A conceptual framework has been developed for investigating the generation of sound by tires. Recent measurements have quantified some of the characteristics of truck tire sounds. The characteristics that have been measured include the peak A-weighted sound level and its dependence on the tread pattern, speed, and deflection of the tire; the effect of the road surface on tire sound levels; and the spectral distribution of tire sounds. These characteristics are discussed in terms of the mechanisms of tire sound generation.
