l il

Wheels & Tvres I

Int rod uct ion
engine has been transferred through the
In the previous study, the pow er developed by the
plutch, gear box, prop eller shaf t and differenti
al to the rear axle. Whe els are conn ecte d to the rear
vehicle moves on the road.-;-fhe pow er
axles. Wheels revolve with the turn of rear axles and
els so that vehic1e moves. In this chapter. we
:deveioped by the engi ne is useful to rota te the whe
m, suspension system and braking syst em.
:MD learn/discuss abou t the wheels & tyres, steering syste

hee ls and Tyres

~ Wh eel Construction :
cles have alum iniu m allo y wheels are
The pres sed steel whe el are wide ly used. Man y vehi
steel and redu ces unspfl.l!llLweighL This
ed ·allo y whe els. The se whe els are ligh ter than
Also , alurrt'mmm gets"rid of heat faste r than
proves the ride qual ity beca use less boun cing is felt.
ing and tyre performance.
I. Alloy whe els run cool er and this can improve brak
se are mad e of fiberglass, shee t-mo ldin g
Som e vehi cles have mol ded com posi te wheels. The
els are ligh ter than alum iniu m wheels.
mpo und (SM C), and spec ial resins. Com posi te whe

s Ass emb ly and Wh eel Cov ers :

ist of hub, disc or spokes, rim. tyre and
The whe el asse mbl y is gene rally thou ght to cons
r parts. All the parts bein g perf ectly
be. Whe els are as imp orta nt parts of a vehi cle as the othe
working order, they can 't move with out the
wheels. Wh~els supp ort the weig ht of \ehi cle and
e the vehi~Je & ftQU L\.\ !hee 1s.. ..s~
tect from the road shoc ks and r_ear whe els mov
To perform abo ve func tion , the whe els mus t be
cle ..
~ Strong enough to withstand the weight of vehi
~ Flexible to rb the road shocks.
✓. Able road surface.
 I S.2 l * UMl'l'-S
Wheels are usually at OTOJIOBn.t
tached to the brake
nuts. The wheel end drum or disc by thre
of the lug nuts _norm e to five wheel n•r½
wheel. The taper help ally has a tapered sh
s tightening the lug ape that matches its Ul3 0f
nuts to center the w seat
Hub caps or wheel heel.
covers fasten by clip in
locks provide protectio s to many pressed-st
n against theft. A sp eel wheels. Wheels
special lock bolt. Th ecial key wrench is
e key wrench should needed to remove or
be stored in the gear insta~J
Alloy wheels often ha bo x.
ve a locking lug nut
key is attached to th on each wheel as an
e lug wrench and stow antitheft device. Aluo., \
nut, place th e key on ed with the spare ty
the lug nut. Then turn re. To remove or instal
an impact wrench. the nut with the lug w l th; ~,
rench. Do not tum the
nut\\·
'f> I 5.2.3 l' ~- l;ypes ot'Wtie~ls -~:¼I
Th e automobile whe
els are of following
~ Disc wheels/Pr~,se types :
d wheels. ·
2.
3.
Wire wheels. J
4.
Split wheels.
Heavy-vehicle wheel
j
s..
S. Light alloy casting w 1

h ee ls J
lr D ~ -Wheels ~ -,

~ ~ - - Hole
fo r valve

- - - - H o le s
for
cooling
ffl
a
E
o=
 win g reas on<.; :
Thes e type of whe els ar - mos t popu lar due follo
Sim ple and 1.:2,bust in cons truc lion .
.
Easy to prod uce in larg e num bers al low cost
Eas in Handling.
Req uire negl igib le main tena nce.

VVheel
Well - - , ~ ~
base

Stud
heel to the hub f2].
l disc . The rim is a rolled
Thi1 type of wheel consists of a steel rim and a pres sed stee . Tl1e clisc perfi,)rms the
flange of the dis.c
~ti ~, sometimes riveted but usua lly welded to the
brin g the poin t of grou nd cont act unde r th ..'
7-unct•on of spnkf:s The disc is frequently dished to
to the brak e drum . The hub cap is usually held
. ge Wheel bearUW· The wheel assembly is bolted
disc is ofte n perf orat ed with slots near the
•~ P<>sition by spring clips attached to the disc. The -
n~ hl act as fan ,e ~WW air on the brakes.
~h
trucks. trad ors
T~~ type of wheel is commonly usod in heav~ mot or vehi cles -car s, buses,
= -
-~· . , " ---
 (Afrro.11i1oatLE E ~
[s.4]*(!JNIT-- 3l
~
J 6' Wire Wheels
.
~ . ..
. ,- ·, , ·I' ·st t\'oc
This type O \\: 11ee 1 ·~ e,ll It;, ·' t . or whe
.
el hut pres entl y ,ts 11~~ ts lmlltL•d fn rl'11 11111 \ i
ht thnn olht:r t) pt:s ol " I1u '·I I .
• •. • • .
sports and racm ., Tl 'Y are
g ca, s. 1_s.,....! lioh tcr 111 weig . 01.irc
~- t t:1111 ht rclll
...and fitted easily.. , Rt o
oweve,,. Ill"c lttl) ekss
_ . y- • 11\:if
-- . - cnnn ot he I 1llcl1 OVL'I' Wlrl ' \\ 1H·c, .... \\ h1L'h Hrc ,
tyres
.1 w
difficult to clean.

