A suspension controlling apparatus for a vehicle includes a suspension whose damping force is variably settable and a control unit capable of controlling the damping force of the suspension on the basis of a target damping force, to control the damping force of the suspension with a desired control amount and a high responsibility. A control unit includes a acceleration calculation device for calculating an acceleration in a forward and rearward direction of a vehicle on the basis of an operation input amount to the vehicle and a target damping force setting device for determining a target value of damping force on the basis of a damping force map determined in advance in response to the acceleration and a differentiation value of the acceleration.

A vehicle is configured to travel, when a vehicle velocity is within a velocity range from not less than a first velocity of at least zero to not more than a second velocity larger than the first velocity, in a mode in which a vehicle body is leaned by a lean mechanism according to an input into an operation input unit, and a wheel angle of a turn wheel changes following a lean of the vehicle body. A natural frequency of roll oscillation of the vehicle body is either within a range of smaller than a reference frequency or within a range of larger than the reference frequency, the reference frequency being a frequency at which oscillation of the wheel angle of the turn wheel has phase delay of 90 degrees relative to the roll oscillation of the vehicle body in its width direction.

An automatic tilting vehicle is provided that includes left and right front wheels supported by knuckles, a steerable rear wheel, a vehicle tilting device, and a control unit. The vehicle tilting device includes a swing member, a tilt actuator for swing the swing member, and a pair of tie rods pivotally attached to the swing member and the knuckles. The control unit calculates a target lateral acceleration of the vehicle, estimates a lateral acceleration of the vehicle caused by the gyro moments of the wheels and calculates a target tilt angle of the vehicle based on a sum of the target lateral acceleration and the lateral acceleration caused by the gyro moments.

Systems and methods for controlling a vehicle including a friction control device are provided. A method of controlling the vehicle includes operating at least one friction control device in a first of a plurality of friction modes, detecting a vehicular speed, changing operation of the at least one friction control device from the first friction mode to a second of the plurality of friction modes in response to the vehicular speed exceeding a first threshold speed value, and changing operation of the at least one friction control device from the second friction mode to the first friction mode in response to the vehicular speed falling below a second threshold speed value that is less than the first threshold speed value. The second friction mode is associated with a higher level of resistance than the first friction mode.

The present invention relates to a control system (49) for controlling a target ride height of a vehicle (1). The control system (49) is configured to set a target off-road ride height (h.sub.OFF) in dependence on one or more vehicle operating parameters. The target off-road ride height (h.sub.OFF) is set upon receipt of a driving mode signal signalling that an off-road driving mode has been selected. Aspects of the present invention also relate to a vehicle and a method of controlling a target ride height of a vehicle.

Systems and methods for modifying an attitude of a vehicle are disclosed. A user selects a trailer mode for a vehicle body. The selected trailer mode has a corresponding configuration. The vehicle determines one or more features about a trailer based on the selected trailer mode. The vehicle determines a location of a trailer hitch needed to achieve the configuration corresponding to the selected trailer mode. The location is based on the one or more features about the trailer. The vehicle actuates at least one active component in the vehicle's active suspension system to change the attitude of the vehicle body so as to cause the trailer hitch to be located in the determined location thereby causing the vehicle body to be in the selected trailer mode.

An automatic tilting vehicle comprises left and right front wheels and a rear wheel. A control unit controls a vehicle tilting device so that the tilt angle of the vehicle becomes the target tilt angle. The control device is configured to swingingly vibrates the vehicle in the lateral direction by tilting the vehicle by the vehicle tilting device, to estimate a height of the center of gravity of the vehicle based on a resonance period of swinging vibration of the vehicle, and to correct the target tilt angle such that a perpendicular passing through the estimated center of gravity passes within a range of a triangle formed by connecting grounding points of the left and right front wheels and a grounding point of the rear wheel.

In a suspension controlling apparatus for a vehicle which includes a suspension whose damping force is variably settable and a control unit for calculating acceleration of the vehicle in a forward and rearward direction on the basis of brake hydraulic pressure detected by a hydraulic pressure sensor for detecting brake hydraulic pressure and is capable of controlling the damping force of the suspension with target damping force determined on the basis of the acceleration. In addition, appropriate control is also possible upon antilock braking control. A control unit includes an acceleration calculation device for calculating, upon ordinary braking, acceleration on the basis of ordinary braking force corresponding to a detection value of a hydraulic pressure sensor but calculating, upon antilock braking control, the acceleration on the basis of given antilock brake controlling braking force.

A damping coefficient control device for a shock absorber applied to a vehicle equipped with a wheel that is rotatably supported about a rotational axis and has a tire, and a drive system that drives the wheel via a transmission by an engine, in which the damping coefficient control device includes a variable damping coefficient shock absorber arranged between a wheel carrier and a vehicle body and an electronic control unit that controls the shock absorber, and the electronic control unit acquires information on an index indicating an equivalent moment of inertia of the drive system, and controls the damping coefficient of the shock absorber such that the smaller the equivalent moment of inertia indicated by the index, the larger the damping coefficient of the shock absorber.

A suspension system for a work vehicle includes a shock absorber including a fluid, a coil positioned at least partially in the fluid, a sensor configured to detect a work status of the work vehicle, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine the work status of parked or operational based on the sensor, determine an electrical resistance of the coil in a shock absorber based on the work status, predict a temperature of a fluid in the shock absorber based on the electrical resistance of the coil, provide an electric current in the coil based on the predicted temperature of the fluid, determine the electrical resistance of the coil while the electric current is on, and terminate the electric current in the coil based on the work status and the predicted temperature.