ok i used to think that the wider the tire the more traction you will get off the line, it just seemed like common sense to me. i have since then done some research and come across a couple things. please correct me where i am wrong

assuming same diamiter wheel and same tire pressure a 185 tire should have the same size contact patch as a 205 tire. so if ur using the same type of tire you should get the same amount of traction off the line?

does the shape of the contact patch have an effect on traction?

im trying to figure out if, all things considered, a wider tire is going to give me more traction off the line.

thanks

 

Well a 10" tire is the maximum width you can run. the taller you go the more traction you will have but will put more stress on driveline. You will also need the power to turn the taller tires.

 

bump, i would like to see some more replies

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Love2race &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">bump, i would like to see some more replies</TD></TR></TABLE>

He answered your question.

You will have a large contact patch with a wider and taller tire, and thus more traction... everything else equal.

 

not really, if you don't increase the width of the rim, two tires one wider/one thinner will have the same foot print if the air pressure is the same... Often times when you go to a "wider" tire it is also taller and has more sidewall to provide more bite.

 

so simply a wider tire doesn't help with traction? just taller?

 

No, both a wider tire and a taller tire will help with traction. but for the wider tire to do anything it needs to have a wider rim as well to allow it more foot print. Sometimes this changes with the way the tire was designed though. For instance, M&H has a tire that is 8.7" wide that needs an 8" rim and they have an 8" wide tire that needs a 7.5" rim. While MT has an 8" wide tire that needs an 8" rim. Sometimes you could have a wider tire that will have a wider foot print with the same sized rim because it was designed too.

 

Each tire maufacturer has different recommended rim widths for each of their tires. For example I am running M&H 26X10X15 slicks on Weld import Magnum 15X8 rims. These are the reccomended rim widths for the M&H slick. This is what it was designed for to get the best possible traction. Just a reminder that the wider you go doesn't mean you will get much more traction. It's the taller you go because of the longer roll out. DO NOT GO larger than 26" tall unless you have a heavily built drivetrain. Your tranny and axles will literally last 1 pass if your lucky. Also rubber compound is an important issue with slicks. The softer the compound the more traction but will wear faster than a medium or hard compound tire.