Bose suspension

Amazing video. ( Watch the car "jump" over the curb at the end)

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Reply to
John Poulos
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Reply to
The Other Dave

I have no clue, but I think that was just a manual trick programed in the computer. It just occurred to me watching the video that I could not picture Studebaker keeping up with that sort of technology had they survived.

here's the page about the suspension.

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So, how does it work? Does it scan the road ahead?

Reply to
John Poulos

Another example of street technology that was developed in racing programs - gotta be big bucks, though.

Reply to
zoombot

Active suspension is not that revolutionary, anymore. Roger Becker began the work 30 years ago, and the first implementation was in rail during the 80's. He's been engineering active suspension systems for automobiles for almost 20 years, now, though few manufacturers are interested, due to the cost.

Studebaker was quite forward thinking in some areas of automotive engineering. And was not shy about partnering with other companies. Had the auto division survived, it would have been a small matter to partner with Lotus Engineering for advanced handling and suspension ideas. Or active suspension itself, since Becker was an engineer there.

Lotus Engineering has worked on a number of cars by several manufacturers. Studebaker could have kept up quite well.

Reply to
D Peter Maus

Reply to
Jeff Rice

..... does the testers Co-pilot come with it???.

Reply to
BobJ

_____________________ Must be a quiet day on the NG...

I guess I just don't understand the thinking behind the random drive-by poke in the eye for Studebaker. Is this part of the JP schtick? "I like my car because it's retarded?"

You ran an electronics store, work with computers everyday, and generally consider yourself no slouch in the tech dept., but "have no clue" how this thing works. Okay. But then poor old Studebaker gets a quick goddam because,

40 years ago, they probably couldn't have done it. What's up with that?

Back in 1977 I got to spend an entertaining day with some low-rider builders in San Jose. None of these guys had any theoretical engineering, but a couple had been military technicians, some went to community college, and they were all good mechanics. They had figured out how to overdrive the pumps on mil-surp hydraulic units and make a Caprice jump 6 feet in the air. They could also make a car lean into a turn while driving, using a joystick. In 1977. My kid and his buddy worked up a software program for regenerative shock absorbers when they were in the fifth grade. They didn't build a prototype, but they're seniors now and I'm pretty sure they could.

Now, if Studebaker's chief engineer was voted president of the SAE (an honorific, not a social position), Paxton supplied the high-speed blowers for nuclear submarines, and Studebaker subsidiaries made jet engines and spacecraft composites, why couldn't they have done as well as any other auto builder in working up new suspensions? What is it that you're trying to say here? It's not as if this research is being done in-house by major volume manufacturers. That distinction--common to all manufacturers--is noteworthy. There are very few independent research institutes, and fewer every year tha t are part of a big company.

Reply to
comatus

Feel better now???

Lee

Reply to
Lee Aanderud

Congratulations, you'd have thought by their 45th birthday they would have called it quits and taken the GED.

I'm going to call bullshit on this... a 5th grader is 11-12 years old. In

1977, computers were using punch card systems to data entry and programming... am I to believe your 12 year old had not only the access to a computer but the ability to code punch cards?

Even if this was a typo, I wouldn't believe your 12 year old son could do this if you had written 1987 or 1997 or even the fact that he knew what a regernerative shock absorber was or the physics and engineering behind it.

Lee

Reply to
Lee Aanderud

Sad again, Lee?

I'm sorry for you. Hope things get better next year.

Reply to
comatus

Nope, just interested in hearing about this genius son of yours. Any 12 year old who can do automotive suspension engineering is impressive.

Lee

Reply to
Lee Aanderud

Simply because Studebaker could not afford even updating the basic hard parts with the limited production numbers. If the emission controls would not have killed them off, then the safety standards may have. Not a knock on the company, they would have done more if they weren't strapped for cash, but there were crippled at the end.

snipped-for-privacy@bex.net wrote:

Reply to
John Poulos

I recall geting a ride around the Lotus test track with Becker at the wheel of a Lotus Elite, active suspension equiped. It was amazing and I thought that it would become common place within a few years. But ~15 years later, still research only, too bad. I also recall Lotus being linked to Bose with some noise cancellation technology. Yeah, your right, I have both a Studebaker (Packard Hawk) and a couple Lotuses (2 Elans - the originals)

Reply to
jab-ph

I've had two Hawks, a 50 Champ, and an M100 Elan, also a Becker Project.

Driving bliss, all three.

The biggest obstacle to large scale implementation of active suspension, is the cost. So far, neither customers nor manufacturers see enough benefit to warrant the price. Which really IS too bad. It's a cool feature.

Reply to
D Peter Maus

Yep, I concur about the coolness, strange that some of the boutique makers haven't embraced it, e.g. Porsche, Ferrari, Lambo et al.

Reply to
jab-ph

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