Effect of geometrie configuration on tractor stability characteristics

In this study, tractor stability was discussed from the aspects of rollover initiation, vertical and lateral vibration characteristics considering tractor dynamics in Phase I overturn. As two of the key geometric parameters of a tractor, track width ratio and wheel base ratio were intro-duced into the mathematical model developed earlier as the independent variables. Results showed that both factors greatly reduced the risk of initializing tractor rollover with their in-creasing values. Higher track width ratios were found to generally enhance the contact condition between the sensitive tire and the ground, while higher wheel base ratios showed an effect of stabilizing the vehicle more rapidly after a disturbance. However, no obvious changes in tractor bounce acceleration were observed with the variation in track width ratio, nor were the changes in lateral acceleration found with different values of wheel base ratio.