Contact-patch-to-rim load calculation

[Chumble]

Our team is designing our own rims this year. If I have tire contact patch forces, what is the best way to determine the load distribution acting on the rim?

[Chumble]

Our team is designing our own rims this year. If I have tire contact patch forces, what is the best way to determine the load distribution acting on the rim?

[Zac]

A quick SWAG would be a parabolic load distribution (minimum at 3 and 9 O'clock, maximum at 6) on the "inside" wheel flange and inflation pressure applied everywhere else.

A better way would be to apply a static load at the contact patch and measure tire deflection around the circumference of the tire(say all points 2 cm from the rim).

The best way would be to measure it directly by either mounting some sort of a pressure sensor(pressure sensitive paper or mats for example) between the wheel flange and the tire, or mounting some strain gauges on the rim.