Quote:
Originally Posted by RidingOnRailz
“ The only possible myth that could be dispelled is that wider = more surface contact”
Bingo!
And I hear it all the time on newsgroups and in moderated fora like this one:
“Get wider tires, more contact surface!” ...
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One critical qualifier is missing from that statement. It would be important to mention "At the same inflation" because that is the only condition under which it is true.
As experienced people may have come to know, wider tires require less inflation to support a given load. THAT'S where the footprint increases and the traction advantage begins.
If you think that concept was just pulled from the dark side of Our Fearless Leader's personal space, check with aircraft operation manuals since Elizabeth was born, the remote inflation controls on off-road equipment going back to the 1930s, and similar systems (still in existence today).
The above statements might apply to the Continental 4-ply budget tires on your Toyonissahondubaruishi "sport" sedan, but are not universally true as might have been the inference made by many readers.