Garcia, NicholasVibration characterization and experimental modal analysis were carried out with a heavily loaded vehicle tire. These tires are typically subjected to loads that are over two times those experienced by a passenger car tire. The results obtained through experimental modal analysis were compared to similar results obtained for standard passenger car tires. The comparisons show that the heavily loaded tire has unique dynamic characteristics. Complex damping and nonlinear behavior were considered to explain these characteristics. A flexible ring tire model was used to investigate these nonlinear characteristics. Complex damping was also examined to explain the experimental observations. This thesis contains some of the first results on vibration characterization of heavily loaded vehicle tires. The incorporation of the results into a multi-degree-of-freedom tire model for use with the Effective Road Profile Control scheme used for vehicle durability simulation studies was also investigated.en-USThesisEngineering, Mechanical