Driving Torque Brak ing Torque

:i:;;ig. 5.4 : Arrangt\ment of spokos.
This type of wheel consists of a separate hub connecte
d to the rim with n number of "i~
spokes. The headed inner ends of the spok es fit in the
hub holes and the tb.rcadcd pur~·r ends tir
in the rim holes, where mushroom headed tubular
nuts are scre wed through the rim holes w
tighten the spokes..i'i,ll!he_§P-okes mus t be of corr ect
leng th and Ht corr ect tensi(]n to hold tlu; rim.
centrally arou nd the hub. The spok e do not stick
straight out as radii from the l,ub, but alternar~
spokes are screwed to slope forw ard and back ward
s tow ards the rim. This arra11gc111~111 ()r
~ke s serve special purpose of the -..v.heeJ [3).
~ar d-s Jop ing spokes - Absorb braking torque?'/
/
~ar war d-sl opi ng spok es - Con vey driv ing torque.
The holes in the hub are arra nged in inner and oute
r rows so thnt o-41e set or spo~es sl~1P
~ to the rim from the oute r row of the
hub and the othe r set slopes outwards It) tht run
from the inner row of the hub. The se side way s incli
nations of the spok es hold the whcd uprighl
against cornering loads and side thrusts. A rubb~r chafing
band is fitted in the "ell of the rim Ill
keep tube touching die spoke nuts. The wire wheels allow
free circulation of nir mound the ~111~l·
drum~
,V: Spilt Wheell s ~ CQ~/n0.
Thia type of whe els are made in the form of two
dish es which fit hnck to hac"- and llfC
~ by a separate outer ring of studs and nuts.
The flanges of the discs thus give H s~•nting
for die tyre and ~lamp on the beads. The thick-section rubb
er ring is sometimt,s fitted in tht' ~np
between the two bead i. -- -
 effect w~;~·;~. .whRA(,
i&TYR Esr-!•~ •Jt,---- ---- - - - - - - - ------- '!UzuT-3 ! ,.'( I 5.5 I
Advantage:
Tyre may easily taken out o f the w heel by unscrewin g the nuts and separating the t wo d hc<;.
Heavy-V ehicle Wheels : ~ ~~ ~ <'d)t;.J ~ buJ )drrt ~
These types of wheels are usua lly made in the same'" ~ as the disc wheels but much
thicker plate is ysed. To lighter the wheel and a o to increase air flow tQ brake dru~ large ho les
~'i:ou nd the disc. The wheel nut recess are usually machined instead of being embossed .
In the case of twin rear .wheels, the inner wheel may have a larger valve stem to r e a ~
the outer wheel for case of.lp:flation a nd press ure check.
5. Light Alloy Casting Wheels (Forged Wheels) :
The forged wheels are the most recent type, whose use in ever increasing t he both road
and sports cars. The use of light alloy (aluminiu m and magnesiu m a lloys) m akes it possible to use
wider rims, which allow low aspect ratio. T hu s improving good adhesion, espec ia lly on comers.
Advantages : - \_,~~~" '-\ \,J..>4 -
(i) Light in weight.
(ii) Light alloy being good heat conducto rs dissipate heat produced by tyres and brakes
more efficientl y than steel.
(iii) Heavier section can be used which improve the w heel stiffness and better stress
distributio n is obtained.
(iv) Rims with larger area can be used which results in the use of w ider tyres with less
diameter
Disadvan tages :
(i) Relatively costly.
(ii) More yrope t9 corrosion .

[5.2.4 f,' $s I ~\QJl'!)_r)(\v)

The outer circular portion of the wheel on which tyre and tube are fi tted, is called rim .
Rims are generally of two types :
1. Drop-Cen tre rim
2. Flat-base rim
Flange

(a) Drop-centre rim. (b) Flat-ba s e rim.

 1P h~(t7ii41-1---- ---- ---- ---- --1 f..- ••-~
1. Drop-Centre Rim :
Fig. 5.5{a) shows the drop-centre rim. When the centre porl ion of the rim is rotreii
smalJer diameter to form a well, it is known as dro1,-ce11/re rim. This type of rim c1ll'hi,~,.
removal or mounting of the tyre by squQczing the beads of the tyre together on one \llit,. r
dropping them into die well, while d10 opposite side is pulled over the flange.

