OPERATION OF SELF-STEERING AXLES ON SEMI-TRAILERS

摘要

A method of operating a semi-trailer in a heavy goods vehicle where the semi-trailer has at least one self-tracking axle. At road speeds above a first predetermined speed a restoring moment is applied to the castor-steering action of one or more of the self-tracking axles. This causes the wheel alignment to be moved away from an alignment which would be adopted if the castor steering action was unrestrained. At road speeds above a second predetermined speed the magnitude of the restoring moment is actively controlled so that said alignment of the wheels is dependent upon the road speed and upon a sideways acceleration measurement being made on the heavy goods vehicle.