Hooper Tire Outlet Shares What You Need to Know About your Winter Tires
With so many variations of tires - all-season, performance, and all-terrain to name a few - it may be intimidating to figure out what you need for your automobile to be safe in all weather conditions. Here are some facts you should know about winter tires:
Winter tires are specifically designed for winter weather driving conditions. They are meant to perform in winter snow, slush, low temperatures, and icy roads. Although all-season tires may be ideal for a variety of driving conditions such as wet roads and light snowfall, they just aren’t equipped for harsh winter driving, despite what the name suggests.
Tire tread is important - Winter tires are equipped with a special single-directional tread pattern that actually pushes snow and ice away. They have a deeper tread depth than all-season tires for better performance in snow-covered road conditions. Winter tires are also made with special compounds that can withstand extreme low temperatures. All-season tires, on the other hand, have a closed-tread pattern that is made for gripping roads and pushing water away through the rainy spring, summer, and fall months.
Check tire pressure in your winter tires regularly - As temperatures drop, the pressure in your tires will decrease. Ensuring that your tires have the right amount of pressure will extend their tread life, reduce fuel consumption, and keep you and your passengers safe on the road. It is recommended you check your tire pressure at least once a month.
Switch out all four tires, not just two - Regardless whether you have all-wheel drive, front-wheel drive, or rear-wheel drive, you should install all four winter tires. Switching out only the front or back set with winter tires may seem like a budget-friendly tradeoff to switching out all four tires, however this is not only inefficient, it’s actually dangerous! Equipping only the front or back of your vehicle with winter tires will not give you proper handling and control because all four tires will not be working together properly. If you only have two winter tires on, you run the risk of your vehicle spinning out of control.
Price doesn’t always equal quality - It may come as a surprise that the best quality winter tires are not always the most expensive ones. What’s more, winter tire prices are usually comparable to all-season tires, so there’s no reason not to switch out those all-season tires for winter tires.
Winter tires may help save on car insurance costs - Besides being a vital safety mechanism, winter tires may actually help you save money on your car insurance. Check with your agent for details.
Replace winter tires regularly as tire wear plays a major part in their performance. In order for winter tires to perform effectively on snowy roads and general winter conditions, their tread should not be worn past 6/32″. At this point, the ability to keep their traction on icy and snowy roads is greatly reduced. When tread depth reaches 2/32″, your vehicle will have none, or very little, traction in the snow.
Here at Hooper Tire Outlet, we can fit your car with perfect new or used winter tires. And we offer cheap tires in Rochester, NY! We are YOUR tire shop.