2. Flat-Base Rim
Fig. 5 5(b) shows the flat-base rim. This type of rim has its centre portion flat. One s((
of the rim is removable so that the tyre can be installed or removed without stretching the ~
This is known as co11ti11uous base type r;m. A continuous rim side ring with a split locking riq
or a single side ring holds the tyre in its mounted position. The flat base rims are used almost
.
all trucks and other heavy duty vehicles.

Wide-ba se Rim
(a)

Semi-drop Centre Rims Flat-based Rims

(b) (c)

Divided \/\/heels
(d)
 {gNrr.:_:1J ', r i7 tJ
-·• 5 TfMli••tt K: tor mo tor car
,rc co111pli c;1t cd 111 cl<:;•,1J111 th}111 tlic,<
The rim s of com m~ r<: inl vehic les nn: 111< ,ure .. a tn1e tight
c ri1n , in two or thre e picc ~'i, give grca l \ lal>ility to the 111c ,irHI en
;\ ,,ide -bns
s arc cs-;cn t ial iI ty , c bc:i <J\ :ire 1.,.,,, rigi d for fitm cnt
\t between tyre m1d rim
ty
, sem
pe.
i-dr
The
op cen
llat -ba
tre
sc
rim
rim is bei ng rep laced by the widc-b~1,; rim . exc
ept m
:n the full wel l-ba se
the large sec tion .

[s.2.s 1 'ly re : I

11#£1: ' ~e ti on : I ; ch1-:!c load and

auto mo bile w hee l,,.Jt ha s to car ry the
.. . __,~ tyre is a cus hio n pro vid ed wit h an e •,\rii le
onin g e(fect abs orbing flex ing acti ons. It mu st pro duc e a minimu m noi~
provide a£Y .Shi wbe
d. ft con sist s of mai nly the out e r cov er i.e., the tyre wit h trea d '> anc.l th~
runing on the roa the rub\.! c.ir r -..: :) : -:.:
ed ove r the w hee l rim . T he air ins ide
inside. The tyre -tub e ass emb ly is mo unt
[2].
entire load and pro vid es the cus hio n

Tub e

Ste el W ires
Bead

J
l tact link bet wee n the roa d and the vch id~. T h\!, t.lk~ ,\II th~ k).t
The tyre s are fina con
orb mo st of the shocks due to the. rnugh rn.,ds t h~'
of the vehicle. The y are flexible and abs trm: ti,)n
ch ena ble it to grip the roa d a nd pro , id~
gl)\_ )d
surface of the tyre has cer tain pat tern s whi

the following fun ctio ns :

A tyre per form s

-- ../ _ Supports the load of vt hicle,

✓, Provides cushion ■-,lt thpcks.
 I 1.8 J * lPRl'l.'•3 i-1- - -
- - -
- - -
- - - 44
- - -
- - •(~•-~ TOMoan,&
~Q
3. Transmits driving ru1d braking
forces to the road.
4. Provides cor ner ing po we r for sm
ooth steering.
I 5.?.5.3 ·Re qu ire me nts of Go od Tyre : I
A good tyre has following impor
tant requirements :
I. To be str on g eno ugh to car ry loa
ds and resist damage.
2. To pro vid e qu ite ru1ming (Noisele
ss).
3. To have a long life.
4. To pro vid e go od roa d grip for
traction, cornering, accelerating
and braking.
5. To pro vid e a com for tab le sid e
to the motorist~.
6. To be eco no mi cal .
7. To be fle xib le to cus hio n all sho
cks and impacts at lea st partly.
8. To res po nd acc ura tel y to ste eri
ng wit hou t deflection by the rid
ges on the road.
9. To me et its req uir em ent s in all
we ath ers and on all surfaces wit
hout overheatin~

Th e types ma y be of fol low ing typ

es :
1. Tube tyre
2. Tubeless tyre
1. TtlN (Conventional) Ty re
* It is a tra dit ion al tyr e (as shown in Fig
. 5.7 ) wh ich encloses a tube . 111· h air is
mw c
~ to a high pre ssu re
as a cus hio nin g mediu m.
eiltel' portion of the tyr e wh ich rolls
on the road is made of synt het.ic rubber and
'tread'.
inner edg es, bea ds are formed by
reinforced with ste el wires.
The bMde act as strong shoulders for bea
rin g against the rim .
a. .,_
-.7 .,.,,,.. co rd, are for me d int o a nu mb er of plies.
.
111111111
8Nde "4 cords give strength to the 110
tyr e and tre ads provid e rcsi 5tanc
· ., ,. ., c
Md thicker sur fac e at the out er per
iphery.
Lfii" 6Tijme]t-..,ttt---- -------- -------- -------1 jU,-1T •3) -t, ( 5.9
Tubeless Tyre
z.

