Effect of Suspension Alignment and Modest Cornering on the Footprint Behavior of Performance Tires and Heavy Duty Radial Tires

Abstract

Abstract Typical uneven wear originates from energy intensity differentials occurring in ordinary tire usage at moderate operational conditions. In this paper the footprint behavior of a typical performance tire and of typical heavy-duty radial tires are compared and contrasted with the intent of shedding light on the study of uneven wear. The examination is extended to modest lateral acceleration conditions, less than 0.3 g, with the greatest emphasis being on the behavior of the performance tire. Examples of very detailed information on the normal stress, lateral stress, longitudinal stress, lateral displacement, and longitudinal displacement fields within contact are examined. The concept of “virtual wear,” based on the use of shear energy intensity, is introduced as a way to predict uneven wear propensity in any number of different tests from the results of a single, nondestructive, indoor experiment.