Effect of Load and Inflation Pressure on Contact Force and Pressure Distribution for Two Types of Light Duty Truck Tires 2007-01-4258

One of the main concerns in road conservation and maintenance activities is the interaction between tire and road through the contact patch. The internal air pressure and the weight supported by the tire are factors that affect the force and pressure transmitted to road surface by the vehicle. An experimental study related with load distribution and pressure in the tire's contact patch is presented in this paper. For testing, a lab prototype was used to determine the static load distribution along and transversally to the tire's contact patch. Two types of tires, both for light trucks, were used: one single radial and the other bias-ply, this last type in dual configuration. Several combinations of vertically supported load and air pressure were applied to testing tires. Results showed that contact pressure is uneven in the contact patch and lower than air pressure for the radial tire, but in some cases higher for the bias-ply tires in dual configuration.