Abstract
An analytical tool is presented for the prediction of the effects of changes in tread pattern design on thick film wet traction performance. Results are reported for studies in which the analysis, implemented on a digital computer, was used to determine the effect of different tread geometry features, among these being the number, width, and lateral spacing of longitudinal grooves and the angle of zigzags in longitudinal grooves, on thick film wet traction. These results are shown to be in good agreement with experimental data appearing in the literature and are used to formulate guidelines for tread groove network design practice.