Development of a Test Rig for Axial Strains Measurement in Automobile Wheel

In automobile wheel application, a test rig is vital and used to simulate conditions of the wheel in service in order to affirm the safety and reliability of the wheel. The present work designed a test rig for measuring axial strains in automobile wheel. The wheel used was a five-arm wheel (6JX14H2; ET 42) and Tyre (175 × 65 R 14). Experimental (EXP) test was carried out, with a radial load of 4750 N and inflation pressure of 0.3 MPa, to measure the axil strains which were converted to maximum principal strain values and, compared with data from Finite Element Analysis (FEA) using Creo-Element/Pro 5.0 at wheel’s contact angles of 90 degree (FEA 90 deg), 40 degree (FEA 40 deg) and 30.25 degree (FEA 30.25 deg), respectively. Results show that at the wheel’s point of contact with the ground, maximum principal strain values were highest at the inboard bead seat with a value of about 5.69 × 10-4 mm/mm, followed by the values at the well of about 5.66 × 10-4 mm/mm. The value at the outboard bead seat was least at about 2.22 × 10-4 mm/mm, which was due to the presence of spikes at this location that tends to resist imposed radial loads. However, the highest mean maximum principal strain values at the locations of inboard, well and outboard, were about 2.11 × 10-4 mm/mm, 3.78 × 10-4 mm/mm and .99 × 10-4 mm/mm, respectively. With the highest single value of about 5.69 × 10-4 mm/mm, the inboard bead seat was the most strained location of the wheel. Overall results showed that all values of maximum principal strains were below the threshold value of about 1 × 10-2 mm/mm. The values obtained for EXP and FEA could be said to be in close agreement when compared with the threshold value. With this in mind, the rig is recommended for use in related experimental procedures.