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Influence of Material and Spoke Pattern on the Performance of

Automotive Wheels

Article  in  Materials today: proceedings · January 2020

DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2020.01.503

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Materials Today: Proceedings 22 (2020) 1452–1459 www.materialstoday.com/proceedings

ICMMM 2019

Influence of Material and Spoke Pattern on the Performance of

Automotive Wheels
Priyanka Abijit Dania, Ankit Ghoshb, Govind Ajithkumarc, Akshay Duad, Kannan Ce*,
Vijayakumar Tf
a,b,c,d,e,f
School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore – 632014, Tamilnaudu, India

Abstract

This paper reports a computational approach espoused to investigate the influence of material and spoke design variations on the
structural rigidity of automobile wheels under static conditions. Three different spoke patterns (pattern new, pattern truck and
pattern ellipse) with three materials (chromium stainless steel, advanced high strength steel and Al 7075/BN/ Al2O3 squeeze cast
hybrid nanocomposite – T6) are considered in this study to explore the prospects of developing lightweight wheels for automobile
applications to achieve fuel economy and energy incentives. Though there are variations in spoke designs, the same rim
dimensions are followed for all computational models to eliminate the effect of rim design on the output responses. The spoke
design with different materials are simulated under the same loading conditions using ANSYS 15.0 and comparative evaluation
report in terms of stress, strain and displacement are generated and presented. In addition, the areas of stress concentration on
individual models are identified and suitable design modifications are also proposed.

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 2nd International Conference on Materials Manufacturing and
Modelling, ICMMM – 2019.

Keywords: ANSYS 15.0; chromium stainless steel; advanced high strength steel; Al 7075/BN/ Al2O3 squeeze cast hybrid nanocomposite – T6;
stress concentration; spoke pattern.

* Kannan. Tel.: +91-436-2243091; fax: +91-436-2243092.

E-mail address: kannan.chidambaram@vit.ac.in

2214-7853 © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 2nd International Conference on Materials Manufacturing and Modelling,
ICMMM – 2019.
 P.A. Dani et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 22 (2020) 1452–1459 1453

Nomenclature

Al2O3 – Aluminium oxide

BN – Boron nitride
CAD – Computer aided design
SUV – Sports utility vehicle

1. Introduction

The wheel is an important component of any vehicle as it bears the entire vehicle weight and at the same time
supports the tire, which provides a cushioning effect by acting as the vehicle’s primary suspension system. The
wheels have to be designed properly by considering the weight, rigidity, resistance to corrosion and wear. Literature
suggested weight reduction in wheels is necessary to reduce the unsprung weight, which otherwise would increase
the effort required by the brakes. If the rigidity of the wheel is low then it would increase the rolling resistance thus
increasing the fuel consumption [1].
Torgal et.al [2] investigated the different failure modes of wheels, which is another important aspect of wheel
design. He reported the corrosion, cracks initiated at weld joints, cracks initiated due to improper casting process
and overtightening of bolts to be the important causes of failure. If the wheels are slightly damaged then it may lead
to vibrations, loss in tire pressure and in some cases complete structural failure.
In order to ensure that a wheel has been properly designed, three main tests should be conducted viz. radial
fatigue test, impact test and rotating bending test [3]. These tests can be easily simulated using the software.
Conducting a computer simulation is always cheaper, faster and more practical than conducting a real-time
experiment. Softwares like ANSYS directly calculate the Von Misses stress which can be used to predict the failure
regions. According to Von Misses theory, failure occurs when the stress in a given area exceeds its maximum yield
strength. In case of a wheel, due to cyclic loading and unloading, the regions with maximum stress were identified
as failure regions [2].
Adigio et.al [3] explored the fatigue-related failures. Two loads were applied namely the tire pressure and the
radial load due to the weight of the car, passengers and luggage. CAD software is used to model the rim and the
regions of maximum stress concentration were determined. They were mainly the forks of the wheels and
ventilation holes, due to non-uniformities and corners. Along with this, a fatigue analysis was carried out to consider
the cyclic loading. The study established that the fatigue cracks propagate from the stress concentration regions. The
results of the study were validated by practical test results.
Most of the previous studies conducted on the design and development of automotive wheels were focused on
the material selection for wheels based on stress development. One of the previous studies compared the feasibility
of implementation for three materials namely, aluminum, forged steel and titanium. In that study, the lug nut holes
were fixed and pressure of 200kPa was applied along the wheel rim to simulate the tire pressure. The rim
dimensions were taken from the Tire and Rim Association Inc. The results showed that titanium was developing
minimum Von Misses stress followed by aluminum and forged steel. In case of increasing displacement pattern was
observed in sequence: titanium, forged steel and finally aluminum. Titanium is thus the best choice for wheels.
Mahajan Priyank et.al [4] conducted a specific study on two truck wheels, Eicher 10.59 XP and Tata SFC 909
EX. In this paper, 3 types of loading were used viz. radial loading (weight of the car) with tire pressure, centrifugal
loading (ῳ) and axial loading (centripetal force due to rotation). The stress developed in both materials is less than
their yield strength, however, stresses developed in forged steel wheel is more than that developed in aluminum. The
displacement of the aluminum wheel is more than that of a forged steel wheel also the weight of aluminum alloy is
less than forged steel. Hence for both the trucks, the aluminum wheel will be preferred.
Meghashyam [5] proposed the use of modal analysis of the wheel. This allows the designer to conduct the
vibrational analysis. Dynamic analysis using ANSYS was carried out by some earlier researchers. In their model,
they have included the axle and applied torque to it [6].
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Shang et al [7] conducted research on the stamping residual stress of steel wheel disc and its effect on the
fatigue life of the wheel. He stated that consideration of the forces and stresses during actual use of the wheel is
insufficient. They also considered the stresses induced in the wheel during stamping. All the disc wheels, a popular
category of wheels, are manufactured using this stamping process.
The studies reviewed constitute a large amount of study on the design of wheel rims, selection of proper wheel
material, the tests to be conducted and forces to be applied. Much research on spoke patterns was not found. The
present study investigates the influence of material and spoke design variations on the structural rigidity of
automobile wheels under static conditions. A comparative evaluation report of the patterns and materials in terms of
stress, strain and displacement, the areas of stress concentration on individual models and suitable design
modifications will be made available to the reader by the end of this paper.

