Often hear that narrower tires with smaller rims(thus with higher side walls) are better at snowy and icy conditions.
How’s your real world experience for the matter?
I,ve tested winter tires and 4 seasons in the same day and condition but never had a chance to compare between two sizes with the same compound in the same condition.
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Summary: Narrow has better traction and control, wider has better braking. However the differences are fairly small, the difference between a quality tire and an average one will be bigger than these differences.
If you just change the width (by keeping the rim size same and compensating by changing aspect ratio) difference is very small for any normal use. And sometimes one is better than the other.
For spiked tyres narrower is better. But road studs are not the same. So this doesn’t apply to road studded tires. Or nonstudded tires.
A smaller rim will add to sidewall thickness and it’s better for any normal road/offroad use, especially during winter.
Oh! Ihad thought even without spikes narrow tire would be better in wet and sniwy conditions thanks for the infomation
Two methods of getting through snow.
You can either try to sink until you get to something solid to grip
OR
You can try to float and paddle wheel your way through.
Method one works best from my experience AS long as you can guarantee that your vehicle will be clearing the maximum snow depth expected. You do this by increasing ground pressure through more weight or smaller tires. Keep in mind cars usually only have 2-4 inches of ground clearance but if you have more than that on a road it’s pretty bad weather usually.
If you expect to be going through deeper snow regularly you want to decrease ground pressure through wider tires and increase “paddle-wheel-iness” with aggressive tires. This allows you to “float” in the snow better. This is more applicable if you’re off roading or live in a rural area
So it really depends on your situation, and you need to adjust your driving style for each situation as well. But generally momentum is king in snow and the killer on ice.
Also If you do most of your driving on paved roads in a city you’re probably overthinking the problem
really appreciate your detailed input!
Less surface area the better as is why the VW beetle goes thru the snow with ease. Skinny tires less surface area for snow and ice not to grip. Scientific article published back in the 80’s by car & auto
Just get some snow tires.
Look at WWII jeeps. One set of narrow tires to power through anything.
The height of the sidewall won’t matter quite as much as other factors when considering traction on any surface.
In this informal experiment, it was determined that a narrower tire really does have a better contact patch than a wider tire. Deflating your tire a bit also improves traction.
At the end of the day, no amount of tire adjustments, tire technology, or combination of width/height/pressure will overcome poor driving habits. Accelerate slowly. Brake early. Go slower ALL the time in poor conditions. Leave MUCH more room between you and the car in front of you. Be careful when turning AND accelerating. Etc.