Measuring rubber friction using a Laboratory Abrasion Tester (LAT100) to predict car tire dry ABS braking

Evaluating tire grip on the road, an extremely complicated tribological system, is enormously energy and time consuming but essential for safety. To predict grip on the road, tires with four different tread compounds were tested on ABS braking distance on a dry test track. Corresponding solid rubber wheels were characterized on the Laboratory Abrasion Tester (LAT100) on four different electro-corundum discs of various grain sizes. With increasing speed the side force coefficient (SFC) decreases. A lower disc grain size induces a higher SFC. A correlation coefficient of 0.93 between the LAT100 data and road results for the four tread compounds has a high potential for predicting the car tire ABS braking distance. [Display omitted] •Friction properties of 4 tread compounds were evaluated with a Laboratory Abrasion Tester (LAT100).•With proper parameter selection the dry friction curve of treads on the road could be mimicked.•The speed effect of the LAT100-rubber wheels were quantified.•The grain size of the LAT100 discs as counter-surface was optimized to predict ABS braking.•The results of the LAT100 correlate with the tire data with a correlation coefficient of 0.93.