Brake and Tire interaction with the Vehicle

Dear Engineering Community,

Over the past 35+ years, I’ve had the privilege of contributing to R&D in Brake and Tire Technology, with a strong focus on NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness), Acoustics, and the intricate interactions of these systems with the vehicle. This has given me a unique depth of engineering expertise in two critical vehicle components that directly impact safety—brakes and tires, on which our lives depend and which must never fail during operation.

Both brakes and tires heavily interact with the vehicle, forming the core of tire and brake NVH expertise. These interactions span low, mid, and high frequency ranges:

– **Low Frequency Area**: Periodic excitations from brakes (e.g., brake judder) and tires (e.g., nonuniformity, flat spots) are influenced by suspension stiffness—particularly bushings—and the steering system, including front wheel positions (camber, caster, toe angles, and scrub radius). These factors are crucial in either creating or mitigating issues.

– **Mid Frequency Area**: Here, brakes generate vibrations and noise like groan or creep groan, while tires contribute through nonuniformity, cavity modes, and tire modes. The suspension’s modal behavior and vibration transmissibility in all three directions (fore-aft, vertical, and lateral) play a key role in transmitting structure-borne noise to the vehicle cabin.

– **High Frequency Area (above 500 Hz)**: Brakes experience various squeal noise generations, while tires interact complexly with the road—through tread patterns, road texture, and aerodynamic effects like air-pumping, pipe resonance, and the horn effect. These generate sound waves that propagate as air-borne noise into the cabin.

As customer demands for more comfortable vehicles intensify, expertise in tire and brake NVH becomes increasingly vital to overall vehicle quality perception.

At NVH Consulting LLC, this specialized knowledge sets us apart from other NVH service providers. With hands-on experience in simulation, testing, and real-world applications, we’re equipped to deliver exceptional results.

If you’re seeking support or expertise in Brake, Tire NVH, or related technologies, feel free to reach out—let’s connect!