Engineering Explained: Summer / all-season / winter tires, and FWD/RWD/AWD

[Golfer]

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[glenthompson]

Good presentation. I’ve always been a proponent of winter tires for people in cold snowy climates. As the saying goes, “The brakes stop the wheels, the tires stop the car.” AWD only helps you go, all cars have 4 wheel brakes.

 

[mkhuffman]

This is the same idiot who made a video that said bigger wheels = less range. I have a hard time watching anything from him after that.

 

[Slowmotion]

This is the same idiot who made a video that said bigger wheels = less range. I have a hard time watching anything from him after that.

Sometimes science hurts. Or as an old cowboy from Oklahoma used to say, it may be sad but it's true.

 

[stmache]

I have no issues driving my RWD Premium in the snow with the AS stock tires. I just turn off 1-Pedal for better control. To be fair, the snow I used to see in central NY is no wear near what I get now. If I lived up where @Murse-In-Airy is, I would have a set of snows on in November!

 

[mkhuffman]

Sometimes science hurts. Or as an old cowboy from Oklahoma used to say, it may be sad but it's true.

Not sure I understand your point. The video where he concludes large rims are less efficient than small rims was void of science that supported that conclusion. And so many people use that video as proof it annoys the crap out of me. Because it isn't proof. And it isn't science.

 

[Fixbear]

Not sure I understand your point. The video where he concludes large rims are less efficient than small rims was void of science that supported that conclusion. And so many people use that video as proof it annoys the crap out of me. Because it isn't proof. And it isn't science.

I agree with you Mark. Rolling resistance is lowest with larger diameter narrow wheels than smaller wide ones. When I used to drive a model T in the snow and mud it would go places todays driver would not believe. Part of that was of course the weight of the car. But having pushed by hand a lot of wagons and trailers on the farm, you quickly realize why horse drawn wagons and carriages had such big wheels. Today we have equipment that can measure rolling resistance. Any physics lab could measure this. I'll be you could even measure the amps on today's wheel balancer's when bead seating.

 

[tuminatr]

I like this guy for tires. Here is a similar comparison Winter vs. all Weather vs All Season vs. summer. The other note is summer tires provide 2x the traction as an all-season in summer.

 

[mkhuffman]

I agree with you Mark. Rolling resistance is lowest with larger diameter narrow wheels than smaller wide ones. When I used to drive a model T in the snow and mud it would go places todays driver would not believe. Part of that was of course the weight of the car. But having pushed by hand a lot of wagons and trailers on the farm, you quickly realize why horse drawn wagons and carriages had such big wheels. Today we have equipment that can measure rolling resistance. Any physics lab could measure this. I'll be you could even measure the amps on today's wheel balancer's when bead seating.

I wrote up a long critique of that video a few months ago, and I should see if I can find where I posted it in the forum.

But basically, his analysis of the impact of different wheels is incomplete, and he makes conclusions based on an incomplete analysis. He spends most of his time analyzing the weight difference, and practically no time analyzing aerodynamics and rolling resistance. Aerodynamics and rolling resistance are the two biggest factors when it comes to wheel efficiency, by far. Yet he essentially ignores them.

That is why I can't stand that video and it has ruined my opinion of the guy, Unfortunately.

 

[Gloff]

I wrote up a long critique of that video a few months ago, and I should see if I can find where I posted it in the forum.

But basically, his analysis of the impact of different wheels is incomplete, and he makes conclusions based on an incomplete analysis. He spends most of his time analyzing the weight difference, and practically no time analyzing aerodynamics and rolling resistance. Aerodynamics and rolling resistance are the two biggest factors when it comes to wheel efficiency, by far. Yet he essentially ignores them.

That is why I can't stand that video and it has ruined my opinion of the guy, Unfortunately.

EE always distills things and takes liberties. I've found that he's typically on the right path, if a little simplified. I don't dismiss his thoughts entirely, but as with any information you find on the internet, verify from multiple sources. I mean he's not Scotty Kilmer.

 

[mkhuffman]

EE always distills things and takes liberties. I've found that he's typically on the right path, if a little simplified. I don't dismiss his thoughts entirely, but as with any information you find on the internet, verify from multiple sources. I mean he's not Scotty Kilmer.

His video was lazy. Yes, bigger wheels are GENERALLY less efficient, but it isn't because they are heavier. Weight is just one factor. All he had to do was go through some wind tunnel data, and some rolling resistance data, but he didn't. He was lazy. He seems smart, but laziness won out.

I have better things to do than waste my time watching videos that are misleading and lazy. And wrong.

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