Abstract

A “black box” model is described for simulating the dynamic forces transmitted to the vehicle hub by a tire running over an obstacle at high speeds. The tire is reduced to a damped one‐degree‐of‐freedom oscillating system. The five parameters required can be obtained from a test at a given speed. The model input is composed of a series of empirical relationships between the obstacle dimensions and the displacement of the oscillating system. These relationships can be derived from a small number of static tests or by means of static models of the tire itself. The model can constitute the first part of a broader model for description of the tire and vehicle suspension system, as well as indicating the influence of tire parameters on dynamic behavior at low and medium frequencies (0–150 Hz).