Air Retaining Liner

Steel Wires Bead

. - - - Rubber Sealed valve

~ - - Valve Cap

IBIVP IW!t~ 121~

* Tubeless tyre (as shown in Fig. 5.8 above) does not enclose the tube.
* The air is fitted in the tyre itself under pressure.
* The inner constructio n of tyre is almost same as that of the tube tyre.
* A non-return -valve is fitted to the rim through which the air is forced inside the tyre.
* They are lighter and run cooler than tube tyre.
Advantages:

(i) Easier to fit.

(ii) Retains air for a long period even after being ptmctured.
(ill) Slower leakage of air.
(iv) Lesser unspring weight.
(v) Better cooling.
(vi) Improved safety.
ins·d The tubeless and tube tyres are called 'pneumati c tyres', in which the air is forced
rne~·e tbe tu~ itself or in a tube which is fitted in the tyre. In both cases, air is a cushioning
encl •um. ~u! m solid tube, it is not so. Neither the air is forced inside the tyre nor the tube is
0
sed 1ns1de it.

and beCenturies later John Boyd Dunlop invented the pneumatic tyre and wheels moved foster
tter.
 11,10 I* 1ug-3,-J-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -~ u..,,
i P. ¥ --- ;.;; ;;:~ ~
s 1yre Construction : I
* The lowe r nortion on both sides has a set of steeJ wires called
head w,·fe
y n
~- ------ - . .
give hous e tyre snug ly in the rim and also do not allow it come out even in t.h. ie
of tyre burst. . e~
* Bead s wires are surro unde d by bead core and plies of canva
. . ss. These days •
of canvass, rayon or nylon 1s used to give more strength to the tyre. , 1ns
* Which porti on of tyre come s in conta ct with road is ca11ed (top
portion) ;read' an
it is subje ct to wear. Different designs are made in the tread
for better grip an
tractio!? gu diffe rent road conditions:
* Brea kers are rubbe r-cov ered cords similar to plies -Which are
----:::::::=:::
us~d to distribute ro
shoc k and preve nt separ ation of tread from tyre.
* Cush ion is soft heat resis tance rubber, whic h absorbs road
shocks and also binds
plies and break er together.
* Card plies are stren gth to resis t interna1 pressure, to support
load and road shocks.
~ty re cons truct ion is divid ed into three c1asses :
k Cros s-Ply Tyre.
-z. Radial-Ply Tyre.
"3. Belted Bias Tyre.

• Cross-Ply 'lyre :
Tread

Chafe r
loo( ™
 m- I••I~
- - - - - - - ,4

--✓ • lUlfrt'-3 ! t< ' 1,11 I

In this type of tyre constr uction (as shown in Fig. 5.9 above) th(; ~alternate laycr,::L
Qf rcrds.
run j · diago nal direct ion. t is also known as cross-bias tyrec onstruction. In
this, the
ply co~ e wove n at an angle __ 0° to 40 °) to the tyre axis. llowc vcr,
the cord'> arc not worn
li~ra p and weft of ordina ry cloth, becctuse that would lead to rubbin
g of the two layers and
thus produ ce heat which damag e materi al of the tyre. This type of tyres have-
~ Bette r wear and road holdin g chara cteris ti~ But they must be fitted
on the front
wheel s only. Fit radial tyres all aroun d or use cross ply on the front and
radial ply
on t ~ a r wh~el s otherw ise coveri ng charac teristi cs will be seriously
impaired.
/ These tyres are econo m!£al .

Radia l-Ply Tyre :

-=~T read Bracing

Layers

lil'illr-. ..,,,._ Radial

Plies

,. ~re~'f.l!J,,/!r,~.,~ri~
IJ I 1 ;l• P'•J~~-i · · ···.• ·.•·::·_ ;•
.,,,t;.d,,.,u,,
•Ill .~,,:,,•1.
1/i/J ~ ·•· ••: · ••••
·• ·• · ·. •.,.,:
•,,,,1,•1 .,_
#
... , •
. • : .••

Wall Rubb er

• Filler
Bead Wrap

lletloll {J).
l _f' 5 10 above ) th~· cords run radially fr?~. .
In radial -ply tyre const ructio n, (as sh~wntonth~~ot~tion. On the~id e walls (he a:trect
,o;
}ead lo t5eao acros s the crown at right ang es 1 of thest, lies and below the tyre trea ,
1 p.

