Originally posted by SVTCole:
Maybe it isn't a good analogy but I don't see how you could think a Corvette with 275/35 tires would have the same contact patch as one with 215/55. Same thing with a building. Wider girders would distribute the same weight over a wider area.
Why not
It is the air in the tires that support the weight of the car. So let's say we have a 3000# Vette (for sake of argument) with perfect 50/50 weight distribution. There is 750# on each corner. If your tires are at 35PSI, then you have a contact patch of 21.4 square inches, assuming the weight supported by the sidewall is insignificant relative to the weight supported by the air in the tire.
So regardless of tire width, your contact patch will be about 21.4 square inches. You can get there with a 10" wide by 2.14 inch long patch or a 5" wide by 4.28 inch long.
I dunno what ducks and there feet have to do with it. I think they float on their belly. Now with my belly, I can hydroplane
Gotta go on a call...
TB
