COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE SUPPORT INTERACTION CHARACTERISTICS OF SUMMER AND WINTER PNEUMATIC TIRES OF SIZE 225/55 R18 DEPENDING ON INTERNAL PRESSURE

Abstract

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26565/2079-1747-2026-37-11

Optimization of the interaction between a pneumatic tire and the supporting surface is one of the key conditions for ensuring the efficiency, stability, and safety of vehicle operation. Under modern operating conditions, where vehicles are frequently used on both paved roads and weak or unstable surfaces, the need for a scientifically grounded approach to regulating internal tire pressure is increasing.

Within this study, a comparison was carried out between the relationship of internal pressure in summer Michelin Primacy 3 tires and winter Triangle Snowlink PL01 tires of size 225/55 R18, and the magnitude of the contact pressure transmitted by the vehicle to the supporting surface. Optimization of tire pressure is a fundamental factor in improving off-road capability, reducing the load on the road surface, and enhancing vehicle handling—especially when driving on soft, uneven, or low-bearing-capacity surfaces such as sand, snow, or marshy ground.

The study also analyzed possible methods of influencing contact pressure and proposed practical measures aimed at increasing vehicle mobility performance. The main objective of the research was to determine the regularities in the change of pressure on the contact surface in summer and winter tires depending on their internal pressure.

Experimental testing was conducted according to the developed methodology using an M1-category vehicle with enhanced off-road capabilities—an Opel Grandland 1.5 BHDi. Tests were carried out on a flat concrete surface using summer Michelin Primacy 3 tires and winter Triangle Snowlink PL01 tires of size 225/55 R18.

The obtained experimental data indicate that seasonal tire types differ not only in tread pattern or rubber compound hardness but also in the nature of their mechanical interaction with the supporting surface under load. These differences determine tire effectiveness in specific climatic and road conditions and confirm the necessity of justified tire selection based on seasonality, operating modes, road surface type, and requirements for mobility and driving safety.

The graphical dependencies presented in the article for tires designed for different climatic conditions clearly confirm the effectiveness and engineering feasibility of reducing internal tire pressure during vehicle operation in challenging road and off-road environments. The demonstrated results show that winter and summer pneumatic tires exhibit fundamentally different deformation behavior and interaction patterns with the supporting surface, even under identical external conditions and within the same range of internal pressure variation. The identified differences are determined by a combination of structural, material, and operational factors that define the mechanical response of tires of different seasonal types under load.