ABSTRACT--Experimental modal analysis of a tire was carried out. Mode shapes in the radial, tangential and lateral directions of the tire under radial and tangential excitation, respectively, were obtained for the first time. The consistency of tire experimental modal frequencies in three directions was observed after careful design and adjustment of the test method. This indicates the accuracy of the experiments. The phenomena discovered in this experimental study, such as the mode shapes of the rim and the complex modes of the tire, are discussed in detail. The modal parameters acquired from experimental modal analysis of the tire can be used for the modeling of tire dynamics.