Wheel slip phenomena

Abstract

A new approach is given to explain vehicle tyre slip phenomena. With this approach the term 'wheel slip', as used by engineers in connection with off–road machines, covers four different physical phenomena which we call respectively slip of the first, second, third and fourth type. Three of these phenomena do not involve the actual slipping of a tyre on a surface and, in addition, two of them are not essentially slipping. The main attention is focused on the components of slip which can explain the experimental deviation of a flexible tyre behaviour from zero slip without any sliding at the tyre–surface contact zone. Based on this interpretation of the slip phenomena, an explanation of the well known experimental relationships between pull (thrust) and slip is discussed. This new approach is used for the development of a vehicle ride simulation computer system.