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You don't say what kind of surface you will be driving on. Probably the most challenging condition is snow so that will be my focus. First, let me give you my experience level...9 years in Alaska, 3 years in upstate New York (Snowtown USA), 3 years in northern Utah (in the mountains where the Olympics were). Let's just say, I have driven in a LOT of snow. Now for the answer I think you are looking for:
It depends mostly on the type of snow you generally have in your area. If it is very cold and you have mostly powder snow, then narrower tires would be your best bet because it will push the snow out of the way much easier. Powder snow on the highway is most often associated with the appearance of dust in your rear view mirror. BTW, if the temperature is very cold and you have powder snow, it is very hard and sometimes impossible to make a snowball...it just falls apart when you let go of it.
If on the other hand, you get mostly wet snow (makes a snowball easily and tightly) a wider tire would be your best bet since it has more channels in the surface with which to grip the snow. Since it is wider, it will also tend to ride up away from the ice formed on the roadway itself from the compacted snow of other drivers.
That all being said, once the snow on the roadway turns to ice the only way you are going to get sufficient traction to be really safe is with the use of studded tires. The difference in traction is actually VERY dramatic.
Depending upon how much you drive in the snow, chains may be in order and they are much easier to apply to narrow tires. The wider the tire, the less clearance you have from the car's body parts. Chain damage can get very expensive extremely quickly. NOTE: Chains do virtually nothing for you on sheer ice and sometimes actually lessen your traction because steel is hard and skates across the ice easily.
In a simpler explanation, wider tyre or narrow tyre actually provide almost the same amount of surface area, thus it will not have much effect on the traction IE; you still need the same force to push a book lying flat on the table either it was placed horizontally or vertically, even standing up straight.
It really matters on what kind of application and what u expect from a tyre.
Narrow tyre are good in avoiding aquaplaning, thus it have better wet traction.
Wider tyre have a lower profile sidewall to improve steering feedback and handling.
Depends on the conditions. Hot summer day wide tires give more traction. Snowy covered roads narrow tires.
This is where physics comes to play.
Let's say you have a pickup truck. All four tires have 1000 pounds on each of them. (4000 pounds total) Let's say you have a wide tire that the width of the tire is 12 inches wide. To give you a rough idea 12 divided by 1000 pounds = 83 pounds per square inch on that tire. Now let's say same truck with narrow tires that are 6 inches wide. 6 divided by 1000 pounds = 166 pound per square inch.
That's not the actual way you do tire contact patch weight measurements but gives you a rough idea. For snow you want weight and friction. 166 pounds would be alot better in snow. Wide would float and spin out, not getting to the bottom where the traction is. This is the same reason you see today 4x4 trucks with wide tires stuck in 6 inches of snow. And old Ford model T cars (2wd) with wagon wheels driving through 6 of snow without a wheel spin. This is where width + weight per square inch + friction comes to play. If you are a race car driver. Big wide sticky tires on hot pavement would win hands down. Heat + tire contact surface area. Also narrow tires are easier to push through snow, then wide tires. Take a frozen stick of butter and try cutting it with a knife. Now try cutting a frozen stick of butter with a round shovel handle. A good majority of snow you drive through is not all going under the tire, some of it is getting pushed, Plowed out of the way just like a snow plow. So narrow would easier to push through snow and get better fuel mileage. Driving in snow, assuming you have two wide 12 inch tires in the front plowing a path 2x12=24 inch path or 2 foot wide path being plowed with the front tires. Or narrow tires 2x6=12 inch path or 1 foot wide being plowed with the front tires. 12 inch path would take less effort to push through snow.
What else can I help you with?
Are wider tires better than narrow tires?
Wider tires give better traction, esp in less than perfect conditions. Narrow tires would give better speed and/or gas mileage. One might think that but not necessarily, it depends on the road surface. Why do ice skates have thin blades? What do you think a wide racing tire would do on a flooded street? Even in dry conditions, a wider tire won't change your traction because even if you have more area (square inches) on the ground, you have less weight per square inch so traction remains the same. How soft the tire is is the biggest factor.
Lowering 4x4 tire pressure what advantage off road?
Low tire pressure gives you better traction,especially in sand.Low tire pressure gives you better traction,especially in sand.
What has better traction a snow blower with tracks or tire?
With tracks by far. They are superior to tires for traction.
Why wider tires are more efficient than narrower tires at normal speed?
Your question makes the assumption that the question is true. Wider tires are not more efficient than narrow tires at normal speed in all conditions. Wider tires do provide more traction and stopping power on dry or wet pavement as they have more tread contacting the road. But a wide tire that is worn also has a higher tendency to hydroplane on a wet road than a narrow tire. In snowy conditions a narrower tire is almost always a better choice. Wide tires tend to float over the snow instead of digging in and they usually provide less traction. Wide tires also may provide less fuel economy than a narrow tire. It depends on many factors.
Why do Heavy cars have better traction in snow than light cars?
because the weight of the car pushes down on the tire more making it wider giveing it more traction, also it works better if you have flatter tires.
What does tire rating traction a mean?
Tire Ratings - Traction grades Traction grades are an indication of a tire's ability to stop on wet pavement. A higher graded tire should allow a car to stop on wet roads in a shorter distance than a tire with a lower grade. Traction is graded from highest to lowest as "AA", "A", "B", and "C".
What is tire traction?
Traction is the amount of grip that a tire gets on the road.
Would the friction between a tire and the road be increased by a wide rather than a narrow tire?
No
How can I fix bald tires and improve their traction on the road?
To fix bald tires and improve traction on the road, you can consider replacing the tires with new ones that have a deeper tread depth. Additionally, you can also explore options such as tire retreading or using tire chains for better traction in challenging road conditions. Regularly checking tire pressure and alignment can also help improve traction and overall tire performance.
Would a smaller size tire cause the no traction light to come on?
If the vehicle has traction control, all the tires must be the same size. If one tire is smaller than the rest, yes the traction control light would come on.
Do tire traction sprays work?
No. They are completely bogus and a waste of money. If you feel you need better traction look into purchasing a good set of new tires.
How does the Size of a wheel affect a car?
A large wheel(in general)is harder to accelerate and stop. A larger diameter tire can give a smoother ride, depending on tread and side wall height. Wider wheels give more traction for better handling, but are worse in snow and rainy conditions than narrow ones.
