Selection of the Optimal Tire for an FSAE Vehicle based on Evaluation of Key Performance Parameters

Tires are the components which physically connect the vehicle body to the ground, thus choosing the correct set of tires is important, not only to achieve the most out of the car but also to provide the platform, based on which the suspension and steering geometry of the vehicle are designed. This selection has to be based on the comparison of various available sets of tires and evaluating them based on key performance parameters, such as peak lateral force (Fy), peak self-aligning torque (Mz), instantaneous cornering stiffness and instantaneous camber stiffness. The tire which gives the best possible combination of all these parameters would help achieve sufficiently good acceleration and speed, and also have a sufficiently large window of operation, where it is robust and less sensitive to changes. Thus, the tire, which achieves the best balance of properties between performance, driveability, cost and robustness would be the chosen tire for the car, which forms the basis of the next steps of the chassis design.