J_C
Explorer Addict
- Joined
- July 30, 2009
- Messages
- 6,076
- Reaction score
- 2,202
- City, State
- Florence, KY
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1998 XLT 4WD 4.0L SOHC
My original statement is still true - all other things being equal, a slimmer tire will have less contact patch with the road, therefore less grip.
That isn't necessarily true, especially when talking about virtually as close to the same tire size and profile as you can get. If other things are equal then a tire with less width will have more longitudinal contact which improves traction for acceleration and stopping, because tires aren't rigid objects, rather they deflect to put about the same amount of tread down given the same load, so long as a tire isn't excessively narrow or wide for the rims and has the right air pressure for their size vs load on them.
What wider tires do instead (again so long as it is not excessive width) is roll less in corners (but not much when the tire design and sidewall height doesn't change) and heat up less in high performance applications. Neither of these are of much relevance in slippery wet or icy conditions on a SUV, but that's unfortunate because if they were then heating up more in winter it would be a good thing by softening the rubber, bringing them closer to the performance of a winter tire.
There might even be an argument made that on vehicles easy to tip over you are as well off to feel some tire slippage and ease off your speed sooner instead of having more body roll towards a tipping point - if it weren't rainy/snowy/icy.
Wider do wear slower, but generally cost more so that may be a wash. I won't argue that they can't change ride quality for the better or worse (depending on vehicle and change made) and might "look" better/beefier because people associate them with higher performance vehicles but in the latter case it's the shorter, stiffer sidewall that was the goal and you need the width to provide the same load capability.