Quote:
Originally Posted by BAN SUVS
The narrow thing is not a crock Dean. The idea is that narrower tires generate more psi of pressure which helps drive them through loose snow and onto the hard surface underneath where you get actual traction. Essentially it's to reduce "hydroplaning' on snow. Trouble is, when you are on ice, it's not so helpful.
|
It used to be true with older design small blocked snow tires, but not true for the newer bread of siped snows.
I am looking for the research that I believe both Michelin and Pirelli did. I have had a number of discussion about this with Pirelli engineers at Audi events. Snow is not water and it cannot be displaced in the same manner. Street cars are not rally cars. Street cars work in the world of relatively static friction for tires whereas rally cars are most often in dynamic friction. There is no "digging" down to the traction unless the tire is already sliding.
On a street tire, it is all about sipes and bitting the surface as the tire flattens onto the surface. within reason, the more sipes and surface area, the better. Also, more pressure is more likely to create localized melting and hydroplaning like an ice skate blade. Frozen water, despite public perception is not extremely slippery, it is the water on top of it that is EXTREMELY slippery.
On a 3000 pound car, 225 size snows are fine.