Towed wheel shimmy suppression through a nonlinear tuned vibration absorber

Abstract The implementation of the nonlinear tuned vibration absorber (NLTVA) for suppression shimmy in towed wheels is addressed this study. We adopt a modified straight tangent tyre model single-degree-of-freedom wheel system with an attached NLTVA. Stability analysis illustrated that NLTVA can significantly improve stability equilibrium wheel. Bifurcation highlighted existence large bistable regions, which undermines system’s safety. However, numerical continuation analysis, coupled dynamical integrity investigation, revealed addition intentional softening nonlinearity restoring force characteristic enables complete also reducing amplitude oscillations unstable region. Quasiperiodic motions were identified; however, their practical relevance seems marginal.