@Okuu
It seems the extra wheels were more about rubber-tyred wheels and the poor quality rubber. Once steel wheels were implemented the amount of roadwheels would be reduced.
https://blog.tiger-tank.com/tanks/tiger-wheels/
But it still seems to be correct that guesstimates were used, and the interweaving wheels were added on suspicion rather than fact. (Only it turned out they guessed correctly on wheel quality.)
And as everyone says, from a road perspective, wheels don't matter a lot (at least as long as there's wheels along the whole track).