braking question

[Matt MA]

>The main factor in stopping distance is your
>tires. Wide, sticky tires, will produce more energy through friction

Larry - You bring up a point that I don't fully understand. Is it really the
width
that matters? Or is it just the total area of the contact patch, regardless
of
the shape of the contact patch?

For example, let's say a wide tire will have a contact patch of 20 square
inches. The shape of it will be greater in the direction perpendicular to the
travel direction. What if you had a narrow tire, but it was taller, and so
therefore you would still have a contact patch of 20 square inches, but now
the shape is greater in the direction parallel to the travel direction.

IIRC from physics class, the shape makes no difference. You just multiply
the coefficient of friction by the total area to find the total grip.
However,
does this apply to a rolling tire?

matt ma . 92 SE-R