“Why can’t you use winter tires in summer?” is a question that most drivers have in mind. Well, it’s understandable that you are tired of changing the winter tires every summer and back again. This makes you wonder why can’t you have the tires on your vehicle all the time.
Well, the logic sounds perfect. However, winter tires are specially made to deal with cold and snowy conditions. If used in summer or other seasons, they pose various challenges.
This article delves into what are winter tires, why can’t you use winter tires in summer, and more.
Let’s get started!
What are Winter Tires?
Winter tires, whether studded or studless are designed to offer traction in icy, cold weather conditions. The rubber on the tire remains softer, making it flexible, and letting it adapt to the wild weather and move the vehicle smoothly, avoiding a jerky experience. This aspect coupled with specialized tread designs and appropriate tread depths makes the winter tires, an apt choice for harsh cold conditions.
Can Winter Tires be Used in Summer?
Well, most drivers ask the question: Are winter tires good in summer? The simple answer is no. Winter tires are specially designed to suit the biting cold winter weather and icy precipitation. However, in summer, the warmth obviates the need for increased tread depths which are needed in contrast to the ones that can tread on thin ice. Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why winter tires are not recommended in summer:
Faster wear and tear on warm, dry pavements
The tread in rubber winter tires is designed for the winter weather such that it offers greater flexibility than the summer or all-time tires. The same tire which provides traction in winter and guarantees a smooth, safe ride suffers wear when exposed to the extreme temperatures of summer. These tires particularly offer resistance on dry pavements, thereby causing difficulty to the drivers. Summer and all-time tires are made to withstand the scorching heat and the warm temperatures to provide longer life.
Decreased Performance
In addition to the aspect of wear and tear, the winter tires also pose a serious challenge in maneuvering or taking turns, if used in winter. Say, you need to turn your vehicle, and your tires are extremely soft and squishy. This will not work well in the summer weather. Winter tires offer flexibility that is good in cold conditions, however, it is not suitable in warm weather.
While the winter tires comprise specialized tread designs and use soft rubber, these components don’t help in warm weather. As a matter of fact, the extent of wearing is more frequent for these tires if exposed to heat. If you ask,”why can’t you use winter tires in summer,” the reply is you can but you would end up replacing them much sooner.
In a nutshell, using snow tires in summer is costlier than mounting them seasonally. The sooner they wear out, the sooner you need to change them.
Ease the Re-mounting Process
Using winter tires in summer or other times would result in early wear and tear, leading to increased expenditure due to faster replacement. However, if you want to use winter tires in summer as well because you are tired of changing them repeatedly, then there’s a way out to save your pockets. Buy wheels of the same diameter and bolt pattern as your present wheels. Mount your winter tires on those wheels and store them in your garage until winter arrives.
Rather than you changing the tires each season, have a technician change them for you. It’s a comparatively easier and less expensive affair than you mounting and unmounting the winter tires every summer.
Final thoughts
In essence, winter tires are meant only for the frosty winters. Using them in summer or other periods could have counterproductive effects.
In case, you have any queries or need assistance in this regard, feel free to reach us here.
