Research

GCAPS's LTRe equipment has been correlated with multiple vehicle and tire OEMs, making it a trusted location for model characterization data collection, construction comparisons, and advanced tire research. The facility houses industry-leading equipment designed for testing passenger car, light truck, motorsport, and motorcycle tires across all conditions encountered on the road.

Capabilities beyond typical force and moment testing include GCAPS-developed:

• Road-like surface, Asphaltant
• Wet Testing Methods
• Thermal Control Logic

For force and moment testing, the LTRe capabilities include:

• Roadway Velocity: 200 mph / 320 kph
• Spindle Torque: 10,000 Nm
• Vertical Load: 30,000 N
• Dynamic Positioning Rates: 90 SA deg/s, 38 IA deg/s, 400 mm/s RL

GCAPS combines advanced testing equipment, proven techniques, and in-house simulation expertise to develop accurate, high-fidelity tire models. Simulation engineers bring deep knowledge of the theory, parameterization, and application of multiple tire model formats — helping clients identify the right model for their specific vehicle simulation needs.

Advanced testing capabilities, including flat cleat test methods and thermal control logic, provide the precise data needed to develop reliable models across a wide range of tire sizes.

Tire model formats supported by GCAPS include, but are not limited to:

• FTire
• MF-Swift
• PAC2002

GCAPS's unique wet testing techniques can be adapted for data collection, construction comparisons, and advanced tire research in wet environments. Using a proprietary water delivery system alongside premier flat-belt force and moment equipment, GCAPS supports detailed analysis of hydroplaning behavior and chassis control across a range of operating conditions.

Wet testing data and modeling have been applied by tire manufacturers to improve tread patterns, tread compounds, and wear characteristics for passenger car, light truck, and motorsport tires. MF models developed from this data can be directly integrated into vehicle simulations.

Wet testing capabilities include:

• GCAPS-developed proprietary water delivery system
• Consistent water depths for speeds up to 250 kph
• GCAPS-designed nozzle providing near-laminar flow
• Variable speed pump for roadway velocity adjustment

Flat-trac testing has become a core part of tire development and vehicle modelling. Flat-trac rigs, including GCAPS's MTS LTRe, typically use sandpaper as the road surface, which is a good first approximation but can diverge from real asphalt behavior, particularly for higher g-maneuvers. To close this gap, GCAPS has developed Asphaltant: an asphalt-like surface that can be mounted to our flat-trac. Made with real aggregates but also engineered to flex around the drums of the LTRe, Asphaltant reproduces the texture and roughness of real roadways while maintaining the durability and repeatability enabled from indoor testing.

Asphaltant enables:

• More representative force and moment behavior compared to sandpaper, improving confidence in model correlation to on-track results and reducing time spent tuning models.
• Realistic peak forces and drop-off behavior that better reflect how drivers experience grip and limit handling on asphalt.
• The repeatability and availability of indoor flat-trac testing, preserving test efficiency while improving physical realism.
• High-fidelity tire data that supports advanced tire models and vehicle simulations, including driver-in-the-loop applications.
• A research tool for friction model validation on a full tire level.