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What is traction ? why do we need traction?  TRACTION is resulting from   a specific FRICTION coefficient (ie friction between rubber and ground)   combined with area of ground covered by the tire - FOOTPRINT combined with vehicle WEIGHT pressing a tire onto the ground  TRACTION   is a resistance between tire and ground. If traction is less than the torque applied a tire will start spinning. In this case we say: "The tire lost traction" even though traction (resistance) did not vanish completely - it was just not enough traction to handle the torque. 1. Decreasing torque (backing off the gas) will help "regaining" traction. 2. If you need a high amount of torque to move your vehicle (uphill etc) you can create more traction by deflating your tires (creating a larger footprint).  How wheel travel influences traction. A. If one or more components of traction (friction, footprint, weight) decreases (less friction [mud etc], smaller footprint, less weight) traction will decrease! B. If one or more components of traction (friction, footprint, weight) increase in value (more friction [concrete etc], bigger footprint, more weight) traction will increase! Traction use of a 2WD - Traction use of a 4WD