Evaluation of Various Passenger Tire Constructions for Wet Traction Performance

Three basic tire constructions (diagonal, bias belted, and radial) were evaluated via a designed experiment to determine the effect of tire construction on wet traction. Significantly, no one type of construction displayed an inherent advantage for straight ahead wet traction.

In addition, investigation within the radial construction framework revealed that stabilizer ply material and angle have little influence on straight ahead wet traction.

Tire construction was found to have a significant effect on wet cornering potential.