the next level if desired. Goal is to learn enough to start putting experiences on track to a theoretical framework in my mind on what to change and why. Seems that most of what I hear on the web and on track (since even the most advanced drivers I speak with are amateur) is based off of experience but I have a hard time understanding the theory behind the “why”. 

Anyway, thanks for any help! :)

Herb Adams’ Chassis Engineering 

In reply to Patrick :

I had a chassis design class in college based on this book. It gives a great look at how the basics work. 

Came in to say Herb Adams "Chassis Engineering"

Milliken & Milliken "Race Car Vehicle Dynamic."  Likely the Bible on suspension.  It takes a few reads through of whatever section you're reading to really understand it.  It's an Engineering textboox.  It will have the answer, but it may take a few reads through to really understand it.

Failing that,

I liked Herb Adams "Chassis Engineering" (it explains it all in easy-to-understand terms), but I got more out of Don Alexander's "Performance Handling" (the first one, not the "High Performance Handling Handbook").

Alain Staniforth has quite a few good books, any one would do really well.

I have many other suspension books, but these are my "go to" books.

 i would suggest Carroll Smith's "tune to win" and possibly "engineer to win" as well.  Its a bit more technical and good engineering background without letting math get in the way.  http://a.co/d/fwFMIYC    anything by Carroll Smith is well worth getting and has always been my first go-to. 

Smith is pretty approachable and i find it better than Adams, but I do have an engineering degree, that said i got them in highschool and they formed a very strong basis for college stuff. My upper level materials science stuff was a breeze with the grounding engineer to win gave in metallurgy.  

If you want the "PHD" text, that would be Milliken http://a.co/d/83iHBOF it would be hard to approach if you arent an engineer. Well worth it though.

I have not found an aerodynamics book yet that doesn't make me sleepy.

For what you described, there are three chapters in “how to build a high performance Mazda Miata” that might get you where you need to be. It’s far from Milliken, but that’s not what you’re looking for. 

Adams is good. Staniforth is good. Fred Puhns is good. They take different tacks, some oare more focused on how to make the car work and some are focused on how to design the suspension from a clean sheet. 

SkinnyG said:

I have not found an aerodynamics book yet that doesn't make me sleepy.

its a hard topic, either lots of trial and error or supercomputer simulation to really do right.   Some generalities are good, but the last 10% makes 90% of the difference.

computing a wing profile on paper was a not fun thing in college fluid dynamics

Wow. Lots of great recs. Thanks so much!

I will admit to reading Milliken's RCVD entirely at once over a 5 day period.  830-some pages of calculus and trig and I couldn't put it down.

Read them all; each phrases things a little differently, focuses on different things, helps you develop your understanding.

And you have to worry less about which to get next when you know they're all on the list 

I especially like Staniforth and Smith. He focuses on pure open wheel race cars a bit, but Neil Roberts ("Think Fast") spells out a few things in ways that I found illuminating for thinking about roll centers and interrelationships between pitch/roll/etc with dampers. Speaking of that focus, I think Staniforth's Race & Rally Car Sourcebook is a better overview than his Competition Car Suspension because of the same focus (unless of course you're also focusing on "pure" race cars...)

Have them all on my book shelf.  Would start with Adams/Smith and if you can't find what you need, or want to dive deeper go to Milliken.  Should answer any questions you ever had and many that you never knew you did.

Ransom said:

Speaking of that focus, I think Staniforth's Race & Rally Car Sourcebook is a better overview than his Competition Car Suspension because of the same focus (unless of course you're also focusing on "pure" race cars...)

IIRC it also has case studies at the back that are pretty revealing. I agree, Staniforth is a very good "how to make it work" resource.

One thing I've found reading some of the historical accounts - biographies from Donahue, Wyer, Horseman - is how important suspension travel is. Both the Penske Camaro and the Gulf GT40 (maybe it was the 917) had periods where the cars just wouldn't handle, and it was traced to the gradual erosion of the available travel as tires grew and ride heights dropped. It's easy to overlook but so important.

Carroll Smith books have always been my bibles; simple enough for non engineer types like me but in depth enough to be useful.

Fred Puhn's How To Make Your Car Handle is good for an amateur.

Paul Haney's "Inside Racing Technology" has a great chapter on dampers.