2. Analysis

2.1. Rim dimensions

The study focusses on the effects of different spoke designs and the materials hence the rim design was kept
common for all the 6 combinations. The specifics of which are given in Table 1.

Table 1: Dimensions of the wheel rim

Dimension Value

Rim diameter (mm) 400

Rim width (mm) 184
Rim thickness (mm) 6
Bolt diameter 10
No of bolts 5 or 4

2.2. Spoke Patterns

Three spoke patterns, shown in Fig 1, were constructed for the analysis. The Pattern new is commonly seen in
luxury cars. They have reduced weight and better aesthetics. This type of spoke pattern is shown in Fig 1(a). The
pattern truck is used in heavy commercial vehicles and sports utility vehicles (SUVs). This is shown in Fig 1(b). The
pattern ellipse is commonly seen in hatchbacks. This type of pattern is shown in Fig 1(c).

Fig. 1. Different types of spoke patterns

 P.A. Dani et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 22 (2020) 1452–1459 1455

2.3. Software used

The wheels were modeled using SOLIDWORKS 2016, as a single unit. They were saved in (.stp) file format
and imported into ANSYS 15.0. Static structural analysis was carried out using ANSYS 15.0

2.4. Material Properties

Three materials were chosen namely Chromium Stainless Steel, Advanced High Strength Steel and Al
7075/BN/ Al2O3 squeeze cast hybrid nanocomposite – T6. Chrome steel is a common material used for wheel
construction. High strength steel is also known as micro-alloyed consists of elements like molybdenum, boron etc.
in micro quantities increasing the strength. The third choice of material Al 7075/BN/Al2O3 squeeze cast hybrid
nanocomposite – T6, a metal matrix, is a new material with potential due to its extremely light weight and increased
strength over pure aluminum.

Table 2: Table of the properties of the three chosen materials [8,9]

Property Chromium Advanced High Al 7075/BN/Al2O3-T6
Stainless Steel Strength Steel (Metal Matrix)
Density (kg/m3) 7800 7850 2741
11 11
Young’s Modulus (Pa) 2 x 10 2.06 x 10 7.17x 1010
Poisson’s Ratio 0.3 0.29 0.32
Bulk modulus (Pa) 1.667 x 1011 1.635 x 1011 6.956 x 1010
Shear modulus (Pa) 7.6923 x 1010 7.9845 x 1010 2.6991x1010

Tensile Strength (Pa) 4.1361 x 108 1.412 x 109 0.496x 109

2.5. Loading Conditions

The wheel has to sustain the air pressure applied by the tire. The value for the air pressure acting on the wheel
was obtained from the literature review, given in Table 3. The wheel lug nuts were kept fixed according to the
literature reviewed. These loading conditions were kept constant for all the 6 combinations.

Table 3. Loading conditions of all the wheels

Sl. No Loading Specification
1 Fixture Lugnut holes
2 Pressure (along the entire rim) 200kPa

3. Results

The evaluation report of maximum stress, maximum displacement and weight have been presented graphically.
This graphical representation will help to visually represent and compare the results between materials and the spoke
patterns. Stress concentration regions have also been identified.

