PARKED CAR

❖ Imagine a car of mass, m, at rest in a parking lot or in a driveway, the surface is horizontal and flat.
❖ The Earth pulls on the car with a force of magnitude

𝑾=𝒎×𝒈

Where [m] is vehicle mass , [g] is ground acceleration.

❖ Since four tires are in contact with a road

𝑾 = 𝟒𝑵

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PARKED CAR ON A LEVEL ROAD
When a car is parked on level pavement, the normal force (𝐹𝑧 ) under each of the front and rear
wheel (𝐹𝑧𝑓 ), (𝐹𝑧𝑟 ) are:
1 𝑎2
𝐹𝑧f = 𝑚 𝑔
2 𝑙

1 𝑎1
𝐹𝑧r = 𝑚𝑔
2 𝑙
Where (𝑎1 ) is the distance of the car’s mass
center (C) from the front axle, while (𝑎2 ) is
the distance of (C) from the rear axle, and (𝑙)
Figure (1) A parked car on a level pavement
is the wheel base.
𝑙 = 𝑎1 + 𝑎2

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PROOF
1 𝑎2 1 𝑎1
𝐹𝑧f = 𝑚 𝑔 𝐹𝑧r = 𝑚 𝑔
2 𝑙 2 𝑙
❖ Consider a longitudinally symmetrical car as shown in Figure (1). It can be modeled as a two-axel
vehicle. A symmetric two-axel vehicle is equivalent to a rigid beam having two supports. The vertical
force under the front and rear wheels can be determined using planar static equilibrium equations.

• σ 𝐹𝑧 = 0

• σ 𝑀𝑐 = 0

By applying the equilibrium equations:

• 2𝐹𝑧𝑓 + 2𝐹𝑧𝑟 − 𝑚𝑔 = 0 … … (1)

• 2𝐹𝑧𝑓 𝑎1 − 2𝐹𝑧𝑟 𝑎2 = 0 … … (2)

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PROOF
𝑎2
• 𝐹𝑧𝑓 = 𝐹𝑧𝑟 … … (3)
𝑎1

• Sub eq 3 in eq 1

𝑎2 1
• 2𝐹𝑧𝑟 + 2𝐹𝑧𝑟 − 𝑚𝑔 = 0 … … 4 [× ]
𝑎1 2

𝑎2 1
• 𝐹𝑧𝑟 + 𝐹𝑧𝑟 = 𝑚𝑔 … … (5)
𝑎1 2

𝑎2 1
• 𝐹𝑧𝑟 + 1 = 𝑚𝑔 … … (6) Figure (1) A parked car on a level
𝑎1 2
pavement

𝑎2 +𝑎1 1
• 𝐹𝑧𝑟 = 𝑚𝑔 … … (7)
𝑎1 2

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PROOF 1
𝑚𝑔
• 𝐹𝑧𝑟 = 2
𝑎2 +𝑎1 …… 8
𝑎1

1 𝑎1
• ∴ 𝐹𝑧𝑟 = 𝑚𝑔 × …… 9 Let 𝑙 = 𝑎1 + 𝑎2
2 𝑎2 +𝑎1

1 𝑎1
• ∴ 𝐹𝑧𝑟 = 𝑚𝑔 × … … 10
2 𝑙

• Sub eq 10 in eq 3

1 𝑎1 𝑎2
• 𝐹𝑧𝑓 = 𝑚𝑔 × … … 10
2 𝑙 𝑎1 Figure (1) A parked car on a level
pavement
1 𝑎2
• ∴ 𝐹𝑧𝑓 = 𝑚𝑔 × … … 11
2 𝑙

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EXAMPLE (1)
❖ Determine the reaction forces under the wheels, if the car has a mass 890 kg. The distance between the
center of the mass and behind the front wheel axis is 78 cm, and the value for the wheel base is 235 cm.

➢ Solution: 𝑎1 = 78 𝑐𝑚 = 0.78 𝑚 , 𝑙 = 235 𝑐𝑚 = 2.35 𝑚 , 𝑚 = 890 𝑘𝑔 , 𝐹𝑧𝑓 =?, 𝐹𝑧𝑟 =?

