What's the purpose of havin large tyres in cars

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the purpose of having large tires on cars, exploring various aspects such as speed, torque, aesthetics, and off-road capability. Participants address both theoretical and practical implications of tire size in automotive design.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether larger tires increase speed and torque, while also expressing concern about potential violations of conservation of energy.
  • Another participant suggests that larger tires are aesthetically pleasing.
  • A different participant notes that larger tires can enhance off-road capabilities by allowing vehicles to traverse obstacles like rocks and streams more effectively.
  • It is mentioned that larger tires provide a larger contact patch and may lower tire and drivetrain speeds for the same vehicle speed.
  • One participant discusses the trade-off between handling characteristics and ride comfort associated with tire size, indicating that smaller tire sidewalls improve handling but result in a rougher ride.
  • A mention is made of specific tire setups for different types of vehicles, such as drag cars preferring taller sidewalls for performance reasons.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of opinions regarding the benefits of large tires, with some focusing on aesthetics and off-road performance, while others delve into technical aspects like handling and speed. No consensus is reached on the implications of larger tires on speed and torque in relation to energy conservation.

Contextual Notes

Some claims rely on specific assumptions about vehicle design and performance characteristics, and the discussion does not resolve the complexities of how tire size interacts with various automotive parameters.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in automotive design, off-road vehicle performance, or the physics of vehicle dynamics may find this discussion relevant.

rahulpark
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I've seen that in movies,cars with large tires . What's the purpose of this. Is it used for increasing the speed or the Torque ? With bigger tyres,I found analytically that both parameter would be increased. But would that not violate conservation of energy.
Please point my mistake and furnish me with knowledge.
 
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They look cool.
 
no Brews...some people think they look cool...:-p
 
Haha good shout, I'll give you that one. My Seven has 13" wheels and looks awesome!
 
My Toyota truck here in Brasil has 16 inch wheels. They help me pass over rocks, small trees, and through streams where there are no roads at all! If the tires were smaller my truck would likely often get stuck.

Cheers,
Bobbywhy
 
Aside from looks, a larger contact patch, lower tire/bearing/drivetrain speeds for the same mph/kph, and the added value of a ride usually reserved for fine dump trucks or hay wagons.
 
rahulpark said:
I've seen that in movies,cars with large tires . What's the purpose of this. Is it used for increasing the speed or the Torque ? With bigger tyres,I found analytically that both parameter would be increased. But would that not violate conservation of energy.
Please point my mistake and furnish me with knowledge.

I'm assuming you're talking about large diameter wheel/low profile tire setups seen on most sports cars and even some old muscle cars these days.

Smaller tire sidewalls increase the handling characteristics of the vehicle i.e. the side walls won't flex as much disallowing the vehicle to wobble. The expense of that is you get a rougher ride.

For a drag car, you want nice tall sloppy sidewalls.
 

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