A Study on the Development Direction of a Tire Using Objective Evaluation and Analysis Techniques

Abstract

This study examines the characteristics of the steering stability performance of a vehicle with varying tire cornering stiffness. The vehicle and its front and rear tire models, which are the basis of simulation, were fabricated using SPMM and Flat Trac, respectively. Tire cornering stiffness of the front and rear wheels was modulated by changing the LKY, one of the scaling coefficients in the tire model. Steering stability performance evaluation is based on frequency response (ISO7401)[1] which can analyze the dynamic characteristics of the vehicle with varying steering input cycle and Steady State Speed (ISO4138)[2] which enables dynamic analysis of the vehicle with varying transient inputs. The results were analyzed by using measurement assessment factors with high correlation with actual stiffness evaluation. As a result of the evaluation, it was confirmed that the steering and stability performance of the vehicle increase when the cornering stiffness of the front wheel is increased and the cornering stiffness of the rear wheel is decreased, which has enabled us to identify the direction of development of real tires. It is expected that this study will be a starting point to improve the efficiency of the research and development to identify the cause of the decline of the running performance of the tires and the way to enhance it.