Unit 4 Tire Characteristics

Prof. Praveen P. Rathod

Praveen.rathod@viit.ac.in
Department of Mechanical Engineering

BRACT’S, Vishwakarma Institute of Information Technology, Pune-48

(An Autonomous Institute affiliated to Savitribai Phule Pune University)

(NBA and NAAC accredited, ISO 9001:2015 certified)
 Objective`

•To make the student conversant with fundamentals of automobile

systems.
•To develop competencies in performance analysis of vehicles.
•To make the student conversant with automobile safety, and vehicle
Standard.

Learning Outcome/Course Outcome

•Analyse the tire ride properties for better vehicle performance.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48 2

Syllabus:
• Tire – types, axis system, mechanics of pneumatic tires -
tire forces and moments, rolling resistance of tires,
tractive (braking) effort and longitudinal slip (skid),
cornering properties of tires, performance of tires on
wet surfaces, ride properties of tires.

03/29/23
Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48
Who Invented The First Pneumatic Tire?

• John Dunlop in 1887

• 1890 he began the
Dunlop Rubber Co in
Dublin Ireland

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48

What Tires Are Made Of…

• Raw Rubber • Carbon Black

• Steel • Synthetic Rubber
• Nylon • Fiberglass
• Polyester • Aramid
• Rayon • Brass

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48

 What Is Pneumatic Tire?

• One that is filled with

compressed air
• All tires manufactured
today are considered
Pneumatic tires.
• First device to damped
road shock

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48

Why are Tires Black?
• To protect the rubber
from the harmful UV
rays.
• A common type of UV
stabilizer called a
competitive absorber is
added to capture and
absorb these harmful
UV light wave energy.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48
Tyre Construction

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48
Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48
Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48
 Tyre Tread Designs

Tyres generally fall into one of the following categories:

• Directional
• Non-directional
• Symmetric and Asymmetric.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48

Tyre Tread Patterns

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48

Tyre Classification

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48

 Tire axis system and terminology defined by SAE standards

Legend:
x – longitudinal axis (direction of wheel heading)
y – lateral axis
z – vertical axis
O – origin of the axis system
v – linear speed of the wheel
α – positive slip angle
γ – positive inclination angle
Ω – angular velocity of the wheel
Fx – tractive force
Fy – lateral force
Fz – normal force
Mx – overturning torque (moment)
My – rolling resistance torque (moment)
Mz – aligning torque (moment)
 The x-axis is contained in the wheel plane and it’s parallel with the longitudinal
axis of the vehicle. The positive direction of the x-axis is pointing towards the front
of the vehicle.
 The y-axis is perpendicular on the x-axis and the positive direction is pointing to the right
side of the wheel.
 The z-axis is normal to the road, the positive direction being downwards. In the ISO
standard (ISO 8855) the positive direction of the z-axis is pointing upwards.
 All three axes are mutually orthogonal, which means that they are perpendicular to each
other. The origin (O) is the point of intersection of x,y and z axes.

 The tractive force Fx is a longitudinal force and it’s positive in the forward direction
(pointing to the front of the vehicle.
 The lateral force Fy is positive towards the right, when the vehicle is moving forwards
along the x-axis.
 The normal force Fz is the force applied by the road to the wheel. It is negative pointing
upwards and positive pointing downwards.
 The overturning torque (moment) Mx is the torque which is trying to rotate the wheel
around the x-axis.
 The rolling resistance torque (moment) My is the torque which opposes the wheel to
turn around the y-axis.
 The aligning torque (moment) Mz is the torque which rotates the wheel around the z-
axis.
 What Is Rolling Resistance?

Rolling resistance is the combination of forces that work against the forward motion of
your vehicle.

The weight of the vehicle, gravity and inertia, the amount of friction between the tires
and the road surface, and air drag all play a part.

When you coast in your car or on a bike, rolling resistance is what slows you down. The
more rolling resistance, the more power it takes to propel a vehicle. Between 3 and 11
percent of the gas used in passenger vehicles goes to overcoming this force, so
reducing it means saving on gas.
 What Are Low-Rolling-Resistance Tires?

Low-rolling-resistance tires strike a balance between safety features that helps control and
stop the car, and design elements that provide better gas mileage. These tires:

• Weigh less and have thinner sidewalls.

• Are made with rubber compounds that reduce heat and friction.
• Have tread designs with shallower tread depth.

How Much Does Tire Choice Affect Fuel Economy?

 Bias Ply Tire(Cross-ply)

• The cord angle is also reversed from

ply to ply.
• consist of carcass layers made from
nylon cord, placed diagonally along
each other in the tread and the
sidewalls, at an angle of 50 degrees.
• Tread is bonded directly to the top ply.
• A bias ply tire has plies running at an
angle from bead to bead.
• Multiple rubber plies stacked over
each other which form a thick layer,
which makes them less
• flexible as a result they are more
sensitive to overheating.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48

Advantages of Cross Ply Tyres :

High vehicle stability.

