Reasons why winter tires work

[Double0Civic]

hey guys, I heard somewhere that its better to have a more narrow-width in the winter because it concentrates your weight on a smaller contact patch, and cuts through the snow more. but I wanted to know if this was true or not.
thanks.

[Weapon_R]

True

Winter tires are also much softer than summer tires and grip the snow more readily.

[kenny]

Yes, it is true. narrower tire resists hydroplaning on the slush and digs into it more (more weight on the smaller contact patch).

[Double0Civic]

my civic has 185 65 14s on it right now, should I get the same size or go narrower?

[Khyron]

It's to a point man. Putting bike tires on your car would be worse for traction than normal car tires. But those low profile wide performance tires act like snowboards and skim along the top of the snow. 185/65s sound just fine. (225/45 is VW 17 inch rim size - which IMHO is too wide for winter, but people use em. Shrug)

Khyron

[Weapon_R]

I think your tire size is fine. My winters are the same size and they do fine.

[rc2002]

I agree that narrow tires would help cut through the snow more especially on corners.

But winter tread works on effective surface area. So the actual contact area of the tire with the ground might be 100cm^2. But the tire manufacturers design the tread to give you an effective surface area that's 5 times the normal contact area. So it's like you're driving on tires which are five times as big as normal ones.

So I would think that bigger winter tires are better for braking.

[Altezza]

Just remember to properly inflate your tires to recommended pressures.

[Rexxrally]

Narrower is better to cut through snow. More pressure on a smaller contact patch cuts through better.

See the pictures here of World Rally Cars competing in Sweden: now THOSE are narrow tires!

http://www.swerally.se/eng/shakedown_invigning.htm


But, wider is better for glare ice. If there's no snow on the roads, but it's icy, then you want a wider tire.

For snow, if you run 185's in the summer, you could go to a 175 or even a 165 in the snow. Just remember to go to a higher profile (the second number in the tire size), so that your overall tire diameter stays the same. A smaller diameter tire will reduce your car's road height, and will throw your speedometer off.

Wider tires won't help on snow because it just means you have a bigger contact area on top of the snow. You don't have as much traction on top of the snow as you do cutting through down to the road below. Similarly a wider tire in the rain will just make you aquaplane more.......

Oh, one more thing. Winter tires work better in the snow because the block edges are cut sharper, and act as a knife when they cut into the snow. The blocks wear out and "round off" after a while, so your winter tires wear out long before the tread depth indicators show up.

[Mikko]

One of the very basic workings of winter tires is that the rubber compound is different. It is softer and has completely different thermo-dynamic properties - i.e. it does not harden in the cold.

It is said that summer tires can act like a puck on ice when it goes down to -5C. Their rubber goes hard quick. All-seasons are a so-so mixtiure that isn't really good at anything.

Regarding the thread and pressure - the thread and the pressure acted upon it matters anytime there is some kind of surface that is either loose, or something that is 'on top' of what gives the grip. Usually water in any form (wet, slush or crystalized snow).

I don't know about the pressure thing on ice though. I should find out.

We have Hakka 4's, brand new, on our car.

[KoukiS14]

Yup my summer tires turn into pucks in the cold and are rendered useless, as for all seasons..not much better. Winter weather calls for winter tires.

[1-Bar]

Damm straight...just put on my blizzaks after taking off my summer rims/tires. Oh man, what a difference, feels like I'm driving on dry pavement!!!

[alloroc]

Another very good reason for changing profile height in the winter is the fact that winter roads are not exactly smooth. Running a higher profile on rough roads reduces the chances of a flat (or a bashed rim) and improves ride comfort.

[89coupe]

Actually a taller narrower tire covers a larger surface area then a wider lower profile tire ;) Hence better traction in wet or icey conditions.

Its a missconception that a wider lower profile tire has a larger contact area. Wider low profile tires cover more area from side to side ( hence better corning ability) but much less from front to back. While a taller narrow profile doesn't quite have as much width but a much larger front to back contact area creating better traction in slushy conditions and straight line traction.