1 reply to this topic

[radevicz]

Hi there,

I read that the first use of Williams active suspension has been tested at the end of 1985 in older Williams FW09 car with Nelson Piquet at the wheel.

Does anyone have any further information or pictures from these tests?

many thanks..RR

Edited by radevicz, 27 February 2012 - 13:26.

[Graham Clayton]

Here is a comment by Patrick Head on the Piquet testing of the active suspension:

This early system didn’t have any anti roll bars; it used gas springs and it was controlled by a mechanical control system. As the aerodynamic load came onto the car, it kept it level by pumping oil into the system.

At this first test at Silverstone, a hydraulic pipe came off and we had a massive fire at the back of the car. We didn’t put a lot of mileage on the system, but we managed to establish that it needed a much more sophisticated electro-hydraulic controller on it.

Source: http://www.williamsf.../news/view/1881