• Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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    4 months ago

    I wouldn’t think stopping distance would be noticeably impacted by less rolling resistance. My original “eco” tires stopped the same as the standard ones. They’re “eco” because they have less rolling resistance and are slightly lighter.

    Plus, with ABS, you’re not likely to lock the wheels up such that the decreased resistance would be significant.

    On slick roads would be my only concern, but a good and season appropriate tread should mitigate that.

    • helenslunch@feddit.nl
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      4 months ago

      My original “eco” tires stopped the same as the standard ones.

      No they didn’t.

      They’re “eco” because they have less rolling resistance and are slightly lighter.

      They have less rolling resistance because they’re made of a harder compound, with reduced grip.

      Plus, with ABS, you’re not likely to lock the wheels up such that the decreased resistance would be significant.

      …huh? ABS has nothing to do with rolling resistance…

      • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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        4 months ago

        No they didn’t.

        In a strictly technical / laboratory sense, maybe not. But in practice, they stopped just the same. I also slow down to a stop (regen braking is amazing) and don’t slam on my brakes at a stop light (like some drivers I routinely scowl at). And driving through the country and having to slam on the brakes when a deer jumps out (which was common where I lived), I noticed no appreciable difference in stopping distance between the two tire types.

        …huh? ABS has nothing to do with rolling resistance…

        ABS prevents the tires from locking up and skidding (anti-lock braking system, hence the name). Under normal driving conditions, it merely helps you maintain control, but on slick roads, locking up the wheels can skid you further than without it. So, no, ABS doesn’t directly relate to rolling resistance, but it’s part of a system along with the tires that contribute to stopping distance…which is what I was talking about.

        • helenslunch@feddit.nl
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          4 months ago

          In a strictly technical / laboratory sense, maybe not.

          In every sense they do not.

          I also…don’t slam on my brakes at a stop light

          How you drive under normal conditions has absolutely nothing to do with the capability of the tires in an emergency situation, which occurs regardless of how good or careful you are.

          I noticed no appreciable difference in stopping distance

          You won’t if you don’t get out and measure it. But I guarantee it is there regardless. The difference, regardless of how noticeable, can easily mean the difference between life and death, or even crashing at all.

    • Jrockwar@feddit.uk
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      4 months ago

      In a car with ABS, two sets of tyres with different grip will have a different point at which tyres lock up, with grippier tires locking up later and ABS letting the brakes bite harder before acting.

      Now a harder question is whether a tyre with less rolling resistance will be less grippy. All things equal, yes, it will. Tyres grip by deforming and creating friction in the contact patch, and the point of these tyres is to reduce friction.

      To make up for this, manufacturers use clever designs (e.g. where tyres can deform more under certain conditions) so that they can retain characteristics similar to tyres with more rolling resistance. Of course, everything in engineering is a compromise, which means that A) these tyres are more expensive because of the additional complexity and B) the design and materials science can only go so far and they have indeed slightly less grip; otherwise all the tyres would be like this.

      As an anecdote, Toyota sold the GR86 with Michelin Energy Saver tyres fitted as standard (in Europe at least) for “grip” reasons: they allowed the car to drift at really low speeds (some car journalists commented that it was remarkably easy to take roundabouts sideways at legal speeds).