Tire Rolling Noise in Dry and Wet Conditions on Pavement Surfaces of Different Skid Resistance

Abstract

When investigating tire rolling noise it is imperative that driving safety must not be neglected. For this reason, noise measurements with a single-wheel measuring trailer on very different dry and wet road surfaces are accompanied by skid coefficient measurements in wet conditions using the Stuttgart friction meter. Included in the investigations are a large number of tires with standard and special tread patterns (steel-belted tires for passenger cars). The hydroplaning behavior of these tires is additionally examined by traction coefficient measurements in wet conditions on an inside drum tester. The results indicate that, particularly on a dry road surface, the often-quoted conflict of goals between lowering tire rolling noise on the one hand and reducing driving safety on the other does not exist since it is possible for comparatively quiet road surfaces to have excellent grip in the wet. Furthermore, the results on the inside drum tester show when compared with the on-the-road noise measurements that there is a distinct correlation between improving the hydroplaning behavior and reducing the rolling noise of the tires investigated.