snagitseven

That is one steep hill. Amazing that the tires held it at that angle. Unless, of course, the photo needs to be rotated.

RealMcCoy

I'm sorry Deerhunter but Irenesbob is correct. Narrow tires perform better in snow than wide tires and it is physics but has nothing to do with tire pressure.
Narrow tires have less contact area which increases the pounds per square inch contact patch pressure. Narrow tires also push less snow. The "boys" with their monster trucks and extremely wide tires can not keep up with a stock four wheel drive truck with stock size tires in the snow.
If you check manufacturers recommendation for winter tires they always suggest one or two sizes narrower.
I can go on and on but these facts are indisputable. People can argue tread types or styles but not the physics.

Carl Weathers

Flew out to Vegas Wednesday to take delivery of my C7 A6 with 19" sport package. Before I drove it back to Chicago, I pulled the summer rubber off and had 19" Yokohama all-seasons put on. They weren't enough for the snowstorm I hit on I-70, but they kept me alive until I could get to Avon, CO. If I left the summers on, I'd be a goner.

irenesbob

Glad you think so. I will be 73 in two months and was beginning to feel like the sad old man of lore, but now I feel like I might still know a thing or two.

I am reminded of an analogy involving jet planes and female cabin attendants. Back in the early days of commercial jet travel (around 1960 is when I heard this) and the Boeing 707, the floor was some form of alloy honeycomb with a very skinny smooth floor on top (kind of like super heavy grade aluminum foil). Well, spiked heels were in vogue at the time and the stewardesses (that’s what they were called back then) if they wanted to project an au currant image wore said spikes. There were many instances of them punching holes through the thin floor, sometimes getting stuck.
The solution: the airline banned spike heels and made them wear “sensible” but dowdy “old lady” shoes with clunky heels.
Why did this work? For the reason that you and I believe applies to snow tires. When a 110 pound woman walks on a floor with heels that are ¼” by ¼” she is exerting many more lbs/sq inch than when she is wearing 2”x2” heels, simple as that. Subsequently, of course, the longer-term solution involved beefed-up floors.

DeerHunter

Sigh! If you re-read my first post, you'll see that I stated unequivocally that narrow tires are superior in deep snow (and standing water, and several other conditions - pretty much all situations that don't involve cornering on relatively high-coefficient-of-friction surfaces).

HOWEVER, it's not because a skinny tire has "less contact area". It just doesn't (again, within certain parameters determined by the tire construction). It's because a longer and narrower contact patch (provided by a skinnier tire) is better able to cut through powder, snow crust and standing water, reaching the road surface and maximizing available traction. Skinnier tires (with the same rolling diameter) also have taller, more flexible sidewalls, which work better in cold conditions and function as a more resilient "spring" in the suspension that allow the contact patch to better adhere to uneven surfaces (which pretty much describes any snow-covered road).

Please, think about what you just wrote. I noted that a tire isn't exactly like a balloon (because of it's semi-rigid construction), but it is still a pneumatic device. It's shape and contact patch, to a large extent, depends upon inflation pressure and the force (mass) being exerted upon it. Any comparison to a solid object (like a high heel) is completely specious.

RealMcCoy

My apologies Deerhunter. I guess did not properly read your posts. I did not want Irenesbob to pursue the wrong size tire for the wrong reason.
I do enjoy this site. Thanks for contributing.

Alex313

That Aston Martin should be hibernating in a nice warm garage. Winter tyres may help you, but it won't stop some other fool sliding into you that isn't on them.

irenesbob

I knew full well it was not a technically accurate comparison, but I really enjoy telling the story because it is true and because it shows how even well planned things can go awry. I appreciate your input and enjoy this site as well, so I am ending this silly back and forth. Happy Holidays to you! I'll save my long GM window-winding story for2015.

DeerHunter

RealMcCoy and irenesbob, I try not to be a pedant, I really do. Sometimes that goal is outweighed by a desire to counter myths that have been around since time immemorial. If I came across all Grinch-like, my apologies. I too like the back-and-forth between our passionate membership and, like you, prefer to keep it civil. All the best of the season to you both (and all our members) and may Spring be upon us soon enough.