When Do You Need Winter Tires?

The tire industry recommends winter tires for those wanting the very best and between all of the major brands, winter tires have been specially designed for better handling, traction and braking distances in any condition when the temperature dips below 7°C. This makes them universally useful for Canadians—wherever you are in the country. tires allow for drivers to be prepared for not just cold weather, but the snow, slush, freezing rain and ice that are part and parcel of winter where we live. Even if you drive an SUV, winter tires on an all-wheel drive will improve tire grip on all type of road conditions. All-season tires can provide safe all-weather performance, winter tires are more efficient once temperatures start to fall. Modern winter tires offer up to 50% or more traction than all-seasons says Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC)

How to Store Winter Tires

If you storing your tires until the next seasons then you should find the right place. Try to find a place that’s not too hot or too cold, the rubber blend could suffer, shortening its overall life. Make sure you clean your tires and store them in a cool, dry place like your basement, climate-controlled garage, or workshop. Avoid storing tires outdoors, in a standard garage, or in an attic – basically, any place that could be very hot, wet, humid, or cold. Also, make sure your tires do not come into contact with fuels, lubricants chemicals or similar liquids. Your best bet would be to store them with our service department. We offer a seasonal tire storage service. The wheels are cleaned and inspected before they are stored and when they come back to be reinstalled.

How Can You Recognize Winter Tires?

There is an easy way to recognize tires that can keep their grip on ice, look for certain features. Winter tire treads have a texture consisting of thousands of fine cuts arranged on thick blocks. Looking closely at a winter tire, you might think it looks like it’s covered in a web of small honeycomb shapes. The rubber blend used to produce winter tires has to stand up to cold temperatures.

Using Winter Tires in Summer

The tread design of winter tires is not designed for warm weather. The rubber in winter tires is softer which makes it more effective in cold conditions. The softer rubber in winter tires wears 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.