Evaluation of Steel Wheel Integrity under 90° Radial Impact Experimental Validation and Simulation Comparison with Tyre

Abstract

The radial impact test is a critical evaluation method for assessing the structural integrity and safety performance of passenger vehicle wheels under real-world impact conditions. This study investigates the 90° radial impact behavior of a steel wheel through both experimental testing and finite element (FE) simulation, in accordance with SAE and international regulatory standards. The 90° impact condition represents a worst-case scenario, simulating a perpendicular curb or pothole strike that induces maximum radial loading on the rim flange and bead seat area. The experimental setup captures deformation patterns, impact energy absorption, and post-impact crack initiation, while the FE simulation is performed using the LS-Dyna explicit dynamic solver. To realistically replicate tire inflation effects, the tire is modeled using an airbag-based pressure loading approach, accurately representing the internal air pressure and contact behavior during impact. A strong correlation between experimental and simulation results is observed in deformation trends, energy dissipation, and failure locations, validating the accuracy of the FE model. The findings highlight the importance of the 90° radial impact test in ensuring wheel safety and optimizing rim design, while demonstrating the potential of simulation-based methodologies to reduce prototype testing cycles and overall development costs Keywords: Wheels, Simulation, Radial Impact Test, Wheel Modeling, CAD, SPFH540, HYPERELASTIC, tire, Safety, wheel structural integrity