Do I really need snow tires?

Most new cars are equipped with All Season tires. All season tires outsell winter or summer tires in aftermarket purchases also. For the most part this is a good solution for drivers for the reason that many parts of the country do not see difficult winter weather conditions and even those areas of the country that do experience substantial snow and ice still have the majority of the year without those conditions. Late spring, summer and early fall do not call for snow tires even in colder regions. The connotation of an “All Season” tire is that it is engineered for all seasons. This is undoubtedly true for most people who live in the lower half of the U.S. For those living in northern and mountainous regions, this may be misleading.

Why is a winter tire important?

Winter tires are designed to grab in snow and ice. Unlike an all season or summer tire, a snow tire is formed with a softer, more flexible rubber formula more suitable to cold weather. A couple of the more common winter tires are the Blizztak by Bridgestone and the Ultra Grip series by Goodyear Tires. The rubber compound of the snow tire allows it to hold the road and bite into ice and snow. Because the tend to become hard and rigid in cold weather, the summer and all season tire will typically lose traction and slide much quicker than the winter tire designed for the cold temperature. It is critical for the tire to be able to dig into snow and ice and to mold to the road. This is how you avoid getting stuck and how you are able to steer, stop and corner effectively. A tire not engineered for the cold can not be effective in winter cornering and stopping. Many new cars have anit-lock brakes, electronic stabliization and all wheel drive to help control the vehicle. These systems however depend on the tires. They are only as good as your tires. Think of an emergency room equipped with all the state-of-the-art and best equipment ready to take care of any emergency thrust upon it. However, this ER is staffed by only first year med students. All the finest tools in the world will not save lives without the parmount expertise of the doctor. In the same way, bad tires make the best safety systems relatively useless.

All-season tires are built to function in varied but general weather conditions: dry roads and rain and in moderate temperatures. They are not constructed for specific and harsh weather conditions. If tires were vehicles, an all season would be a family sedan while a winter tire would be a Hummer. You could try driving through a snow storm in your ssedan but a Hummer H3 would be a safer choice. It’s the same way with tires. You may get through the winter on an all season tire but you will your chances of not getting stuck and of being able to control your vehicle are much greater with a good winter tire.

Can I mix tires using two snow tires and two all season tires?

In an effort to save money, some people try using snow tires only on the drive wheels of their vehicle. This is an ineffective and possibly risky solution. This may give you the confidence in selected situations of having control however this is an illusion and the false confidence may lead to reckless results. Putting snow tires in the front on a front wheel drive may allow better starts and stopping but it places you in danger of fishtailing around turns. The rear wheels will not have sufficient traction to negotiate the turns your front wheels initiate. Similarly and perhaps more dangerous, putting snow tires on the rear wheels of a rear wheel drive car will allow better starts but will do nothing for steering or braking. You should always put snow tires on all four wheels.

What About Leaving Snow Tires On All Year Long?

This is not really a good alternative. As mentioned earlier, the rubber used in winter tires is a softer compound. That means they will wear down much earlier than a tire designed for warmer driving conditions. They are engineered for cold weather with slippery pavement. Hot roads and dry pavement is counter to the design of these tires. This is critical for a couple reasons. First you will end up replacing your tires more frequently simply from wear. The biggest reason to keeping winter tires on your vehicle all year is to save by not buying more tires. Unfortunately, faster wear on the snow tires means that you will need to replace tires more frequently. Secondly, a deep tread is imperative for a snow tire to be most useful. The tread helps the tire dig into snow and ice and the deep channels help to divert slush from under the tire. The more the tire is worn by summer driving conditions, the less efective it becomes in the critical winter months.

Another reason to change tires as soon as the snow clears for good is for a more comfortable ride. All season tires and summer tires among other things are built for a comfortable ride. Snow tires are not. Summer tires and all seasons are engineered for low road noise. Winter tires tend to be quite loud. Because your are using a good snow tire, you can put a summer tire on your car for better performance. By changing tires according to seasons, you will be driving on appropriate tires for the conditions. This way you can accomplish better traction and a smoother and quieter ride in all seasons.

Remounting tires twice a year is costly and inconvenient. What is the alternative?

This can be a problem. I have never met anybody who enjoys sitting in the waiting room of a tire reseller drinking bad coffee and reading old magazines. It becomes quite expensive over the years to mount and balance tires multiple times. There is a better choice. Simply get another set of wheels to mount your snow tires on. You can then simply unbolt your tires when the weather breaks and put your summer tires on. You can do this in under 30 minutes in your garage. No need for remounting, waiting for hours or drinking bad coffee. You can determine how much you want to spend using this method. Some propose that you buy some old wheels from a salvage yard for your snow tires. This may be a good idea but by the time you pay for mounting it may not save you much money.

At least one online tire reseller will sell you a package of wheels and snow tires with mounting and balancing done free. Given this you could easily get new wheels that specifically fit your vehicle and all the mounting hardware at a cost as good or better than getting a set of salvage wheels. The salvage wheels may or may not specifically fit your vehicle whereas the new wheels were made for your vehicle. Be certain that the wheel is a good fit for your car and also be certain that the mounting hardware is also a good fit. If you wish, you can also get more expensive wheels especially if you are likely to keep cars for a long time or you tend to buy the same cars. Regardless, you should be able to sell these wheels with the car at a premium or sell them on Ebay or through a classified ad when you are finished with them. In any case you will not need to remount tires a couple times a year and the wheels will pay for themselves in a few seasons by saving the remounting charges.

So What is the Bottom Line?

If your area gets significant snowfall, plan to buy a good set of winter tires. A single fender bender, a missed sales call or a missed day at work could cost you as much as a set of tires and the tires can be used for several years. The concern of your safety is also very important. Being stuck in the snow, failing to stop in an emergency and sliding through a turn can be more than a financial consideration. Your safety is worth the investment. There are very good snow tire and wheel packages that become very economical over a few seasons. Make the investment and drive safely and with confidence in the snow.