ofthe se• plies is radial. However,.~-hove the ~ersnd the circum ferenc e. 'fl are the most
... k hich run arou ,ese
there are belts of cord or brea ers w
'mode rn-typ e _a nd gradu!}!Y ree,t~JE1,!he otbeJJ\Y,Q, -
 If.121 * IDIIIT-311------- ------ ---fl' O•i-t •[AU TOJ 108U ,& t ~
Advantages :
_-4 1 hey can absorb more bounce of rough roads (Comfor table ride at high spet<h
(ii( Improved acceleration and braking operatio ns (due to continuous flat contact-Pa ),
area " 'ith the road surface). !ch
Lower rolling resistance and hysteresis loss (reduced fuel consumption).
Longer tread-life.
Braking efficiency on wet-roads is better.
Better steerbg characteristics.
Less tendenc y to distort and lift off the road from one side.
Larger resistance to puncture s, cuts and impacts in the tread area on account of the
breaker belts.
Disadva ntages :
~ Higher initial cost (20% more than cross-pl y) .
..{dj Ride is uncomfo rtable harsh at low speeds.
/jlf) Heavier steering at low speeds.
3. Belted-Bias Tyre :
~ types of tyres are the combination of cross and radial ply. The basic construction
is the bias-ply over which run a number of breaker belts. The belts improve the characteristics
of the bias-ply tyre to a large extent.
Advaatages :
(i) Run cooler.
(n) hnproved traction.
(ii) Show greater road mileage.

The basic constituents of a tyre are as follows :

1. Rubber-natural or synthetic-compounded with a large number of chemical to ens~:
dwwe e-,· characteristics (wear resistance, Jess internal friction, reduced hy5lere)
etc.).
2, NyJon « Rayon corb fabric for the tyre body.
J.,.. Steel for Jailh tensile steel beads wires.

· lfa
Evay tyre is marked with its size. Let us see what is the meaning of this marking.
ii ....W 1.25 " 20 x 10 PR. It means -
~ ii fnmsl•••J !UznT-3 ! * IS.13 I
(i) The width or thickn ess of tyre from should er to shoulder is 8.25".
(ii) Diame ter of bead circle, which fits on the rim, is 20°.
consists
(iii) PR means ply rating. 10 PR means the tyre consists of 10 plies. Scoot er tyre
truck
of 1 to 4 plies, car tyres 4 to 5 plies, light truck tyres 6 to 10 plies and heavy
tyres 10 to 22 plies.
The metric metho d of tyre designations as given below :

I ~~.f,,airable

Width

Sect n
Heig t

P 205 1 75 R 15
-r- ~
T
-
TireT vpe.
P - Passenger
T - Temporary
C - Commercial
Asoec t Ratio
(Section Height)
(Section Width)
70
75
~
Rim Diameter
(Inches)
13
14
80 15
Section Wdth
(Millimeters)
185 Construction Type
195 R- Radial
205 B - Bias-Belted
D - Diagonal (Bias)
 l&.14l*lU1'1T-3~1------------------+'414-1••!AUTOIIOBU.•I~
I S.2.S.8 Tyre Shape :
I
~ i.--- W(width) --...i

H(Height)

I
83 series 78series 70 series

~.9J1~ 5J!o.E« iftt-1 sr!.~l!JI

A tyre is usually indicated by a series number such 100, 83, 78, 70 and so on. This isderivec
from aspect ratio, which is numerically equal to the ratio of height and width of section (HA\)
Nowadays, passenger cars have an aspect ratio of 70 in case of radial ply tyres.
Wider tyres claim the following advantages :
(i) Vehicle handling is improved which gives a performance styling to the vehicle.
(ii) Better cornering.
(tit) Better load carrying capacity.
(iv) Longer life.
(v) Better high speed performance.

Different tyre tread patterns (as shown in Fig. 5.13 below) are following :
';:::=== ~/
I □□□□□
J □□□□□
I I □□□□□
□□□□□
(a)
□□□□□
(b) (c)

) d)
 (s) : Good midways adhcnsion, good grip
r11ttern . . .
b) . Little sideways adhcns1on but oood fore , J 1
r,ttcrn ( . . ("°' rill( rl I µrip l<Hp1rl rrrcg11l:1r we;c1r

ois)' runmng.
aod n
.
. ninnmg,.
grip. lrrcgulai wear 011 h·,11<1 rc,,.1<1s, 1101~y
pattern (c) : Good sidways, .fore and aft
..,Illttern (d) : Good wear res1stqnce and steering
.___ ,
characleri<,lics· · I J"cd
~
• d
<,n 1r~, 1er , 11n farm
-
iJnPleinents.
rough and loose
(e) : Used on ~ _ _surfaces, g,·v·11 ·
1 g maximum ~rip lln<I ~icit.-w~'JS
Pattern ,
stability.
~ =---~-:""-..--:-:-~-:;; ;:-:-:-:-:----~;::-;----,
. . . . . Jnftation Pressure and Wear : j
The _!Y!e is designed to be operated at a ce11ain pressure to the wei_ght and charact(:ri ,tics
~ E v e r y manufac_turer re~ommends to maintain the correct tyre pressure. tncorrec~
~Te pressure causes overheatmg, rapid tyre wear and unsafe steering.

j.- Tread contact --.I \+- Tread contact~

with road
~ Tread-+\
contact
with road --i w,th road
(c) Over inf'at on
(o) Under inflation (h) Proper Inflation

- ges of tyre inflation (2).

