TYRES - OVERVIEW
A tyre is a means of transmitting the torque developed
by the drivetrain to the road such that the tractive effort
available may be used to propel the vehicle.
The tyre must also play its part in slowing the vehicle
down when the brakes are applied.
It also has to ensure safe maneuvering, such as
cornering. Because of this it must have a sufficiently
high coefficient of friction with the road surface to avoid
wheel slip during acceleration and braking and also to
prevent instability during cornering.
It must also be compliant in that it should be capable of
conforming to the ever-changing road surface. This
means that local deformations should be catered for
along with road undulations and that it must have a
reasonable degree of flexibility if it has to play an
effective part of the suspension system.
Although the flexure of the tyre is useful in meeting
these demands, the resulting hysteresis losses
contribute significantly towards the overall rolling
resistance of the vehicle as described above
TYRE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS
High coefficients of friction in all operating
conditions
Steady build-up of lateral forces without sudden
changes
Good cornering stability
Direct and immediate response to steering
movements
Guarantee requirement of sustained maximum
speed
Small fluctuations in wheel load
RIDING COMFORT CHARACTERISTICS
Good suspension and damping properties (little
rolling hardness)
High smoothness as a result of low radial tyre
run-out and imbalances
Little steering effort required during parking
and driving
Low running noise
DURABILITY REFERS TO
Long-term durability
High-speed stability
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE REQUIREMENT
After safety, economy is the main consideration for commercial
vehicle tyres. The following properties are desirable:
high mileage and even wear pattern
low rolling resistance
good traction
low tyre weight
remoulding/retreading possibilities.
Compared with passenger car tyres, the rolling resistance of
commercial vehicle tyres has a greater influence on fuel
consumption (20–30%) and is therefore an important point.
TYRE CONSTRUCTION
There are two types of tyres;
Radial Ply
Cross (Bias) Ply
The most common tyres to be found on road cars
are radial ply.
The primary advantage of radial ply tyres is that
the side walls are more flexible and so more tread
remains in contact with the road during cornering.
TYRE CONSTRUCTION
RADIAL PLY
Radial ply tyres have casing plies that run
across the tyres from bead seat to bead seat in
the radial direction of the wheel.
BIAS PLY
Bias ply, diagonal, cross-ply tyres have casing
plies that cross each other at angles 35 - 45
ADVANTAGES OF RADIAL-PLY OVER CROSS-PLY
TYRES
Longer Tread Life—Strengthened bracing under tread
reduces tread flexure(―squirm‖) in contact patch area.
Cooler Running—Thinner side walls and less friction
between plies.
Runs 20–30 °C cooler than cross-ply because of lower
tread squirm.
Lower Rolling Resistance—Lower hysteresis losses due
to less tread squirm as a result of flexible sidewalls.
Enhanced Comfort—Flexible sidewalls are more forgiving
with road undulations, readily absorbing uneven road
surfaces. Less vibration transmitted—quieter.
ADVANTAGES OF RADIAL-PLY OVER CROSS-PLY
TYRES
Increased Impact Resistance—The working (bracing) plies
under the tread better protects the inner lining. The longer
cords are better placed to absorb impact stresses (strain
energy) due to impacts.
Greater Puncture Resistance—the working belts better resist
penetration of road debris.
Superior Handling—Increased footprint area remains in
contact with the road during cornering . Due to side wall
flexure the tyre slip angle is less than cross-ply so the vehicle
is better able to follow the intended line of
steer.
Better Wet Traction—Steel belts stiffen the
tread so it does not deform as much as cross-
ply resulting in better displacement of rain
water.
Lower Running Costs—As a result of lower tread
wear and lower rolling resistance.
Reduced Sidewall Damage—Because sidewalls
are more resilient (compliant) to side impacts
such as scuffing curbs.
DISADVANTAGES OF RADIAL OVER CROSS-PLY
TYRES
Poor transport handling, since low lateral stiffness
causes the tyre sway to increase as the speed of
the vehicle increases.
Increased vulnerability to abuse when overloaded
or under-inflated. The sidewall tends to bulge
which could cause damage and puncture.
TYRE DESIGNATION
The tyre designation/classification information
is moulded around the rim of the tyre, typically
as shown
For example consider the designation 215/65 R 15
95 H where:
215 indicates the width of the tyre in mm.
65 provides the aspect ratio of the tyre wall, the sidewall
height as a percentage of the section width. For example,
sidewall height of this tyre will be 0.65 × 215 = 139.75 mm.
R Code for radial tyre.
15 Wheel rim diameter in inches.
95 Load index—ranges from 69 to 100. Load capacity of the
tyre which is the maximum weight the tyre can carry. Load
capacity depends on load index and inflation pressure. For
example a load index of 95 at 2.9 bar pressure gives 690 kg
load capacity. Tables are supplied that provide such
information.
H Speed symbol. Maximum speed at full load. (e.g. H
represents 210 kmph)
LOW PROFILE TYRES
Low profile tyres have a shorter sidewall or a
lower aspect ratio than normal tyres.
They also have larger tread blocks, a stiffer,
wider apex and can be made from specialised
compounds.
Generally a tyre with a 50 aspect or less is
considered to be low profile.
AIRLESS TYRES
Michelin and General motor – Tweel airless
tyres
