A few years ago, tires bearing an "M&S" designation, referring to mud and snow capability, were considered sufficient for winter driving. A nice, deep chunky tread is great for clawing through mucky ruts, and probably works just fine when it comes to climbing out of the deep snow in your driveway. But that same tire could be absolutely useless at stopping quickly on packed snow or ice – unless it's been specially engineered for winter temperature.
It’s not just about tread: dedicated winter tires are created with a compound that remains malleable far below freezing, to provide a sticky, surface-adhering grip. Non-winter tires, including all-seasons, are formulated for much warmer temperatures and become hard and unyielding when the mercury dips below zero. For an example of how well hard rubber grips, picture a hockey puck gliding across the ice.
Dedicated winter tires generally contain more natural ingredients than those formulated for summer use. Natural rubber and silica provide better traction since they tend to retain their elasticity below freezing.
Tread pattern should be arranged in blocks to bite into the snow, with wide grooves between the blocks to channel away the film of water on the surface of the ice, so the tire can get a grip on the bare surface.
The tread patterns contain plenty of sipes - thin, zig-zag slits through the tread blocks to increase surface area and traction.
Tire companies experiment with all kinds of ingredients when it comes to keeping the elasticity in cold tires. Michelin uses sunflower oil, Yokohama uses orange oil. These natural ingredients replace petroleum-derived oil and not only remain sticky and malleable at low temperatures – they're more environmentally friendly too.
How many times have you heard someone declare that one pair of winter tires should suffice (installed on the front for a front-wheel drive car, or behind for rear-wheel drive) since "those are the wheels doing all the work". This can be a recipe for disaster.
An uneven balance of traction from front to back can cause the back end of a front-wheel drive car to slide around – and vice versa for a rear-wheel driven vehicle. Your car needs equal grip to perform properly – all four tires should be identical.
Rather than switching tires back and forth at the end of the season, it may be easier to have your winter tires mounted on a cheap set of steel wheels – which keeps salt, grit and scrapes from damaging your car's snazzy summer alloys.
Many people cite cost as the main reason for not buying dedicated winter tires. But when you consider the amount of money saved in preventing expensive accident repairs and the resultant rise in insurance rates – winter tires sound like a wise investment.
And the peace of mind they deliver is priceless.
It’s not just about tread: dedicated winter tires are created with a compound that remains malleable far below freezing, to provide a sticky, surface-adhering grip. Non-winter tires, including all-seasons, are formulated for much warmer temperatures and become hard and unyielding when the mercury dips below zero. For an example of how well hard rubber grips, picture a hockey puck gliding across the ice.
Dedicated winter tires generally contain more natural ingredients than those formulated for summer use. Natural rubber and silica provide better traction since they tend to retain their elasticity below freezing.
Tread pattern should be arranged in blocks to bite into the snow, with wide grooves between the blocks to channel away the film of water on the surface of the ice, so the tire can get a grip on the bare surface.
The tread patterns contain plenty of sipes - thin, zig-zag slits through the tread blocks to increase surface area and traction.
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| Photo: Matthieu Lambert/Auto123.com |
Tire companies experiment with all kinds of ingredients when it comes to keeping the elasticity in cold tires. Michelin uses sunflower oil, Yokohama uses orange oil. These natural ingredients replace petroleum-derived oil and not only remain sticky and malleable at low temperatures – they're more environmentally friendly too.
How many times have you heard someone declare that one pair of winter tires should suffice (installed on the front for a front-wheel drive car, or behind for rear-wheel drive) since "those are the wheels doing all the work". This can be a recipe for disaster.
An uneven balance of traction from front to back can cause the back end of a front-wheel drive car to slide around – and vice versa for a rear-wheel driven vehicle. Your car needs equal grip to perform properly – all four tires should be identical.
Rather than switching tires back and forth at the end of the season, it may be easier to have your winter tires mounted on a cheap set of steel wheels – which keeps salt, grit and scrapes from damaging your car's snazzy summer alloys.
Many people cite cost as the main reason for not buying dedicated winter tires. But when you consider the amount of money saved in preventing expensive accident repairs and the resultant rise in insurance rates – winter tires sound like a wise investment.
And the peace of mind they deliver is priceless.