Miata Mailing List: July 1998, Message #1689

sponsored by

Previously on R model, Craig Boyle <craig_b2@verifone.com> said...

> Well, I was talking about stock class. And I think the reasons you cite are
> mostly in favor of the smaller wheels. I don't understand how a larger
> diameter tire/wheel means a larger contact patch - can you explain this as I
> can't visualize it?

Whenever I'm dealing with a changing value that I can't quite grasp, I find it
useful to imagine the extreme.  For example, instead of comparing a 14" tire to a
15" inch tire, compare a 14" tire to a 14 /foot/ tire.  Imagine the contact patch of
a Terex (TM) dump truck.  It's gotta be a lot bigger than the one on your little
car.  Of course it might be argued that the difference in increase in contact patch
between the 14 and 15 inch tires is insignificant, but there is certainly an
increase.

	-John

------------------------------------------------
John Freas (jfreas@earthlink.net)
Red '90 Base-ish #7690
Birmingham, AL
Team LS1, SP...
Team dlralt, PBC, Roebuck, Voodoo...
"I have no idea what those dimple things on the windshield frame are for."
------------------------------------------------