~ Jhader inflation : It (as shown in Fig. S.14(a) above) causes -severe flexing of the ~n.
Phes, side walls and other components, excessive heat and premature failure. It causes the t~ n
to more w .
on the edges than m the centre .
ear
. . . . ~ r Inflation: It (as shown in Fig. 5.14(b) above) overloads the components of_t)Tt:
Ind cau&es excessive tread wear and h ~ - It causes abnormal ~ear in the centre ot t~ n:
lnflat' . l Ab l . r of t)'r\.!S rm,, O\:~llr '-'
·
d'"" ions will cause dangerous steering and contro · norma '" ea
"•erent area of tread as follows :
l F . d , of the trt!ad-c h~c~ ~amb,
· ront tyre shows an excessive wear only on one si e
(!asa,a & TYREs lt-••1J, t)l1---- --------- ------ ___.J
Pattern (a) : Good •ct . . ,....,IU_N_rr--3~! tc I 5.15 l
nu ways adhcns1on , goo d gnp
·
Patter~ (b) : Little sideways adhension but ood ~ . . .
and noisy running. g ore a nd aft grip. Rapid, irregular wear

Pattern
p . (c) : Good sidways' fore and a ft gnp.
. Irregular wear on hard roads, noisy running
attern (d) :
implements. Good wear resistanc
- < - - - - e an d stee~ng
. . .
cha~ctenst1 ~. Used on trailers and farm.

Pattern
stability. (e) : Used on ~
rough and loose
= surfaces' giving
. . .
maximum ~..i.p and sideways
-z:;::::::. .::::::::=-- -=-

M-5.10 Tyre Inflation Pressure and Wear : I

The _tyre is designed to be operated at a certain pressure to the weight and characteristics
of
- the veh1cle.
. ¥--Every manufactur
. er recommend s t o mamtam
· · t h e correct tyre pressure. Incorrect
tyre pressure causes overheatmg, rapid tyre wear and unsafe steering.

\4- Tread contact-.\ \+- Tread contaet ~ \.-Tread~

contact
with road with road
with road
(b) Proper tnflation (c) Over inflation
(a) Under inflation

IJi 5.14 : Stages of tyre inflation (2].

..,,., '--1J1ider inflation : It (as shown in Fig. 5. l4(a) above) causes ,severe flexing of the t)Tc
plies, side walls and other components, excessive heat and premature failure. 1t causes the tyn
to more wear on the edges than in the centre.
,....... ~ r Inflation: It (as shown in Fig. 5.14(b) above) overloads the components oft)re
and causes excessive tread wear.and hard riding. It causes abnormal , ... ear in the centre oft) ri:
- - r
Inflations will cause dangerous steering and control. Abnormal wear of tyres nrn) occur o
different area of tread as follows :
l. Front tyre shows an excessive wear only on one side of the tread-check cambe
 * !Ulffl'-3! I
~U• AUTOM OBILlt E~
2. Tyres shmy a \.\ car particu larly remarkable on both sides of tread rather th-
. n-at I
centre portio . nat 1011
ow m . pressure. an c,n
3. T)'Tes shows wear on tread centre portion-at high innation pressure.
4. Remarkable wear on tread inner end of both front wheels - Toe-out.
5. Remarkable wear on tTead outer end of both front wheels -Toe in.
6. One front tyre shows wear on tread inner end and the other on outer end-stee
ring
misadjusted. .

Chec k wheel alignm ent CtfJd see th-at steerin g .and suspen sion .compon
ents are
deformed, espec;ially the pitma n arm. To ensure uniform wear of all tyres,
e wheel s in. criss cross fashio n E:ve,y 5000 km. ·

A tyre must have follow ing proper ties :

1. Non-skidding/slipping : should have good grip.
2~ Uniform wear : must get wear uniformly over its outer circumference.
3. Load carryi ng : should be able to carry the vehicle load and stresses during each
revolution.
Crushioning : should be able to absorb vibrations set-up by the road surfaces.
umption : should consu me least power.
d create minim um.noise while runnin g on road.
should be balanc ed dynamically as well as statically.

