For those who live in cold weather climates, using the same tires year-round might sound like a good idea, but it may not be. Changing the tires may seem like an inconvenience, but if you don’t change your tires over from winter to summer tires, you may be doing yourself a disservice by jeopardizing your more expensive winter tires in conditions that they aren’t designed for. Why put wear and tear on tires that will end up costing you more in the long run?
It’s not just about putting your winter tires in storage and saving them for when they work most effectively; they might not be that safe for warm weather conditions. Since they’re made specifically for the harsh weather that winter can bring, taking the time to change them out will do wonders for your wallet and your family’s safety.
When changing your tires, it’s extra important to ensure you get the sizing right. With all the numbers present on the tire, it can get pretty confusing. Thankfully, there are online guides available (such as the one published by TheVehicleLab) which covers everything to do with tire sizes.
They wear out much faster in the heat
Winter tires are designed to withstand cold weather, not hot. Made specifically to grip the road during icy or snowy conditions, they weren’t made to make it through a hot summer. There is a difference in the way that all-weather tires and winter ones are made, and that difference can make you wear out the treads of your winter tires much faster and having you replacing them just as rapidly.
The hard rubber that is used on winter tires can’t withstand hot temperatures. They are created to handle weather of 45 degrees or below. Not only will they wear out faster, but the softness of the material they are made from will wear unevenly, which could cause dangerous driving conditions. When your tires wear unevenly, it can put your car off balance, which puts you in danger when you have to swerve or do a hard brake.
Accommodating winter tires costs you more
If you wear out your winter tires on summer roads, then you are going to have to replace them more often. If you use all-weather tires when the conditions call for them and then switch, you can extend the life of your winter tires instead of having to replace them immediately. Switching tires will also save you money because winter tires create more friction on the road, which can lead to a lower gas mileage. That can end with you filling your tank more often.
Winter tires are an additional expense because they are made differently. If you assume that they are all-weather, you are going to wear them out more quickly and end up replacing them year after year. If you rotate your winter tires with all-weather tires, then you will extend the life of both sets and save money.
The safety of your car
Winter tires were created to deal with ice and snow, not summer heat that can leave oil or water pooling on the pavement. That can lead to stopping times being much longer when winter tires have to deal with wet versus dry pavement and can jeopardize your safety when on the road. Also, if you wear out your winter tires by driving them year-round, then when harsh winter conditions set in, you aren’t going to have the treads left to deal with the slippery hazards of winter driving, which could end up leaving you unprotected when the temperature drops.
It isn’t as hard as you think
Of course, you may look at changing out the tires and think, “what a hassle.” The truth is that changing them out barely costs anything. The next time that you go for a routine oil change or tire alignment, just have them replace your winter tires with all-weather or vice versa. If you bring them to any tire center or even an oil change chain that deals in tire realignment, they will be more than happy to change the tires for you for very little cost and no hassle on your part.
Not many people realize that winter and all-weather tires are different in the way that they drive, the way that they wear and the safety that they provide according to conditions. If you want to ensure that you are always driving with maximum safety while minimizing costs, take the time to change your winter tires out when the warm weather sets in. It will save you a ton in the long run.
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