This is the first indiana winter I have had azeinas and no I am not planning on driving with them in the snow but can i just keep them in my cold unheated and unattached garage or will they harden similar to slicks over the winter?

 

Look on your sidewall--it's "Azenis". Azenis.

While there are plenty of people who do run them in the winter, they are NOT a snow tire and the compound is definitely intended to be a summer tire. They'll be fine sitting in a garage, though.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by gamby &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">While there are plenty of people who do run them in the winter, they are NOT a snow tire and the compound is definitely intended to be a summer tire.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thats not what he's asking.

R-tires and slicks will harden if left outside or in the garage all winter unbagged. He wants to know if his Azenis will suffer similar consequences if left unprotected.

 

all tires harden over time.

the longer you own the tires.....the harder the rubber will harden
the more "heat cycles" you put them through.......the harder they will get
the longer you expose them to extreme cold.........the harder they will get

now of course different tires harden because of different reasons and to different degrees, but i'm pretty sure that these things are unavoidable, it's just a matter of how much they affect your particular tire.

that being said, it definitely wouldn't hurt putting them inside

 

ask KC about his Azenis and how old they were and if they were pampered with dark trash bags and warmth during the winter

 

I dont' know if you were thinking about keeping them on for much longer, but
DON'T drive falkens when the temp is below approx 38*F or so. They are dangerous, very dangerous. And if there is even a hint of moisture on the ground near the freezing point, get off the road. totally forget snow, sleet, ice, etc. They don't grip at all. I got stuck on in a 'suprise' storm once.

I drove to milwaukee from chicago on friday afternoon in early April last year. It was raining pretty crazy, and when I was about 25 away from my destination.... sleet. I barely got the car to stop... could not get going again, and was VERY dangerous out there at any speed. The forecast said 45+ and rainy, i figured it would be ok, but not ideal. What a joke. I never got to my destination, and had to leave my car in a medical building parking lot for the entire weekend, stuck.

And just like any other tire... i would not leave them in a cold garage if they are off your car. bring them inside, in bags, keep them warm.

Chris - who has his bald falkens on the car right now, which was better than driving home from gingerman on bald A032R's... but is going to get them off of there ASAP, as it was &lt;40F last night.

 

I left my Azenis outside in a shed all of last winter here in cold PA. Put them back on the car in the spring time and they were still as good as when I had taken them off.

They're just street tires

 

I left 'My AZENIS' on my car on all winter... up here in Mass... outside, snow, hail, freezing rain.

Yeah.. the same tires that were on the car at nationals.

-kC

 

but how did you finish at nationals on those tires KC

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by KC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I left 'My AZENIS' on my car on all winter... up here in Mass... outside, snow, hail, freezing rain.

Yeah.. the same tires that were on the car at nationals.

-kC</TD></TR></TABLE>

With my experience they have hardened slightly. I think your driving was probably better than the time lost by them losing that slight amount of grip.

 

my 1.5 year old and well worn "Azaleas" () don't seem to have the same grippiness they had when new, especially when they have yet to come up to a good temperature. Once warm, they feel fine.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Neo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">my 1.5 year old and well worn "Azaleas" () don't seem to have the same grippiness they had when new, especially when they have yet to come up to a good temperature. Once warm, they feel fine.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Really? Mine got better with age. Once I had about 12,000 miles on them they were picking up rocks everywhere.

Unfortunately at about 18,000 miles, one of them also picked up a lovely phillips head screw, so I won't be able to find out if they get any better . . . they're bald now anyway and don't like the rain.

 

I can definitely tell a distinct difference when driving in dry fair weather and dry cold-as-frozen-**** weather. My Azaniasens seemed to return to the previous grip levels as before in the following spring, though it's purely a subjective measurement.

As of right now: 16 months, 12,000 street miles, 6 autocrosses, and 3 track days = a little less than 1/2 tread. I am a satisifed consumer.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris N &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
DON'T drive falkens when the temp is below approx 38*F or so. They are dangerous, very dangerous. And if there is even a hint of moisture on the ground near the freezing point, get off the road. totally forget snow, sleet, ice, etc. They don't grip at all.(</TD></TR></TABLE>

Taking a corner at 10khm was as exciting as if I was going 100kmh. Everything seemed ok untill I had to stop or turn quickly. But fortunately the area I used to live got little snow and it wouldint stay for more than a few days.

 

I got stuck on the highway.... i was going to make it if I didn't have to stop, since all the roads were sloshy with water from cars driving over the sleet/snow. but then we hit traffic, and i had to go in the emergency lane to stop. never really got going again. whoops.