Suspension with active damping to tune caster dynamics

A suspension assembly for a vehicle having a frame, the suspension assembly comprising:

• a knuckle adapted to support a wheel hub for rotation relative to the knuckle;
• a plurality of control arms, each control arm including a first end coupled to the frame, a second end coupled to the knuckle, and a rigid body extending between the first and second ends of the control arm;
• a spring mounted between the frame and either the knuckle or one of the control arms;
• a damper having an adjustable damping force and including a first end coupled to the frame above a rotational axis of the wheel hub and a second end mounted below the first end to either the knuckle or one of the control arms such that a change in caster angle of the knuckle extends or contracts the damper;
• a first sensor configured to detect a first characteristic of the vehicle and output a first signal representative of the first characteristic;
• and
• a control module in communication with the damper and the sensor, the control module configured to receive the first signal and determine an actual or predicted change in caster angle of the knuckle based on the first characteristic, the control module configured to increase a damping force of the damper in a direction that resists the change in caster angle.

A method of controlling a caster angle of a knuckle of a vehicle, the vehicle including a damper having an adjustable damping force and including a first end coupled to a frame of the vehicle above a rotational axis of a wheel hub of the vehicle and a second end mounted below the first end to either the knuckle or a control arm of the vehicle such that a change in caster angle of the knuckle extends or contracts the damper, the method comprising:

• detecting at a first sensor a first characteristic of the vehicle;
• receiving at a control module a first input from the first sensor, the first input representative of the first characteristic;
• determining at the control module an actual or predicted change in caster angle of the knuckle based on the first input;
• and
• adjusting a damping force of the damper in a direction that resists the actual or predicted change in caster angle.