Abstract
A comprehensive analytical investigation of the dynamic response of a general planar kinematic chain comprising an assemblage of articulating interconnected rigid-bodies with bearing clearances in the revolute joints is presented. The equations governing the dynamical behavior of this general mechanical system are established by incorporating a four-mode model of the phenomenological behavior of the principal elements of each revolute joint into the generalized form of Lagrange’s equations. The proposed methodology is then employed to predict the dynamic behavior of a planar slider-crank mechanism with radial clearance in the gudgeon-pin joint prior to comparing these theoretical predictions with the corresponding response-data from a complementary experimental investigation.