Wheel Development at Chrysler 700446

In the late 1940s a series of three laboratory fatigue tests for development of passenger car and light truck road wheels was experimentally developed. Each of these tests evaluate specific portions of the wheels and thereby reduce development time by allowing more concentrated effort. Rim and disc tests are performed by loading the test wheel through a tire against a drum to duplicate abusive wheel loadings on a vehicle. The value of these tests has been confirmed by good correlation between laboratory and proving grounds testing as predicted in the development of the test. Additional laboratory and vehicle wheel tests are also described. This family of tests is used for development of new wheel designs and not for production quality control testing.