1. CAN YOU DRIVE WINTER TIRES YEAR ROUND?
Can you drive snow and winter tires year round? It’s an idea that occurs to many drivers
who experience winter weather: If I have to mount snow tires every year, why don’t I just
keep them on my vehicle all the time?
Unfortunately, using snow tires year round isn’t recommended. In the long run, it will cost
more money than changing them out and could compromise your vehicle’s performance on
the road. That’s why tire makers offer different types of tires for different seasons – the best
option for you is determined by many factors including climate, driving style, and
performance needs.
Here are some specific reasons why year-round use of winter tires is not advised. And if it’s
the hassle of tire mounting, unmounting, and remounting that you’re tired of, we’ve
included an idea for simplifying that process, too.
First, what is a Winter Tire?
All winter tires, whether studless or studded, are made to maintain better traction in
extreme cold, and on icy, snowy, or slushy roads. The rubber is able to remain softer, which
makes it more flexible, allowing the tire to conform to the road better in extremely cold
conditions. This feature, along with deeper tread depths and specialized tread designs, are
what make snow/winter tires ideal for inclement winter weather and extreme cold driving
conditions.
We use this analogy - tennis shoes. Yes, you can wear tennis shoes on the beach or in the
snow, but wouldn't it be better to have flip flops on the beach and boots for the snow?
Winter tires are like snow boots for your car.
Why You Shouldn't Use Winter Tires Year Round
2. Winter tires are specially designed for cold temperatures and winter precipitation. Once it
gets warm, you won't need deep tread depths to handle snow or biting edges for traction
on ice. Here are some specific reasons why using winter tires year round is not
recommended.
Faster wear on warm, dry pavement - the tread rubber of winter tires is considerably
more flexible than that of all season and summer tires. That same pliable tread rubber
that adds traction in winter will wear down quickly in warm temperatures. Summer
and all season tires are built to withstand warm temperatures, providing long wear
life.
Decreased performance - In warm weather, wnter tires won't provide the same
handling capabilities as summer or all season tires. Imagine if you needed to make a
quick maneuver and your tires were soft and squishy. You won't get the crisp
response from a winter tire in warm weather. Winter tires need that flexibilitity to
handle ice and snow, but it's not as useful in warm weather.
The specialized compounds and tread designs of winter tires are not designed for optimal
warm climate performance and wear. Generally speaking, the softer tread of a winter tire
will wear out faster in warmer temperatures. If you keep winter tires on your vehicle after
winter has come and gone, you will have to replace them sooner than had you removed
them for springtime.
That’s why using snow tires year round is more expensive than mounting them seasonally.
The sooner they wear out, the sooner you have to replace them.
Simplify Tire Re-Mounting
Driving on snow tires year-round could compromise optimal tread wear and ultimately be
more expensive than just changing tires out for the season.
3. If you were considering year-round use of winter tires because you were tired of having to
change them, here’s an idea that could save you time and money. Purchase wheels with the
same diameter and bolt pattern as your current wheels. Mount your snow tires on those
and store them in the garage until winter arrives.
Instead of having to change out your tires each season, just have a technician change the
wheels. It’s a quick, relatively inexpensive alternative to mounting and un-mounting snow
tires every season.
Source:http://www.bridgestonetire.com/
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