Hari Shankar Singhania
Elastomer And Tyre Research Institute

Vehicle Dynamics & Noise Vibration Engineering

Vehicle Dynamics Testing & Performance Evaluation Services at HASETRI

Vehicle dynamics refers to how a vehicle moves and responds to driver inputs and road conditions. It affects handling, stability, ride comfort, braking and safety. Because tyres are the only contact point between the vehicle and the road, therefore accurate vehicle dynamics testing is essential for both tyre manufacturers and automotive OEMs.

Vehicle dynamics testing helps measure forces, motion, vibration and stability under pre-defined conditions. This data is used to improve vehicle performance, validate tyre behaviour, and support regulatory and development requirements. It also helps engineers understand how tyres, suspension, and chassis systems interact during real driving conditions.

At HASETRI, vehicle dynamics testing supports tyre development, vehicle validation, and research programs. These tests help manufacturers and OEMs verify performance, reduce design risks, and improve overall vehicle behaviour.

Understanding More about Vehicle Dynamics Testing and Its Importance

Vehicle dynamics testing measures how a vehicle responds to steering, braking, acceleration, and road inputs. It helps engineers understand stability, grip, and ride behaviour. The fundamentals of vehicle dynamics focus on how forces act on the vehicle. These include longitudinal forces during acceleration and braking, lateral forces during cornering, and vertical forces from road surfaces. When you measure these forces, it becomes easier to identify performance limits and improvement areas.

5 Ways Vehicle Dynamics Testing Improves Vehicle Performance:

  • Improve vehicle stability and handling
  • Validate tyre performance under real conditions
  • Reduce noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH)
  • Improve safety during braking and cornering
  • Support vehicle design and development decisions
Without proper testing, it is difficult to predict how a vehicle will behave in different conditions.

Standard Vehicle Dynamics Testing Methods and Protocols

Vehicle dynamics testing follows defined procedures to ensure results are accurate and repeatable. These methods are used during tyre development, vehicle validation, and research work.

Vehicle dynamics testing follows defined procedures to ensure results are accurate and repeatable. These methods are used during tyre development, vehicle validation, and research work.

5 Primary Vehicle Dynamics Testing Methods Used by Our Engineers

  • Force and moment measurement to evaluate tyre forces
  • Steering response testing to measure handling behaviour
  • Braking and acceleration testing to assess stability
  • Ride comfort and vibration measurement
  • Pass-by noise and NVH testing
These tests are performed using sensors, measurement systems, and controlled test environments. Results are analysed to understand vehicle behaviour and identify areas for improvement. This helps engineers predict performance before physical testing. Simulation and physical testing are often used together to improve accuracy and development speed.

Vehicle Dynamics Testing Equipment and Measurement Systems

Vehicle dynamics testing depends on accurate measurement systems. These systems record how the vehicle and tyres behave under different operating conditions.

Here Are the 5 Main Equipment Used in Vehicle Dynamics Testing:

  • Force and moment sensors to measure tyre forces
  • Accelerometers to measure vibration and motion
  • Speed and position sensors to track vehicle movement
  • Steering angle sensors to measure steering input
  • Data acquisition systems to record and analyse results

For tyres, vehicle dynamics testing helps measure:

    • Grip and traction performance
    • Rolling resistance and efficiency
    • Force and moment characteristics
    • Noise and vibration behaviour
    • Steering response and handling

For Suspension Systems:

    • Ride comfort and stability
    • Shock absorber and damping performance
    • Load transfer behaviour

For Chassis Systems:

    • Vehicle stability and control
    • Steering response and handling
    • Structural behaviour under load
These measurements help engineers optimise design and improve overall vehicle performance.

Applications of Vehicle Dynamics Testing Across Automotive Segments

Vehicle dynamics testing is used across different vehicle types and industries. Each segment has specific performance and safety requirements.

Passenger vehicles use vehicle dynamics testing to improve comfort, handling, and safety. Commercial vehicles rely on testing to ensure stability under heavy loads and for longer operating cycles.

Two-wheelers and off-highway vehicles also use vehicle dynamics testing to improve control and durability.

Vehicle dynamics testing is also used in research, product development, and regulatory validation. It helps ensure that vehicles and tyres meet performance expectations and safety requirements.

Role of Vehicle Dynamics Testing in Product Development and Validation

Vehicle dynamics testing is an important part of product development. It helps engineers confirm that tyres and vehicles perform as expected before production.

During development, testing helps identify issues early. Engineers can Optimise tyre design, suspension settings, or vehicle parameters based on test results. This improves performance and reduces the risk of failures after launch.