2. Incorr ect castor, cambe r & toe-in

4. Worn steerin g mechanism
6. Out of balanc e wheel
8. Overloading
10. Deflec tive bracke s
12. Bleed ing of air in tyre
14. Unequ al tyres
 -- -- -- - - - - - - - --- ljU1'1T~3 I (', I ,S,171
~ ► ff i# ]J -• •~ -~ ~ --
r
fl/d (I ',!'' Jl, I ,, /< t( ,,.~ (1 Ill I- t

C()NDtTl oN

EFFECT

. LAClf Of
INFLATION ROT.ATION
OR LACK Of TIR b
Of ROTATION OR
WO QN OR OUT-
CAUSE
l~l 1
OF AL!GNMENT
SUS PEN SIO N

~ A0JUST PRESSURE TO ADJ UST CAMBER ADJ UST TOE

OR TIRE DEFECT

aAL ANC E
ROTATE TIRES
ANO INSPECT
SPECIFICATIONS WH EN TO TO WHEELS SUSPENSION
S
COIIECTION TIRES ARE COOL. SPECIFICATIONS SPECIFICATION
ROTATE TIRES

tyr e we ar (Ch rys ler Co rpo rat ion ) 141

.
BC 15 ~r io -V s !)'p es of abn on naJ

fiUJ3 :I synthetic
use d to ~a ke tub es inc lud e nat ura l rub ber and tw o types of
Types of rub ber a blue stripe. A GR-S tube has a
red
buty1 tub e can be ide nti fie d by
rubber butyl and GR -S. A :
d. Th ree kin ds of inn er tub es are
stripe. Natural rub ber is no t str ipe tyre
inn er tub e : A tub e use d in a radial tyre must be rated as a radial-
1. Ra dia l-ty re ial tyre.
e ma y fail wh en installed in a rad
inn er tub e. An y oth er typ e of tub e sealant
e-s eal ing tub e : Th is tub e has a plastic coa tin g on its inside. Th
2. Pu nc tur
e as in self-sealing tyres.
and the sea lin g act ion are the sam
is tw o tub es in on e, on e ins ide the other. If the ou ter tube fail s,
3. Sa fet y tub e : Th is
pressure.
the inside tub e ret ain s som e air

d - - ~ • -tio:n,1
the systematic and cor rec t maintena
nce of tyre is ver y important.
Fo r safe veh icl e op era ry rough
r the we igh t of a ,loa ded veh icl e, withstand more than ordina
Tyre_ must be abl e to bea rai n, and fur nis h the medium on wh ich the
ov er all typ es of ter
service, pro vid e ma xim um saf ety ssu re sho uld be con sta ntl y maintaiPcd thr saf o
Th e tyr e pre
vehicle can be mo ved wi th eas e. fle xin g causes brea"-age of the
ati on . An 'U nd er inf lat ed' tyr e is dan ger ou s as too much
;~r
ult ing in fai lur e 'ov er inf lat ion ' som eti me ma y cau se a blo w-o ut.
asmg res er
e con tro l, the re should be con sid
Som t,
of tyr e and safety of veh icl
c To ext ent the life
•Oliowm. g factors :
(i) Tyre pre ssu re
 f 1.11 J)~ 1yijr-a11--------------~ -'-----~~~
( ii) 'lyre rof nt ion
(iii) Whcl'I hnlnnrt'
(iv) Wlwd nlignmcnt

I The nwst common tyru troubles arc the following :

I
{i) Excessivt} wcnr around lhc oulcr edges resull ing from under inflation.
(ii) Excessive wear in the centre of' the tread resulting from over inflation.
(iii) lyre tread worn on 0110 side i1:idicating wheels need realigning.
(iv) Cuplike depression on one side or the tread indicating wheels need balancin
g.
In order to have a satisfacto1y four-wheel drive operation, a four-wheel drive vehicle mu,
be equipped with the same size tyros of equal circumference on all four wheels. i

-i?,R.otation : I
, Some tyres wear faster than others on the vehicle. This is because front and rear ~r~
perform different Jobs. Also, the tyre of vehicle and driving habits can cause tyres to wear
differently. To equalize the tyre wear, perform a tyre rotation periodically or when unusuai
wear occurs. "'lyre rotation" means to switch the wheel-and-tyre assemblies from one a~e
position to another. A typical recommendation ,is to rotate the tyre at l2,000 km and then ve0
24,000 km.
2 Front 4
Tyre

