2011 Acura MDX - Chassis « Japnanese Used Honda Cars

2011 Acura MDX - Chassis

CHASSIS DEVELOPMENT

From its inception the MDX targeted the dynamics and driving feel of its strongest European competitors. The essential elements of this engineering goal included steering, suspension, braking and overall dynamic performance, as well as excellent noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) control.

In the early stages of MDX development, engineers tested European luxury SUV competitors including the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz ML, Porsche Cayenne and Volvo XC90. These experiences provided real-world understanding of how these luxury SUVs functioned in everyday driving on their “home turf.” Although later development testing was conducted in the United States, the DNA of the MDX was largely formed in Europe.

One essential tool that Acura used was the famed Nürburgring Nördschleife road circuit in Germany. This 13-mile course contains over 170 corners, numerous altitude changes and is considered the toughest natural road course in the world. Engineers used the Nürburgring as a “weakness finder” as it quickly exposes problems with a vehicle’s dynamics, making them easier to identify and fix.

In order to build in a combination of increased handling agility, increased stability and comfort, the current MDX’s wheelbase, tread width and suspension technology were changed from the first-generation MDX. Engineers changed the lift and squat characteristics of the suspension to provide a flatter handling. Thanks to the combination of its wheelbase and SH-AWD®, the 2011 MDX offers both exceptional high-speed stability and responsive handling.

FRONT SUSPENSION

The MDX’s entire front chassis was tuned to provide the best balance of handling precision, road isolation and impact aftershake damping. MacPherson struts team with coil-over springs and lower control arms constructed of forged aluminum to reduce unsprung weight.

The front subframe “floats” on rubber mounts to provide road and engine isolation, and the subframe assembly is affixed to the main body structure with heavy-duty braces. The front suspension also uses hydro-compliance bushings to provide excellent ride isolation as well as excellent chassis vibration control. Suspension and engine mounts are specifically tuned to provide minimum vibration transfer to the occupants, and the front struts employ internal rebound springs to improve ride and handling. Anti-dive properties were specially tuned to reduce impact harshness and improve ride comfort.

Source: http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=5584

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