Analysis of the Contact Deformation of a Radial Tire with Camber Angle

Abstract

Abstract The contact deformation of a radial tire with a camber angle, has been an important problem closely related to the cornering characteristics of radial tires. The analysis of this problem has been considered to be so difficult mathematically in describing the asymmetric deformation of a radial tire contacting with the roadway, that few papers have been published. In this paper, we present an analytical approach to this problem by using a spring bedded ring model consisting of sidewall spring systems in the radial, the lateral, and the circumferential directions and a spring bed of the tread rubber, together with a ring strip of the composite belt. Analytical solutions for each belt deformation in the contact and the contact-free regions are connected by appropriate boundary conditions at both ends. Galerkin's method is used for solving the additional deflection function defined in the contact region. This function plays an important role in determining the contact pressure distribution. Numerical calculations and experiments are conducted for a radial tire of 175SR14. Good agreement between the predicted and the measured results was obtained for two dimensional contact pressure distribution and the camber thrust characterized by the camber angle.