A complex vehicle subsystem, the tire plays a crucial role in vehicle ride and handling performance, affecting accelerating, braking, cornering, and other maneuvers. Simulations using a robust, accurate tire model help engineers to predict the mechanical response of vehicles under various operating conditions.

Numerical analysis of rolling bodies is a complex task due to the dynamic effects, loading conditions, and material properties involved. Standard transient approaches starting directly with a 3D tire model, although practical, require significant computational resources.

Figure 1.1: Tire Model Rolling Over a Flat Surface

Because tire geometry is a nearly axisymmetric structure (with the occasional exception of the tread blocks), and to simplify the problem, a tire analysis typically begins with a 2D axisymmetric model.