Winter and its tough driving conditions come and go, and much more favourable conditions arrive with the introduction of Spring. While it can be appealing to just stick with your same tires all through the new season (they were durable enough to get you through the toughest season of the year, right), as great as winter tires are in their particular seasons, they don’t hold up well once the weather gets warm. Our team here at Charlesglen Toyota are tire experts, and, below, will outline why winter tires are not suited for warm weather, when you should switch them and how to get tire swap service with us.
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Why Winter Tires are Not Meant for Spring & Summer
There are multiple reasons why winter tires aren’t meant for use in spring or summer. Winter tires have specific treads that are made to react well in snow and ice, and while you may think that may easily translate to rain in the summer, it doesn’t quite work like that. Rain works differently, and requires more specific tire treads and a wider surface area, to help prevent hydroplaning. Both summer and all-season tires both have stiffer sidewalls than winter tires, offering better stability and handling for quick action. Additionally, the soft rubber on winter tires creates excess drag, which if used in the summer can greatly decrease your fuel efficiency. Perhaps the biggest difference is that winter tires don’t fare well in the heat, which we’ll look at in great detail in our next dedicated section.
Winter Tires Don’t Do Well in Heat
Winter tire rubber is soft, so it can adapt to and grip the uneven snow and ice surfaces that it so desperately needs to make contact with. That soft rubber, in turn, doesn’t hold up well when the temperatures rise and there’s no snow or ice to deal with. Driving on this soft winter tire rubber will cause instability when driving, poor responsiveness, lesser mileage and an increased stopping distance. As well as all of those effects, the heat just simply causes more wear and stress on the tire, which can greatly damage it and lead to an increased risk of a blow-out.
When Should You Switch Your Tires in Spring
The golden rule of tire swapping is the magic 7℃ temperature. When the temperature consistently rises above that mark after winter, it’s time to get your winter tires off and summer or all-season tires on. Conversely, it works the opposite in the fall when getting your winter tires on. Of course, we live in Alberta after all, which means a random dumping of snow is seemingly never that far away, so it’s okay to be a bit generous as to when you finally switch over your tires. Keep an eye on the forecast and when it looks like the warmer weather is here to stay, get those summer or all-season tires swapped on.
Get Tire Change Service at Charlesglen Toyota
When it is time to get your winter tires switched for spring, look no further than our tire experts here in our tire centre at Charlesglen Toyota. We’re well versed in all makes and models, not just Toyota vehicles, so feel free to bring your vehicle to us for top-tier tire swap service. Our state-of-the-art facility is operated by certified Toyota technicians, who have undergone the latest training and have the newest tools to quickly and efficiently get the job done. Book your tire swap service with us, today.