3.1. Stress

It was found that the maximum stress generated for a given load did not vary much between materials. This can
be inferred from Fig 2(a). However, in the case of patterns, the stress developed by pattern new was the largest
followed by Pattern ellipse and finally pattern truck, as seen in Fig 2(b).
1456 P.A. Dani et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 22 (2020) 1452–1459

Fig 2. (a) Comparison of stress between materials for different spoke patterns; (b) Comparison of stress between patterns for different
materials

3.2. Deformation

Unlike stress, deformation was varied between patterns as well as materials. The metal matrix shows
maximum deformation followed by chromium stainless steel and advanced high strength steel. This is shown in
Fig 3(a). In the case of spoke patterns, the pattern truck is seen to be the most rigid while pattern new shows the
maximum deformation, refer Fig 3(b).

Fig 3. (a) Comparison of deformation between materials for different spoke patterns; (b) Comparison of deformation between patterns for
different materials

3.3. Weight

The density of chromium stainless steel and advanced high strength steel is much higher than the metal matrix
(refer Table 2). Similarly, the amount of material used in Pattern truck is much higher as compared to pattern new or
pattern ellipse, according to Fig 4(a). The above two reasons explain why the advanced high strength steel pattern
truck has the maximum weight, while the metal matrix pattern new has the minimum weight as seen in Fig 4(b).
 P.A. Dani et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 22 (2020) 1452–1459 1457

Fig 4. (a) Comparison of weight between materials for different spoke patterns; (b) Comparison of weight between patterns for different
materials

3.4. Stress concentration

For pattern new and pattern truck, the stress concentration areas were developed at where the spoke met the rim.
This can be inferred from Fig 5(a) and Fig 5(b) In case of pattern ellipse, this was not seen as the spoke had a
continuous contact with the rim However in pattern ellipse, maximum stress concentration areas were developed at
the ends of the major axis of each ellipse. This is shown in Fig 5(c).

Fig 5. Stress concentration areas in (a) Pattern new; (b) Pattern truck; (c) Pattern ellipse

4. Discussion

Fig 2(a) shows that for a given pattern, the stress developed for different materials doesn’t differ by much,
however, as shown in Fig 2(b), for a given material use of different patterns causes a significant change in stress.
The rigidity of the wheel must be high to reduce rolling resistance and in effect reduce the fuel consumption [1].
1458 P.A. Dani et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 22 (2020) 1452–1459

From Fig 3(a) and Fig 3(b), it is evident that the metal matrix material (Al 7075/BN/A2O3-T6) and the pattern new
show maximum deformation, while advanced high strength steel and pattern truck show minimum deformation
respectively. The advanced high strength steel pattern truck weighs the maximum, while the Al 7075/ BN/ Al2O3-T6
Pattern new has the minimum weight. This is shown in Fig 4(a) and Fig 4(b). A discontinuous contact between the
rim and the spoke pattern like in pattern new and pattern truck (Fig 5) leads to the development of high-stress
concentration regions. This is not the case for pattern ellipse due to continuous contact between the spokes and the
rim.
In order to suggest improvements in wheel design, we need to determine the priority given to each aspect
namely, the stress, deformation, weight and stress concentration areas. We assign priorities as shown in Table 4.
These priorities are subjective and may change according to use.

Table 4. Table of priorities of the different aspects

Sl. No Aspect Priority (%)
1 Weight (W) 40
2 Stress (S) 35
3 Deformation (D) 25

The weight of the wheel accounts for the unsprung weight and directly affects fuel consumption; hence it’s
given the highest priority. The spoke pattern directly influences the stress and the stress concentration areas hence it
has been given a priority of 35%. The deformation of the wheel affects the rolling resistance which in turn
influences the fuel consumption. But the rigidity of the wheel rim is more significant than the deformation of the
spoke hence it’s given the least priority. We construct the Equation (1) to mathematically define a score for a pattern
and a material. This will be the basis of comparison of the different combinations. The material and pattern with the
lowest score would be the optimal choice.

𝟒𝟎∗𝑾 𝟑𝟓∗𝑺 𝟐𝟓∗𝑫

𝑺𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆 = (1)
𝟏𝟎𝟎

Amongst the materials, aluminum metal matrix (Al 7075/BN/Al2O3-T6) is the ideal choice. However, the high
deformation shown by the material can be compensated by using a more rigid and compatible material for the wheel
rim. In the case of patterns, the pattern ellipse strikes the best balance and has the lowest score. Continuous contact
is also maintained between the wheel rim and spoke pattern as required. To eliminate the stress concentration at the
ends of the ellipse, the ellipse can be rotated such that the major axis lies along the radial direction.

5. Conclusion

A comparative study of different wheel spoke patterns and materials have been carried out.
• The evaluation report in terms of stress, strain and displacement is generated and presented.
• The areas of stress concentration on individual models are identified.
• Suitable design modifications have been proposed.

References

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ANSYS16.0. 2016.
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Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE) e-ISSN. 2014:2278-1684.
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[4] Mahajan P, Ishar R, Prajapati DR. Static analysis of truck wheel rim using ANSYS Software. Journal Homepage: http://www. ijmra. us. 2017;
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