Tires in service - especially in rough terrain - show a behavior which is well known as the cut and chip (CC) effect. This work describes unique analytical methods to characterize the fracture in rubber occurring during lab-simulated operation of the tire tread in rough terrain. The new test device controls and records multiple applied loads and displacements during cyclic impact to the surface of a solid rubber wheel to mimic and quantify the cut and chip damage experienced by tire tread compounds on off-road and poor road conditions. Characterization results are examined for carbon black filled compounds containing single polymers and binary blends of natural rubber, butadiene rubber, and styrene-butadiene rubber suitable for tire tread applications. The instrument provides a reliable method for evaluating the resistance of rubber against CC damage, and it can also be used in full contact mode for measurement of friction and wear.