: Don't Let Your Tires' Performance Drop With The Temperature; Good Reasons For Winter Tires
Winter tires and snow tires are built with a singular focus
, to perform in severe winter weather - including low-to-freezing temperatures, snow, ice and slush; while all-season tires are built with a much broader focus.
The dangers of snow, ice and rain are obvious, but did you know that even low temperatures hurt the performance of regular all-season tires? As the leaves change color and the temperature starts crawling under 40 degrees, the braking and handling of all-season tires doesn't match that of dedicated winter tires, and that doesn't even take into account wet conditions.
Tire manufacturers can optimize a tires' performance for specific weather conditions and temperatures, so winter and snow tires are built with different compounds, and specially designed features, so they perform better during winter months.
From the tread on down, snow tires are built to withstand harsh conditions.
It starts with the actual rubber compound used to make the tire. For winter tires that compound is softer so it maintains its flexibility when the temperature drops (all-season tires lose elasticity as temperatures decrease). Why is flexibility important? It gives the tire more grip on the road and that improves acceleration and braking.
On winter tires the tread pattern is also significantly different. Winter and snow tires feature a significant amount of siping more than their all-season counterparts, plus they are much deeper on winter tires. Siping is the process of cutting thin slits, or grooves, on the tread; and, when there are more of them on the tire it gives them a couple of advantages in wet and wintery conditions.
The first is that it pushes water away from the tread and the second is more traction because of all the biting edges.
One way to make sure that the winter tire you're interested gets the best traction and performance in severe weather conditions is to make sure it's branded with a pictograph of a peaked mountain with a snow flake. This symbol is from the Rubber Manufacturer's Association (RMA) and part of their winter tire grading system.
The symbol means that the snow tire meets the high standards of winter performance set forth by the organization.
A couple things to note about winter tires...
*Almost all winter tires should be installed in sets of four only. Mixing tread patterns and/or sizes of tires means the benefits that you'd get from installing winter tires would be lost.
*There are studded snow tires, tires that can have metal studs installed in them for added traction; however, in many states this type of winter tire is illegal because, as they cut through ice and snow they also significantly damage the road. These type of tires are not allowed in Michigan or Ohio, but part of Ontario Canada, they are required during winter. If you're interested in this type of snow tire, check with the department of motor vehicles to see if they are allowed in that particular state.
*The best time to install winter tires is when the temperature gets below 50 degrees and stays below 50 degrees on a consistent basis. Removal of winter tires should occur when it gets back up and over 50 degrees in the spring; this will help them last longer as snow tires will wear quicker in warmer weather
*Lastly, winter tires are only put into production once a year. Many tire retailers only get a set amount and have to wait until the following year to get more. The earlier you start thinking about, or shopping for, winter tires before winter hits the better - especially if you have a specific make or model in mind. Come November or December that tire you want might not be in stock.
by: Steve Julius
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: Don't Let Your Tires' Performance Drop With The Temperature; Good Reasons For Winter Tires Anaheim