Engineering Rationale for 30X3 on Front and 30X3 1/2" on Rear
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2022 11:26 am
Just curious, can anyone explain the rationale that Ford engineers used for the different wheel/tire sizes on the Model T, specifically 30X3 on the front and 30X3 1/2" on the rear? I took some quick tape measure measurements of the wheels without tires, and the front wheel is about 1" larger in diameter than the rear wheel (on a 1912 that is in my shop, anyway). I'm trying to wrap my mind around why this was done; surely, there was a good reason. Maybe I just don't have my mechanical engineering hat on correctly!