Vehicle dynamics testing also supports validation and certification. Many manufacturers must demonstrate that vehicles meet safety and performance requirements. Test data provides evidence that these requirements are met.

Testing also helps improve efficiency. For example, rolling resistance and force measurements help improve fuel efficiency and reduce energy loss.

Indoor and Outdoor Vehicle Dynamics Testing

This group uses experimental methods to identify tyre noise, vibration, modal frequencies, forces and moments. It enables to attempt a wide range of automotive problems, viz. vehicle dynamics, identification of noise source. This group focuses on the following:

Indoor Testing:

Indoor testing includes tyre modal analysis, force and moment characterization and measurement of radiating tyre noise using semi-anechoic chamber

Outdoor Testing:

Outdoor testing includes pass by & interior noise measurement on field test e.g. Test track and Ride and Handling test generates Mimuro plot for characterizing vehicle handling parameters
  • Pass by & Interior noise
  • Ride Comfort & Handling
01

pulse multi analyser

Nov 2021

NABL Accreditation for proficiency testing provider (ISO 17043:2010)

Sep 2021

NABL Accreditation in Wet Grip and Coast by Noise

Aug 2018

25 Years Celebration at Mysuru on 28th August 18

2017

Relocation at RPS Coe, Mysuru

Oct 2014

1st Institute to Receive Excellence in Skill Development Award

Aug 2013

Provider of RSDC for Skill Development

Apr 2010

Setting Up Calibration Laboratory at Kankroli Campus

Oct 2011

20 Years Milestone Achieved to Serve Rubber Industry

July 2011

ICICI TI Initiative - World Bank Project

Dec 2009

Installed Onlevel M/C, at Faridabad Campus

July 2007

Established Faridabad Campus

Oct 2006

Estd. Full Fledged Tyre Testing & Vehicle Dynamics, ICICI TI Initiative - World Bank Project - Phase -1

July 2004

MoU Signed with IIT Madras and Established “RPSP CoE for Vehicle Mechanics” at IIT Madras

Aug 2002

HASETRI is Accredited as per ISO/IEC+Guide 25

Oct 1995

Established Tyre Mechanics Group

Apr 1994

Established Tyre Mechanics Group

June 1993

Recognition as SIRO by DSIR, Govt. of Indai

Apr 1993

MoU Signed with different Universities & Institutes for Ph.D Programmes

Oct 1991

HASETRI Established at Kankroli, Rajasthan

Nov 1998

Inauguration of IRI Rajasthan Branch for Tech Manpower Development

Apr 1998

Conceptualization of Independent Elastomer & Tyre Research Institute (HASETRE)

Capabilities:

HASETRI has demonstrated continued advancement in NVH & Vehicle dynamics testing facilities and team knowledge to address the current & future requirement of our customer from wide range of industries including automobile, locomotive, tyre, component manufacturer & white-good.

Indoor Testing

In-Cabin Noise Indoor

Tyre Model Analysis

Tyre Noise Measurement

Tyre Force & Moment

Outdoor Testing

In-Cabin Noise Outdoor

Pass-by Noise

Tyre Force & Moment

Steering Response Analysis

Manoeuvring Analysis

Fuel Efficiency Analysis

Frequently Ask Questions

What is vehicle dynamics and why is it important?
HASETRI has demonstrated continued advancement in NVH & Vehicle dynamics testing facilities and team knowledge to address the current & future requirement of our customer from wide range of industries including automobile, locomotive, tyre, component manufacturer & white-good.
Vehicle dynamics is key to safe, stable, and comfortable design. It enables better balance and control, optimizes handling, braking, and acceleration, enhances driver comfort and stability, supports safety systems like ABS/ESC, and uses simulations to reduce prototyping.
Pros: Controlled, cost-effective, fast, and repeatable (e.g., simulating tyre wear). Cons: May miss real-world complexities and risk less applicable results.
Pros: Reflects real-world conditions, shows long-term durability, captures natural interactions (e.g., solar stills in sunlight). Cons: Expensive, time-consuming, hard to control variables, and less repeatable.
Indoor testing offers a faster, cost-effective, and more controlled alternative to traditional outdoor tyre wear tests. However, replicating real-world wear patterns indoors is challenging. One major difficulty is defining an accurate load cycle, forces, slip, and angles, that mimics real on-road conditions. To address this, a clustering method is proposed to identify key manoeuvres from outdoor data that represent typical wear patterns for indoor simulation.