1
tfi!# • § ].....,t~ t-- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- -1 1 UruT-3 I :<r 5.19 I
~ 1 6 Tyre Insp ecti on: I
Cautions for serv icing tyre s
~- To avoid pers onal injur y and to prev ent dam age to the
wheel and tyre, seve ral cc1utious

must be followed :
ll a narr ow lyre w ith a high
1. Mat chin g Tyre and Whe el Wid th : Do not try to insta
aspe ct ratio on a wide rim.
to mou nt a 16 inch tyre on a
2. Mat chin g Tyre and Whe el Diam eter : Do not try
osio n whe n infla ting the tyre.
16.5-inch whee l. The resu lt coul d be a dead ly expl
Chec k the rim size.
same size, cons truct ion (radi al
3. Mix ing Tyre : All tyres on the vehi cle shou ld be the
by the vehi cle manufacturer.
or non-radial), and spee d ratin g unless otherwise specified
put the radia ls on the wear.
If two radia ls and two non- radia ls are on the vehi cle,
aine d in an infla ted tyre. An
4. Resp ectin g Com pres sed Air : A terri fic force is cont
lt from impr oper or care less
expl osio n of the tyre- and- whe el asse mbly can resu
mou nting proc edur es.
Prot ectin g You r Eye s : Wea r eye prot ectio n (safe
ty glass es, safet y gogg les, or a
5.
n defla ting a tyre, avoi d the
face s~iel d), whe n de-m ount ing and mou nting tyres . \\,'he
high spee d and can blow dirt
air strea m from the tyre valv e. The air com es out at
or debr is into your eyes .
B. Checking tyre pres sure and infla ting tyre s

Cs-2·6 liliftiiJaiiee : I
whee l bala nced eithe r on or off the
The whee l-and -tyre asse mbly may be chec ked for
ired to avoi d front whe el Wobble whic h
vehicle. The bala nce of a tyre whe el is esse ntial ly requ
affects steering and incre ase tyre wea r rates.
mbly bala nce :
The follo wing facto rs affec t the whe el and tyre asse
l. Late ral run- out of the whee l.
2. by tyre or rim out-o f-rou nd.
Radi al run- out or run- of-ro und of the whe el, caus ed
rotat ion.
3. Unev en distr ibuti on of the weig ht arou nd the axis of
Tbere are two type s of wheel bala nce :
* Stati c (at rest) .
Dyn amic (in moti on).
, , js.2Ql,~IU111T-31-j----------------~-·ff-•• 1 AtJTOMOBJLt, Ito

D, namic balancing is usually the preferred method. /\ tyre and wheel may be in \
balance ·and still have dynnmic unbalance. Eilher slatic or dynarrnc unbalance will caurie~~
steering wheel to shaft from side to side at higher speeds. ~
1. Static Balance :

,,

Heavy Spot

(A) Static Unbalance

Add Balance Weights Here

---1--

Corrective Weights
(B) Static Balance

Fig. S.17 : Static wheel balance [3 ].

This is the equal distribution of weight around the wheel. A wheel that has static unbalan~t
rotatel with a bouncing action or wheel tramp.

Front wheels static unbalance may cause the front end to vibrate up and down at most road
speeds. It will cause uneven wear of tyre.
To static balance the wheel, remove it from the vehicle. Place the wheel on a btibble, ~or
static balancer. If the bubble is not centered, then to make it centered, the wheel weights
added to the wheef ritn.
2. Dynamle Balance :
1
. 1.s thc equaId'18m·but 1011
Th IS ' o t· wc1g
· I1t on cacJ1 sit• Ie of· the tyre center 1·me. WI1en the wh~~,
h~~
• • . • A \\
has dynanue balance, there 1s no tendency for side-to-side movement as the wheel spins.
that baa dynamic unbalance may ~ause wheel shimmy.
~
~ TYRJ<S]•III [Ur!!T:]_j t, [ 5.21]
~amic or spin balancing is performed with the wheel either on or o ff the vehi,;le
ndir~g on the type o f w heel balancer being used. First tyre inspectio n i'> requi red lo d() ri nd
depe balance the wheels f.:>llowing the operating instructions f'or the balancc.:r. Ucfc>r<., r.; r inning the
dien lower the safety hood. It catches a ny stones thrown o ut of the 1rca<.l ct'> the tire '> pin '>. rf he
whee1,
shows where and how much weight is needed to correct the halancc.
balancer

5.2.7 Com arative Data of Tyre in Some India n Vehicles 121 :

The comparative data of tyre in some Indi an vehic les is given below :

Inflationary pressure
Ply rating Front tyres Rear tyres (Psi)
(Psi)
l. Ambassador 4 26 28
2. Premier 4 24 26
3. Maruti 800 4 or 6 22 22
4. Jeep CJ-3B 4 26 28
5. Ashok Leyland 12 85 85
6. Tata Truck 407 14 55 100
7. Tata Truck 1210 14 100 100
8. Te/co Indica (Petrol) 22 22
9. Hyundai Santro 22 22
10. Daewoo Matiz 22 22

The wheel and troubleshooting is discussed in a tabular form be low :

Remedy
I. Wear on sides oftyre (i) Under-inflation (i) Innate to correct
tread more thsn·centre pressure.
Wear in centre ofthe (i) Over-inflation (i) Defla te to correct
lyre tread press ure.
Filed appearanc_e of (i) Misalignment of (i) C h<..,'Ck and correct ,, here
tyre tread wheels necessary