Influence of air spring parameters to tyre wear

Abstract

Context. When using CNG buses, abnormal tyre wear started to occur. Objectives. To identify possible causes of this phenomenon, verify its impact by practical experiment and suggest solutions. Methods. During the experiment, three same vehicles were set up with different air spring settings, resulting in different clear heights of 325 mm, 335 mm, 345 mm. After approx. 45,000 km, tyre wear was examined, tyre defects were measured and compared. Results. Vehicle most affected by heel-toe wear was one with the highest clear height of 345 mm. Higher clear height negatively influences tyre wear, but it is clear that other causes are included in this problem. Conclusions. Experiment and calculations affirmed that the primary cause of the tyre wear irregularities is vibrations applied to tyres caused by added weight. This theory is confirmed by an investigation more prescribed in the introduction section.