Abstract: A method and apparatus for predicting tire traction characteristics of tread compounds are provided. The method makes possible the determination of such characteristics without building tires. Also, the compounds can be easily characterized for a large number of different road surfaces and many different weather conditions. In the method, about 2 to 10 gms of tread compound is molded into a sample which can be tested for traction on the apparatus. Peak traction, slide traction and other traction characteristics of the compound can be correlated with traction properties of known compounds, thereby establishing the expected traction properties of the test compound in a tire.