Winter Tires - FAQ
We get asked a lot of questions about winter tires, so many that we thought we answer the most asked ones. If you have any questions that are not listed here, please feel free to call us at 1-800-458-1670 and we will be more than happy to answer all of them.
Question:
What makes snow tires different from regular tires?
Answer:
Snow Tires (also known as winter tires) have tread patterns specifically designed to dig down and bite into the snow and ice. Plus they are made from softer rubber compounds that retain their flexibility in cold weather, allowing the tire to better conform to the surface of the road. Regular tired tend to get hard and brittle in cold temperatures. As a result, winter tires keep a better grip on snowy and icy surfaces than regular all – season or summer tires. Grip is critical and not just to avoid getting stuck, but to ensure that the car can stop and steer. Life saving technologies such as anti – lock brakes, electronic stability control and all wheel drive cannot do their job if the tires cannot maintain their grip on the road surface.
Question:
My car has all – season tires, are they not good enough?
Answer:
All – season tires are designed to cope with all sorts of conditions, including dry roads and rain. But they are not optimized for any one surface and low temperatures.
Question:
Can I put snow tires on just the drive wheels of my car?
Answer:
Putting just two snow tires on your car is not recommended. If you have a front wheel drive car and put snow tires on the front only, the back wheels will not have nearly as much grip as the front wheels. This will make the car much more likely to spin out while breaking or cornering. Likewise if you put snow tires on just the back wheels of a rear-wheel-drive car, the wheels that do the steering will not grip as well as those that provide the power. So the car may not respond when the steering wheel is turned, it will simply plow straight ahead. Always install snow tires as a full set of four.
Question:
Can I leave my snow tires on all year?
Answer:
You can, but it is not a good idea. Snow tires tend to be noisy and the softer compounds from which they are made means they will wear out faster, especially in warm weather. Wear is critical because winter tires rely on their deep tread to dig into the snow and ice. As soon as the snow is gone for good remove your snow tires and reinstall your regular tires.
