Rochester winter is upon us in full swing, so we at Hooper’s Tire Outlet know our quality cheap tires in Rochester, NY can serve you well. Snow tires are a must-have in the winter months keeping you and your car safe from the slippery conditions the snow and ice create. As essential as snow tires can be for the winter weather, it can be a hassle to change the tires each season.
Some may say just to use all-season tires, but all-season tires, unfortunately, don’t perform as well as snow tires. This then leads people to ask us, well can I just keep my winter tires on and drive on them all year long? As experts in quality cheap tires in Rochester NY, we do not recommend this. Here are the reasons why you should let your snow tires solely be snow tires.
What is a Snow Tire?
First, what is a snow tire and what is all the hype? Snow tires are specific made to maintain traction in extremely snowy, icy and slushy roads. They are made to withstand the cold temperatures because the rubber is made softer which allows more flexibility in the tire. The tread is made different to accommodate for the cold weather. It has a deeper tread and specialized patterns that are proven to have more traction in winter conditions.
Faster Wear on Dry Pavement
The best benefit to having snow tires is the softer rubber they are made from that allows them to be more flexible for the slippery weather. As much of a benefit this is for the winter though, in the summer or spring, you are driving on pavement that is not as slick and will be harder on your tires. This will cause your tires to wear much quicker versus using them in snowy conditions.
Decreased Performance
In warmer weather, your tires will not perform as well as your summer or all-season tires. The warm weather brings out the racecar driver in us all, and the soft, flexible rubber of a snow tire will wear out much faster.
You’ll also pay more for gas when you use winter tires in summer. On hot blacktop, winter tires roll with far more friction versus tires built for warm weather.
This higher rolling resistance means worse fuel economy — and more out of your pocket at the pump. It also doesn’t do any favors for the environment either since you’ll be contributing higher carbon emissions from using more gas.
When treating your tires as an investment, you save money when you get the most value from your tires. To get the longest life out of tires, use them for what they’re made for.