Selecting for the Season: How to Choose Your Tire Type and When to Change Them
Love it or hate it, the seasons change. Coats come out. Pumpkins are carved. Leaves begin to fall. Over the endless stream of radio Christmas music, it might be easy to forget one of the most important parts of your vehicle: your tires.
Just like your wardrobe, tires must be changed to match the weather. Ignoring or forgetting this fact could drastically reduce the life of your tires. Even worse, it could mean an emergency tire change in a blizzard. Though universally important, consideration of the season isn’t the only factor in your tire selection process. There are some key differences in tire types.
Summer Tires
Avoid utilizing summer tires in the cold and the wet. When transitioning to a new season’s tires, aim to maintain a similar size in your new set.
Winter Tires
The name of the game with winter tires is traction. Start your process by considering your usual driving habits as well as your local climate. Do you need extra grip on winding rolling roads? Are you regularly driving through heavy snow?
To slice through snow, a narrow or slim design works best. However, the overall size of your winter tire should be similar to your standard set. One major advantage of winter tires over all-season and summer is their ability to remain soft under 40 degrees. That means your turning, braking, and handling will be much improved.
Keeping the lower temperatures in mind, your tire pressure will need regular monitoring as the air seeps out in the cold. Consult your manual or the sidewalls of the tires for the correct pressure level. While at the sidewall, check for a snowflake symbol that will mark your tires as having been tested in wintry conditions.
All-Season Tires
In areas with generally mild weather, the all-season tire will work year-round. This tire is the jack-of-all trades, and so as a result suffers when pushed to extremes. Though they’re reliable and require fewer overall visits for maintenance, their performance and flexibility will decline compared to tires built for a specific situation. A common misconception, according to the Tire Industry Association, is that the “M+S” symbol on the tire’s sidewall stands for “Mud and Snow,” meaning your all-season tires can handle those conditions. In fact, those symbols simply note specifications of tread design.
Performance Tires
No longer reserved for Bugattis and Lamborghinis, performance tires are being utilized in various models, from passenger vehicles to pickups and SUVs. Performance tires allow for exceptional cornering and handling as well as top-notch performance at high speeds, according to thetiredigest.michlein.com.
Starting the Selection Process
As winter draws nearer, it’s imperative that drivers learn the difference between tire types and, just as importantly, the best time to make the transition. Reviewing the benefits and drawbacks of tires across the spectrum empowers buyers to be confident in their choice.
Bauer Built offers tires for both passenger cars and pickups from the industry’s leading manufacturers: Michelin®, BFGoodrich®, Uniroyal®, Bridgestone®, Firestone®, Hercules®, Continental, General and Kumho®. Confronting the tire selection process is easier and less stressful with a knowledgeable partner at your back. Bauer Built can be that partner, bringing their extensive understanding of pricing variables, individual products, and the selection process as a whole.
To learn more about the process visit Bauer Built online today!
Categories: Bauer Built Blog, Tire Care Tips
