Observation about wheel/tire sizes

sfalexi

Member
:
2008 Mazdaspeed 3
Is it just my brain playing tricks on me, but do we (USA and perhaps others) honestly measure wheels using inches and tires in millimeters? Hmmm . . . does that really make sense to mix and match english and metric units? Unless I'm mistaken . . .
 
Is it just my brain playing tricks on me, but do we (USA and perhaps others) honestly measure wheels using inches and tires in millimeters? Hmmm . . . does that really make sense to mix and match english and metric units? Unless I'm mistaken . . .

We measure the tread width in mm because it's a smaller increment by which we measure by. The sidewall is not measured in mm, instead it is a percentage of the width.
 
Yup, we have inches, millimeters, and ratios to deal with. It's got to be one of the most convoluted mainstream measurement systems in existence.

I'm mostly OK with the mixed units, they're easily converted. The ratio though is just stupid IMO. I'm very curious of the rational behind using a ratio.
 
Just kinda makes me think of the wierd mixtures of measurements that goes on in this world. I love my country (USA), but c'mon. I personally think it's time to get on the bandwagon and go metric like the rest of the world. I'm ok with a unit system based on values of 10 instead of a unit system based on some english king's big feet and the distance from his nose to thumb, and width of his fingers.....

Alexi
 
Back