A Note on Groove Depth Changes Without Wear
Abstract Tread wear rates during first wear measured by groove depth and weight changes do not always agree. Sometimes, the groove depth method shows a high rate and the weight loss method a low rate. Reported here are experiments designed to determine if grooves show depth changes without wear. Four tires were measured before mounting on a wheel, after mounting and inflation, and after inflation and storage. The mounted and inflated tires showed shallower shoulder grooves and deeper center grooves than the unmounted tires. In a second experiment, tires were measured immediately after a tread wear test and then stored mounted for two weeks before remeasuring. Each groove became deeper, and there was no change in the crown radius of any tire.