The force under each front wheel is:

𝑎2 1 2.35 − 0.78
𝐹𝑧𝑓 = 12 𝑚 𝑔 𝑙
= 890 9.81 = 2916.5 𝑁
2 2.35

The force under each rear wheel is:

1 𝑎1 1 0.78
𝐹𝑧𝑟 = 2 𝑚 𝑔 𝑙 = 890 9.81 = 1449 𝑁
2 2.35

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EXAMPLE (2)
❖ Specify the mass center position, if the reaction forces under the front and rear wheels of a horizontally
parked car, with a wheel base 2.34 m are: 2000 N, 1800 N for the front and rear wheels.

➢ Solution: 𝑙 = 2.34 𝑚, 𝑎1 =?, 𝑎2 =?, 𝐹𝑧𝑓 = 2000 𝑁, 𝐹𝑧𝑟 = 1800 𝑁

𝑚𝑔 = 2 𝐹𝑧𝑓 + 𝐹𝑧𝑟 = 2 2000 + 1800 = 7600 𝑁

The position from the rear wheel is:

𝑎2
𝐹𝑧𝑓 = 12 𝑚 𝑔 𝑙

2𝑙
𝑎2 = 𝐹𝑧𝑓
𝑚𝑔

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EXAMPLE (2)
2(2.34)
𝑎2 = 2000 = 1.2316 𝑚
7600

The position from the front wheel is:

𝑎1
𝐹𝑧𝑟 = 12 𝑚 𝑔 𝑙

2𝑙
𝑎1 = 𝐹
𝑚𝑔 𝑧𝑟

2(2.34)
𝑎1 = 1800 = 1.1084 𝑚
7600

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LATERAL MASS CENTER DETERMINATION
Most cars are approximately symmetrical about the longitudinal center plane and therefore, the lateral
position of the mass center C is close to the center plane. However, the lateral position of C may be
calculated by weighing one side of the car. The problem is that although the left and right sides of cars are
almost symmetric, the front and rear of cars are

not symmetric and there is an unequal weight

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EXAMPLE (3)
❖ the Lamborghini Diablo car with total mass of 1576 kg, and front/rear load distribution of 40/60 %, if
the left side of the car is 4% heavier than the right in car front with wheel bass width of 𝑤𝑓 = 1540 mm
in front and 𝑤𝑟 = 1640 mm in rear of car find the reaction forces under the front wheels and the Lateral
mass center position?
➢ Solution : m=1576 kg , front load = 40%, rear load = 60%,

𝑤𝑓 = 1540 mm, 𝑤𝑟 = 1640 mm

𝑊 = 𝑚 × 𝑔 = 1576 × 9.81 = 15460.56 𝑁

2𝐹𝑓 = 0.40 × 15460.56= 6184.224 N

if the left side of the car is 4% heavier than the right in car front

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EXAMPLE (3)
50% × 0.04 = 2 %

%𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 = 50% + 2 % = 52 %

%𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 = 50% − 2 % = 48 %

𝐹𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 = %𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 × 2𝐹𝑓 = 52 % ×6184.224 N = 3215.796 N

𝐹𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 = %𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 × 2𝐹𝑓 = 48 % ×6184.224 N = 2968.427 N

The car’s front wheel bass width of 𝑤𝑓 = 1540 mm

𝑏1 = 𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 = %𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑡 × 𝑤𝑓 = 52 % × 1540 𝑚𝑚 = 800.8 𝑚𝑚

𝑏2 = 𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 = %𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 × 𝑤𝑓 = 48 % × 1540 𝑚𝑚 = 739.2 𝑚𝑚

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H.W.
H.W.1 Consider a car with the following specifications that is parked on a level road: Find the load on
the front and rear axles.
𝑚 = 1765 kg
𝑙 = 2.84 m
𝑎1 = 1.22 m
𝑎2 = 1.62 m
H.W.2 Consider a car with the following specification, and find the axles load:
𝑚 = 1245 kg
𝑎1 = 1100 mm
𝑎2 = 1323 mm

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H.W.
H.W.3 Peugeot 907 Concept approximately has the following specifications:
𝑚 = 1400 kg

𝑙 = 97.5 in

Assume (𝑎1 /𝑎2 ≈ 1.131) and determine the axles load.

H.W.4 Jeep Commander approximately has the following specifications:

𝑙 = 109.5 in , 𝑎1 = 49.32 in

Assume (𝐹𝑧𝑓 /𝐹𝑧𝑟 ≈ 1.22) and determine the axles load and position.

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