| If you increase the width and proportionately decrease the length resulting in the same contact area that should have zero impact on lateral traction (or traction from any direction really, the tire compound does not know what direction it is moving). If you have a 1x2 foot print or a 2x1 footprint you have the same effective frictional coefficient regardless of the direction of the force. The area is the same. The trouble is, you'll have a harder time getting the length to increase unless you get a larger radius tire - so for a standard vehicle (i.e. a car without open tires) you're generally going to be limited to going wider instead of taller (not taking sidewall flex into consideration). I think the disagreement is coming that you're inferring the 225/245 standard tire sizes meet or approach the maximum limitations that the car can practically impose upon them (with the appropriate corresponding tires), thus making any increase to the width without merit as the weight of the car (specifically the Z32) will not introduce any additional force to necessitate the available increase of surface area on a wider tire. I'm not quite sold on this idea but hey I'm open to continued civilized discussion and I appreciate the response.
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