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.

  • CR123CR123CR@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    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