TIRE DYNAMICS

❖ The tire is the main component interacting with the

road. The performance of a vehicle is mainly
influenced by the characteristics of its tires. Tires
affect a vehicle’s handling, traction, ride comfort, and
fuel consumption. To understand its importance, it is
enough to remember that a vehicle can maneuver only
by longitudinal, vertical, and lateral force systems
generated under the tires. Figure (1) illustrates a model
of a vertically loaded stationary tire. To model the tire-
road interactions, we determine the tire print and
describe the forces distributed on the tire print. Figure 1: A vertically loaded stationary tire.

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TIRE COORDINATE FRAME AND TIRE FORCE SYSTEM
❖ To describe the tire-road interaction and force
system, we attach a Cartesian coordinate frame at
the center of the tire print, as shown in Figure (2),
assuming a flat and horizontal ground. The x-axis
is along the intersection line of the tire-plane and
the ground. Tire plane is the plane made by
narrowing the tire to a flat disk. The z-axis is
perpendicular to the ground, opposite to the
gravitational acceleration g, and the y-axis makes
the coordinate system a right-hand triad.
❖ To show the tire orientation, we use two angles:
1) camber angle γ and
2) sideslip angle α.

3 Figure 2:Tire coordinate system

THE CAMBER ANGLE
1) camber angle [γ]: is the angle between the tire-plane and the vertical plane measured about the
x-axis as shown in figure (3).

Figure 3:Front view of a tire and measurement of the camber angle

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THE SIDESLIP ANGLE
2) The sideslip angle[α]: simply sideslip is the angle between the velocity vector v and the x-axis
measured about the z-axis. The sideslip can be recognized better in a top view, as shown in Fig(4).

Figure 4: Top view of a tire and measurement of the side slip angle

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TIRE FORCE SYSTEM (TFC)
❖ The force system that a tire receives from the ground is assumed to be located at the center of the tire
print and can be decomposed along x, y, and z axes. Therefore, the interaction of a tire with the road
generates a 3D force system including three forces and three moments, as shown in Figure (5).

1) Longitudinal force 𝐹𝑥 : It is a force acting

along the x-axis.
➢ The resultant longitudinal force 𝐹𝑥 > 0 if the
car is accelerating, and

➢ 𝐹𝑥 < 0 if the car is braking.

• Longitudinal force is also called forward

force.

6 Figure 5: Tire coordinate system.

TIRE FORCE SYSTEM (TFC)
2) Normal force 𝐹𝑧 : It is a vertical force,
normal to the ground plane.
➢ The resultant normal force 𝐹𝑧 > 0 if it is
upward.
• Normal force is also called vertical force or
wheel load.

3) Lateral force 𝐹𝑦 : It is a force, tangent to the

ground and orthogonal to both 𝐹𝑥 and 𝐹𝑧 .
➢ The resultant lateral force 𝐹𝑦 > 0 if it is in the
y-direction.
Figure 5: Tire coordinate system.

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TIRE MOMENT SYSTEM (TMC)
1) Roll moment 𝑀𝑥 : It is a longitudinal
moment about the x-axis.
➢ The resultant roll moment 𝑀𝑥 > 0 if it tends
to turn the tire about the x-axis.
• The roll moment is also called the bank
moment, tilting torque, or overturning
moment.

2) Pitch moment 𝑀𝑦 : It is a lateral moment

about the y-axis.
➢ The resultant pitch moment 𝑀𝑦 > 0 if it
tends to turn the tire about the y-axis and Figure 5: Tire coordinate system.
move forward.

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TIRE MOMENT SYSTEM (TMC)
• The pitch moment is also called rolling
resistance torque.

3) Yaw moment 𝑀𝑧 : It is an upward moment

about the z-axis.
➢ The resultant yaw moment 𝑀𝑧 > 0 if it tends
to turn the tire about the z-axis.
• The yaw moment is also called the aligning
moment, self aligning moment, or bore
torque.

Figure 5: Tire coordinate system.

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TIRE STIFFNESS
❖ Stiffness is the extent to which an object resists deformation in response to an applied force.

❖ The vertical tire force 𝐹𝑧 can be calculated as a linear function of the normal tire deflection ∆𝑧
measured at the tire center.

𝐹𝑧 = 𝑘𝑧 ∆𝑧

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Figure 6: The vertical tire force 𝐹𝑧 .
TIRE STIFFNESS
❖ The coefficient 𝑘𝑧 is called tire stiffness in the z-direction. Similarly, the lateral 𝐹𝑦 and a
longitudinal force 𝐹𝑥 , the stiffness coefficient 𝑘𝑦 & 𝑘𝑥 can determined by
Figure 7: The lateral 𝐹𝑦 and a longitudinal force 𝐹𝑥 .

𝐹𝑦 = 𝑘𝑦 ∆𝑦

𝐹𝑥 = 𝑘𝑥 ∆𝑥

❖ Generally, a tire is most stiff in the longitudinal direction and least stiff in the lateral direction.
𝒌𝒙 > 𝒌𝒛 > 𝒌𝒚

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TIRE STIFFNESS
❖ Example : Determine the wheel load applied on the tire-print ST255/54R22 99T which
have stiffness 200000N/m and deflection resulting from this load.
➢ Solution:
• ST: Tire type Special Trailer.
• 255: Tire Width.
• 54: Aspect Ratio.
• R: Tire Construction Radial.
• 22: Rim Diameter.
• 99: Load Index.
• T: Speed Rate.
From load index table (1) applied, the mass of tire will be (775 Kg)
𝐹𝑧 = mg = 775 X 9.81 = 7602.75 N
𝐹𝑧 7602.75
∆𝑧 = = = 0.038 𝑚𝑚
𝑘𝑧 200000

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