wHEEL TIRE cOMBO

[shapelessheart]

Please suggest if the 205/ 60 R13 87 H BRIDGESTONE TIRES WILL FIT WELL WITH 13"DIA AND 5.5 "RIM WIDTH WHEELS.

We have been suggested the same by a dealer but seriously doubt this.
Also please suggest the appropriate tires for these wheels.
Is the footprint width directly proportional to the section width?Does it increase at the same rate as the section width does?

[shapelessheart]

Please suggest if the 205/ 60 R13 87 H BRIDGESTONE TIRES WILL FIT WELL WITH 13"DIA AND 5.5 "RIM WIDTH WHEELS.

We have been suggested the same by a dealer but seriously doubt this.
Also please suggest the appropriate tires for these wheels.
Is the footprint width directly proportional to the section width?Does it increase at the same rate as the section width does?

[conekilr]

I think you are looking at the wrong tires...check out some Hoosiers or goodyears.

[Bill Kunst]

no, foot print, section width, and tread width are all different. Section is the first number, so 205mm. the height would be 60% of the 205, or roughly 123mm. Neither of these have to do with foot print. tread design, plys, and inflation effect the footprint.

[carmaxxx]

Kunst, i think you're wrong... the footprint IS related to the section width.

[sujaykawale]

As the section width increases, the contact patch becomes shorter (longitudinally) and wider (transversely).
Also, since the longitudinal distance from the wheel centre is reduced in wider tyres, the weight distribution in the contact patch becomes more even.

Both these factors tend to give better cornering grip.

However, wide tyres may not always be good for your car.

So the contact patch is affected by section width, although the contact patch AREA may not change. Obviously, the contact patch area is related to it's length and width, so since one increases and the other decreases, the result is somewhat similar. Contact patch area will be similar if the car's weight is the same.

[Bill Kunst]

Carmaxx,
I think I am right.
For a given tire design, yes it should be related. But in looking at different tire designs, you cannot say that footprint is related to section width. One tire of 205 width will have a different footprint than a different tire deisgn of same width.

Appropriately sizing a tire for the weight and loads that the vehicle is going to see is very important, as I assume you know. If you go with a wide tire, or one that is "oversized" for this application, you will not get the desired effects from inflation changes as well as changes in width and diameter of the tire. Reasonably speaking, the contact patch, or footprint, is not going to conform appropriately. Some of the sidewalls are so stiff in this tire size category, especially in the racing or low profile segment, that when reducing pressure to increase footprint you actually reduce it. The sidewalls don't deform and the center of the contact patch removes itself from the road. Sidewalls lose their lateral stiffness and you have a crappy handling pile.

same tire, different sectionwidth= wider footprint (not necessarily biggerP)