Goodyear Eagle F1 Ride Comfort Pleases Test Drivers

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SAN ANGELO, Texas -- Goodyear test driver Rick Neale uses a seat-of-the-pants approach to analyze ride comfort.

Actually, Neale detects ride comfort through the steering wheel and floor as well as his seat.

After 17 years of driving tires over various pavement surfaces, Neale says he’s attuned to the shakes that can jar motorist nerves. To him, it’s a science akin to instrumented readings in the laboratory.

Even when testing ultra-performance tires, normally not known for ride comfort and quietness, Neale is sensitive to road irregularities.

Mark Seloover, team leader for the tire-vehicle engineering technology ride team, said Neale’s input is important and is supplemented by a standardized test procedure to provide objective measures of ride performance.

"Objective and subjective feedback are crucial to getting the best ride quality. Both are needed to tell us how drivers and passengers will react to the motoring experience," Seloover said.

Key to Goodyear’s test procedure is to measure vibrations and noise with consistent test setups and conditions. The vehicle is outfitted with instrumentation and sensors on the front and rear axles, the steering wheel, the driver’s seat bottom and back and the floor near the driver’s feet.

"The human element still is important in recording results, and a test driver is needed to ensure consistency in driving conditions for the objective testing. Lastly, even in the objective test procedure, we record the driver’s subjective rating," Seloover said.

Bob Nelson, senior tire engineer, said Eagle F1's tread grooves run perpendicular to the tire's footprint edges, reducing impact noise for improved noise comfort. In addition, its V-TRED grooves, three times longer than the footprint, avoid trapped air that may cause noise.

To further smooth noise frequencies from Eagle F1's tread pattern, engineers strategically shifted the grooves on each side of the centerline, Nelson said.