# Why do cars have four wheels? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 28, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cars-have-four-wheels/587197 "2011-06-28T22:51:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cars-have-four-wheels/587197/21 "2011-06-29T19:36:20Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > I responded to a poster who said cars have five wheels ( **wherein one assumes they were already adding the steering wheel in as the fifth wheel** ). > > But thanks for playing. Bolding mine. Wrong. One assumes he meant the spare tire. But thanks for playing. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cars-have-four-wheels/587197/22 "2011-06-29T20:16:01Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Bolding mine. > > Wrong. One assumes he meant the spare tire. > > But thanks for playing. Well, obviously, one assumed the spare, and one assumed the steering wheel. They just weren’t the same one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cars-have-four-wheels/587197/23 "2011-06-29T21:13:40Z")
Because having only one would be a real drag. ---
**Author:** ![tbook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tbook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tbook)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cars-have-four-wheels/587197/24 "2011-06-29T21:28:29Z")
> [@](#): > > I have a lot of miles on a sidecar rig. One of many reason I read the dope. Your explanation about the driving dynamics of the sidecar rig is excellent. To the OP: one of many alternatives is the Marine Corp Styker. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stryker](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stryker) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cars-have-four-wheels/587197/25 "2011-06-30T02:44:23Z")
> [@Danger\_Man](#): > > Why not three or five? Same reason tables have four legs. I have a glass of port in front of me. The glass is from a cafe in a little French village, just over the pass from Italy. Would _you_ put that on a three-legged table? ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cars-have-four-wheels/587197/26 "2011-06-30T08:33:35Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Same reason tables have four legs. > > I have a glass of port in front of me. The glass is from a cafe in a little French village, just over the pass from Italy. > > Would _you_ put that on a three-legged table? I’m pretty sure I’ve seen three legged tables. Also two and one legged tables (of course, the latter categories have pretty broad feet) ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cars-have-four-wheels/587197/27 "2011-06-30T14:00:15Z")
Oh, great. Now I’m picturing my cute little glass precariously perched on a table that consists of nothing but a round top with one wobbly broomstick leg ::shudder:: ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cars-have-four-wheels/587197/28 "2011-06-30T14:07:53Z")
> [@digs](#): > > Oh, great. Now I’m picturing my cute little glass precariously perched on a table that consists of nothing but a round top with one wobbly broomstick leg ::shudder:: Well, picture a table where there is one leg in the middle, but the “foot” is several feet across. I’ve seen the design used both at fast food joints and with dining room tables, since it means nobody has to worry about squeezing around a table leg when they have several people at the table. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cars-have-four-wheels/587197/29 "2011-06-30T15:56:20Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > Bolding mine. > > Wrong. One assumes he meant the spare tire. > > But thanks for playing. Awe, shucks. You’re welcome! Let me get back to you teaching me how to count all them wheels on automobiles. One assumes the steering wheel is one. Essentially, all cars have 'em. As for the spares: 13% now come without them. So, one might want to keep assuming the fifth wheel is the steering wheel. I’ll even cite it for ya: [http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-06-23/classified/ct-biz-0623-autos-spare-tires-20110623\_1\_tires-automakers-dan-edmunds](http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-06-23/classified/ct-biz-0623-autos-spare-tires-20110623_1_tires-automakers-dan-edmunds) . ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cars-have-four-wheels/587197/30 "2011-06-30T18:16:47Z")
The car I want has 2 wheels: [http://monotracer.peraves.ch/](http://monotracer.peraves.ch/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-cars-have-four-wheels/587197.md?page=1)