winter tires
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From: Land on Lincoln
winter tires
I bought four winter tires for my car, but was wondering at what temperature are they appropriate to put on? The weather in Chicago at the moment has a high of 40's and a low of 30 for the next ten days.
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From: Chicago
Re: winter tires (.Kevin.)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .Kevin. »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I bought four winter tires for my car, but was wondering at what temperature are they appropriate to put on? The weather in Chicago at the moment has a high of 40's and a low of 30 for the next ten days.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Actually, I just looked at the forecast here and there will be highs in the upper fifties early this coming week, then getting colder on Thanksgiving, with a high around freezing and lows in the teens.
In general, if you're switching between summer tires and winter tires, winter tires are going to be much better if it's significantly below freezing (32F), and summer tires are going to be much better if it's above, oh, 45F or so. In between, it's a toss-up.
And then there is the snow factor. Flurries don't make much difference, but if snow is sticking on the pavement, then of course winter tires will be much better.
I have my winter tires ready to go inside my garage, and I put them on myself. I usually wait until the first significant snowstorm that I have to drive in, and that's when I put them on. That can vary but usually winds up being around the second week of December. Then I usually take them off around the first or second week of March. But I have the flexibility such that I can switch them back and forth any time I want. For example, I take them off in early March, when the weather is starting to warm up, but if we get the unusual snowstorm a couple of weeks later and I have to drive in it, I can throw the winter tires back on for the few days the roads are covered with snow.
If I didn't have that flexibility - if I had to do it once at the start of the season and then again at the end of the season, and couldn't switch back and forth - then I would probably put them right before the first prediction of accumulating snow, and take them off a couple weeks later than I do now (i.e. third or fourth week of March).
HTH
Actually, I just looked at the forecast here and there will be highs in the upper fifties early this coming week, then getting colder on Thanksgiving, with a high around freezing and lows in the teens.
In general, if you're switching between summer tires and winter tires, winter tires are going to be much better if it's significantly below freezing (32F), and summer tires are going to be much better if it's above, oh, 45F or so. In between, it's a toss-up.
And then there is the snow factor. Flurries don't make much difference, but if snow is sticking on the pavement, then of course winter tires will be much better.
I have my winter tires ready to go inside my garage, and I put them on myself. I usually wait until the first significant snowstorm that I have to drive in, and that's when I put them on. That can vary but usually winds up being around the second week of December. Then I usually take them off around the first or second week of March. But I have the flexibility such that I can switch them back and forth any time I want. For example, I take them off in early March, when the weather is starting to warm up, but if we get the unusual snowstorm a couple of weeks later and I have to drive in it, I can throw the winter tires back on for the few days the roads are covered with snow.
If I didn't have that flexibility - if I had to do it once at the start of the season and then again at the end of the season, and couldn't switch back and forth - then I would probably put them right before the first prediction of accumulating snow, and take them off a couple weeks later than I do now (i.e. third or fourth week of March).
HTH
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Re: winter tires (.Kevin.)
They're not appropriate above the 40's because they start wearing fast and chunking out above those temperatures. Not sure how you'll drive on em, so it's really up to you. It's somewhat useless being too picky about the exact timing since Chicago gets such temperature swings.
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From: Chicago
Re: winter tires (cinci27)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cinci27 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">They're not appropriate above the 40's because they start wearing fast and chunking out above those temperatures.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Absolutely NOT true. I've been driving on winter tires for years, and there are always some occasional days in the fifties (sometimes even sixties) in the middle of the winter when you've still got winter tires on. In fact, I drove on my winter tires to Virginia and back each of the past two Decembers, 800 miles each way of which over 500 miles was in temperatures in the forties and fifties, and I've never had unusually fast wear, and never had any chunking, not in local driving and not even on those long distance trips in moderate temperatures.
Absolutely NOT true. I've been driving on winter tires for years, and there are always some occasional days in the fifties (sometimes even sixties) in the middle of the winter when you've still got winter tires on. In fact, I drove on my winter tires to Virginia and back each of the past two Decembers, 800 miles each way of which over 500 miles was in temperatures in the forties and fifties, and I've never had unusually fast wear, and never had any chunking, not in local driving and not even on those long distance trips in moderate temperatures.
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From: Chicago
Re: winter tires (cinci27)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cinci27 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So then why do you switch back and forth between sets? just curious</TD></TR></TABLE>
Usually, I don't. But as I noted above...
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I usually wait until the first significant snowstorm that I have to drive in, and that's when I put them on. That can vary but usually winds up being around the second week of December. Then I usually take them off around the first or second week of March. But I have the flexibility such that I can switch them back and forth any time I want. For example, I take them off in early March, when the weather is starting to warm up, but if we get the unusual snowstorm a couple of weeks later and I have to drive in it, I can throw the winter tires back on for the few days the roads are covered with snow.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Once the winter tires are on, they stay on for the winter. And normally, I switch from the winter tires to the summer tires when it probably isn't going to snow any more, to get the better performance from the summer tires once the weather warms up. Usually, I'm doing that late enough (early March) that it's unlikely that I would need to switch back to the winter ones for another snowstorm. I think I've had to switch back to winter tires after removing them once or twice in the past ten years; all the other years, I've only put the winter tires on once at the start of winter and taking them off once at the end of winter, without switching back and forth at all.
Usually, I don't. But as I noted above...
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I usually wait until the first significant snowstorm that I have to drive in, and that's when I put them on. That can vary but usually winds up being around the second week of December. Then I usually take them off around the first or second week of March. But I have the flexibility such that I can switch them back and forth any time I want. For example, I take them off in early March, when the weather is starting to warm up, but if we get the unusual snowstorm a couple of weeks later and I have to drive in it, I can throw the winter tires back on for the few days the roads are covered with snow.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Once the winter tires are on, they stay on for the winter. And normally, I switch from the winter tires to the summer tires when it probably isn't going to snow any more, to get the better performance from the summer tires once the weather warms up. Usually, I'm doing that late enough (early March) that it's unlikely that I would need to switch back to the winter ones for another snowstorm. I think I've had to switch back to winter tires after removing them once or twice in the past ten years; all the other years, I've only put the winter tires on once at the start of winter and taking them off once at the end of winter, without switching back and forth at all.
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From: Chicago
Re: winter tires (.Kevin.)
I put mine on this morning (Saturday morning). It wasn't just because of today's big snow/ice storm (which I certainly would have needed them for). It was more for the cold. Last night (Friday night) I noticed the summer tires really sliding around when it was about 20 degrees F. The forecast for the coming week has not only the possibility of snow Tuesday night, but also some fairly cold days, with highs in the upper twenties and lows in the teens. So I figured it's time.
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Re: winter tires (nsxtasy)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nsxtasy »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Usually, I don't. But as I noted above...
</TD></TR></TABLE>
I dunno, it SURE sounds like you put the summer tires BACK on in March when the average temperature goes above 40.
Usually, I don't. But as I noted above...
</TD></TR></TABLE>
I dunno, it SURE sounds like you put the summer tires BACK on in March when the average temperature goes above 40.
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From: Chicago
Re: winter tires (cinci27)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by cinci27 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I dunno, it SURE sounds like you put the summer tires BACK on in March when the average temperature goes above 40.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yes, once, and they stay on for the following eight months. If I didn't, the winter tires would be on the car all year round...
Yes, once, and they stay on for the following eight months. If I didn't, the winter tires would be on the car all year round...
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