ABSTRACT
While it seems so obvious that it need not be said, tires are deformable, and it is this deformation that is required to generate the lateral and longitudinal forces on the roadway that allows the vehicle to accelerate, brake, and maneuver. This same property of deforming under load creates rolling resistance. When a vehicle is set down on the ground, the tires must flatten out where they contact the roadway, until the so-called contact patches are large enough that the contact pressures can equilibrate the vehicle’s weight.
