Impact of camber angle on the tire tread behaviour in different road conditions

Abstract

The camber angle is one of the wheel alignment properties that is crucial as a slight change to the orientation of the camber angle determines the lifespan of a tire. The stress distribution on the innermost of a tire increase as the positive camber angle is increased, and vice versa, which causes the abnormal uneven premature wear of the tire. This research is done with the main objectives to simulate the performance of tires concerning the camber angle by using the finite element analysis method, and to study the influence of camber angle on different tire tread patterns under two different road conditions, i.e., smooth road and irregular road. Three tire models with different tire tread patterns and two different road conditions are developed using SolidWorks while the investigation of each tire performance is done through ANSYS under static condition in this research. Tire inflation analysis is performed using static structural analysis feature available in ANSYS where the total deformation and equivalent stress are determined based on the specific vertical load applied onto the tire, ignoring any damping effects and inertia. Boundary conditions and other relevant constraints are applied, and then mesh independent test is carried out to all tire models prior to performing the simulation. Based on the simulation results, the maximum total deformation increases as the camber angle increases in both road conditions, while the maximum equivalent stress does not show any trend. It is concluded that tire tread pattern influences the maximum equivalent stress experienced by the tire.