Good resistance against sidewall damages.

Economical as their production is cheaper.

Good bonding to the road

Give a strong and rigid sidewall.

Disadvantages of Cross Ply Tyre

Rolling resistance - heat up quickly.

Cross ply tires – rigid hence less comfortable.

High resistance of the tire, high fuel consumption

 Radial Ply Tire
• Radial tyre construction uses body ply
cords which are laid across the tread
extending from
• bead to bead, so the cords end up
parallel to each other at approximately
90 degrees to the centerline of the tread.
• Radial tyres are extremely durable and
maintain good traction with the road,
providing good traction with the road
providing better steering control.
• Radial tyres have much more flexible
sidewalls because of their construction.
They use 2 or more casing plies, with
cord loops running radially from bead to
bead.
• A properly inflated radial tyre runs cooler
than a comparable bias ply tyre,
increasing tread life.
• Also a radial tyre has less rolling
resistance as it moves over the road
surface increasing fuel
• economy.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48

Advantages of Radial Ply Tire

•lower rolling resistance loss , hence less fuel consumption.

•longer tread life as less heat generated.

•Better braking efficiency.

•larger resistance to punctures and cuts.

Disadvantages of Radial Ply Tire

•Presence of steel belt due to which it does not

•fare well against minor bumps in the road.

•Soft sidewalls are vulnerable.

•Harder treads - huge noise.

 Belted Bias Tire
• Is a bias tire with
belts added to
increase tread
stiffness.
• These belts are also
ran at a different
angle.
• These belts only lie
on the tread area and
not on the side walls,
like cords.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, VIIT , Pune-48

Tire Cutaway
Tire Sidewall Info
Tire Size

•
Load Index
P195/60R15 87S - The load index (87) is the tire size's
assigned numerical value used to compare relative load
carrying capabilities. In the case of our example the 87
identifies the tires ability to carry approximately 1,201
pounds.
The higher the tire's load index number, the greater its load
carrying capacity.
89 = 1,279 pounds
88 = 1,235 pounds
87 = 1,201 pounds
86 = 1,168 pounds
85 = 1,135 pounds
Speed Rating

Rating Maximum Speed

Q 99 mph
S 112 mph
T 118 mph
U 124 mph
H 130 mph
V 149 mph
W 168 mph
Y 186 mph
Z Above 149 mph
 TIRE GRADING
Tread Wear – Tire life
expectations
– 100 is base line, 150 is 50%
better
Traction Rating – Braking
capabilities
– A, B, C designations
Temp. Rating – Ability to
withstand extreme heat
– A, B, C designations
 Tire Pressure
• Should be check monthly
• Should be checked cold
• For every 10° Fahrenheit change in air temperature, your tire's inflation
pressure will change by about 1 psi
• The EPA says your mileage drops 1% for every 2 pounds under the
recommended tire pressure.

                   
 Tire Pressure Placard
• Use the tire pressure recommended in your vehicle's
owner's manual or tire information placard
Effects of Low Tire Pressure
Over Inflation
Effects of Low Tire Pressure
Under Inflation
Effects of Mismatched Tires

• Different Manufactures
• Different sizes
• New and/or used tires
• Effects on speedometer
• Effects on ABS/Traction Control Systems
• Effects on vehicle handling
Cupping
Bulge
Chunk Outs
Cracks
Side Wear & Feathering
Static Balance

• Equals out wheel tramp

 Dynamic Balance

Equals out wobble

 Tire Pull
• Defective/damaged tires
• Bent wheel (rim)
• Excessive shoulder wear
• Excessive feathering
Tire Pressure Monitoring
• Warns of significant lose of tire pressure
• First used on 1994 Corvette
• All cars & LD Trucks must have TP system by 2008
• Two types: Direct and Indirect
Direct TP Warning System
• Computer controlled (BCM) w/ radio transmitters in wheels
(pressure sensors)
• Transmits actual TP of each tire
• Displays on IPC
• Diagnostic capabilities
 Indirect TP Warning System
• ABS based system, using existing ABS hardware, w/
software mods
• Changes in TP affect tire circumference, affecting tire speed
• Sensors monitor each wheels speed, compairs to one
another
• Approx. 7 psi difference to trigger warning
 Run Flat Tires

• Temp. supports
weight of vehicle with
no air pressure
• Internal support,
thicker side walls,
stronger beads.
• Can maintain Mobility
for 50 miles up to 55
mph
The End for this tire