TIRES

TIRE All road vehicles have wheels and almost all of them have wheels with pneumatic tires. Wheels have been around for many centuries, but only with the invention, and enhancement, of the pneumatic tire it has been possible to conceive fast and comfortable road vehicles. The main features of any tire are its flexibility and low mass, which allow for the contact with the road to be maintained even on uneven surfaces. Moreover, the rubber ensures high grip. These features arise from the highly composite structure of tires: a carcass of flexible, yet almost in extensible cords encased in a matrix of soft rubber, all inflated with air. Provided the (flexible) tire is properly inflated, it can exchange along the bead relevant actions with the (rigid) rim. Traction, braking, steering and load support are the net result. Tires are the primary source of the forces and torques which provide the control stability ( or handling) of the vehicle. The forces and toques (or moments) develop...