Talk:Slick tire

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I'm not really clear on how it is that slick tires give better traction (on a dry road). To a first approximation, the friction forces between a tire and the ground are proportional to the weight and the coefficient of static friction but not the area. (The explanation is that in this model, the surfaces conform to each other in a way that increases with pressure (force per unit area), providing an amount of force that is proportional to pressure per unit area - that is, proportional to the total weight.)

But slicks do give more traction; why is that? Is it because they are made of softer materials? If so, why not make treaded tires out of similarly soft materials? (Perhaps the treads would deform excessively, or the wear would be excessive if the road contact pressure were increased.)

There are other, more complicated advantages to having a big contact patch (including resistance to localized damage to the road surface or tire), but in simple braking, slicks do seem to be better than ordinary tires.

Since slicks are softer than road tires, the tire "sinks" into the groves of the gravel, and this ensures a truly maximal contact patch. The slick's rubber is like putty oozing around the gravel kinks, completely in contact. Compare this to hard road tires that are stiff enough such that the tire cannot "wrap around" the gravel perturbations (as much as slicks). Couple this deficiency with the further lack of contact between the open groves of a road tire and the gravel, and you see why the performance gap widens even more between slicks and road tires. --K3rb 08:00, 11 March 2006 (UTC)

Erm, tire traction is complicated. [1] --Interiot 14:46, 12 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Removal of brand-loyal statement

I've removed " M&H Tires are still known today for being the most "sticky" tires for drag racing due to their rubber compound." due to it being a brand-loyal statement. Although there are a lot of racers using M&H's, there are very competent, arguably better slicks made by Mickey Thompson, Goodyear, Hoosier, etc. It really comes down to a racer's preference, and stating that M&H's are the most "sticky" is strictly an opinion.----Burnout1320

[edit] More talk about better traction

It is true that the max friction force before slipping is independent of the size of the tire. It is just a factor times the weight of the vehicle. So friction alone cannot explain the benefits of slicks. But I believe the concept of adhesion is the true benefit of slicks over treaded tires. Slicks allow more intimate contact with the road surface by having low air pressures and softer compounds. It is similar to a plastic sheet adhearing to the surface of your refrigerator. Friction does not keep the sheet on the fridge, it is adhesion. It is known as dispersive adhesion and is attributed to Van der Wall forces. These are weak bonds between molecules. But over a large area in intimate contact, add up to a significant total force. Another benefit of the slicks would be that the soft compound tire would be better able to conform to the surface imperfections in the road. This would the provide a mechanical way to push off of the roadway over many small hills filled with the soft tire. Sabrejim (talk) 01:21, 3 May 2008 (UTC)Sabrejim