Toyota Active Control Suspension
Toyota Active Control Suspension was (according to Toyota) the world's first fully active suspension.[1]
Two versions of Toyota's Active Control Suspension system went into production - the first was a very limited production run from 1990 to 1991 of 300 units of the ST183 Celica, called the Active Sports.[2] This was the first production car in the world to utilise an active suspension system. The suspension employed conventional coil-spring struts and 4-wheel steering. No anti-roll (stabiliser) bars were fitted as the strut damping was actively controlled by a combined power steering/suspension fluid pump and valve body that counteracted roll and pitch forces. This system of controlling damping force while utilising conventional springs was largely achieved with the much simpler Toyota Electronic Modulated Suspension system (TEMS).
The second version of the Active Suspension system came with the UZZ32 Soarer produced between 1991 and 1996. It was a complex, computer-controlled system that removed both conventional springs and anti-roll (stabiliser) bars in favour of fully hydropneumatic struts controlled by an array of sensors (such as axis accelerometers, suspension height and wheel speed) that detected cornering, acceleration and braking forces. The system worked well and gave an unusually controlled yet smooth ride with no body roll.[3] However, the additional weight and power requirements of the system affected straight-line performance somewhat.[4][5] Due to the complexity and cost of the UZZ32 Soarer, only 873 were produced.
Mercedes-Benz introduced a very similar active suspension, called Active Body Control, on the Mercedes-Benz CL-Class in 1999.
Vehicles[edit]
- Toyota Celica (ST183) 1990-1991
- Toyota Soarer (UZZ32) 1991–1996
- Toyota Curren (ST207) 1994-1995 XS Touring Selection
See also[edit]
Chassis control system | |
|---|---|
Part of the Automobile series | |
| Suspension |
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| Steering | |
| Brakes |
|
References[edit]
- ^ "75 Years of Toyota Technical Development - Chassis". Toyota. 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "Full model changes for Celica". Toyota. 1989-09-06. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
- ^ "Toyota Soarer UZZ32". Youtube. UZZ32. 2014-11-02. Retrieved 18 January 2015.
- ^ Aburaya, T.; Kawanishi, M.; Kondo, H.; Hamada, T. (5 December 1990). Development of an electronic control system for active suspension. 29th IEEE Conference on Decision and Control. doi:10.1109/CDC.1990.204020. S2CID 62599250.
- ^ Yamada, Masatoshi; Iwatsuki, Kunihiro; Ohashi, Kaoru (1993). "Development of automotive hydraulics at Toyota". In Maeda, T. (ed.). Fluid Power. Japan: E & FN Spon. ISBN 0-419-19100-3.