Performance Analysis and Experimental Validation of Small-Radius Slope Steering for Mountainous Crawler Tractors

This study investigates the dynamic performance of mountainous crawler tractors during small-radius slope steering, providing theoretical support for power machinery design in hilly and mountainous regions. Addressing the mechanization demands in complex terrains and existing research gaps, a steering dynamics model is established. The model incorporates an amplitude-varied multi-peak cosine ground pressure distribution, employs position vectors and rotation matrices to characterize 3D pose variations in the tractor’s center of mass, and integrates slope angle, soil parameters, vehicle geometry, center-of-mass shift, bulldozing resistance, and sinkage resistance via d’Alembert’s principle. Numerical simulations using Maple 2024 analyzed variations in longitudinal offset of the instantaneous steering center, bilateral track traction forces, and bulldozing resistance with slope, speed, and acceleration. Variable-gradient steering tests on the “Soil-Machine-Crop” Comprehensive Experimental Platform demonstrated model accuracy, with <8% mean error and <12% maximum relative error between predicted and measured track forces. This research establishes a theoretical foundation for predicting, evaluating, and controlling the steering performance/stability of crawler tractors in complex slope conditions.