SEPARATE THE MYTHS FROM THE FACTS ABOUT TIRES FOR WINTER DRIVING
Some myths are simply amusing, like the one about giant crocodiles living in New York City sewers. Others, however, can cause potential harm, like those involving winter tires.
Fact or myth? All-season tires work perfectly fine in winter conditions because they are, after all, “all season.”
This is a myth. All-season tires are designed to perform adequately in all weather conditions, which may be perfectly fine in regions where winter conditions are moderate. But if you live where temperatures remain below freezing for a good portion of the winter season, you need purpose-built winter tires.
Winter tires have special tread compounds and tread designs to maintain your vehicle’s grip in snow, ice, slush or wet. The tread compound even benefits you in dry, but cold, conditions; it remains pliable in extreme cold, enabling the tire to better grip the road surface.
One key decision is whether to go with studded or nonstudded winter tires. Studded tires like the GT Radial Champiro IcePro are especially adept at digging into ice and helping you power through severe winter conditions.
For SUV and light truck drivers, there is the Champiro IcePro SUV tire featuring the same outstanding technology in an extremely sturdy tire construction.
If you live in an urban area where the roads are regularly plowed and de-iced, then a studless winter tire like the GT Radial Champiro WinterPro provides a good balance for driving on snowy, wet or dry roads.
For owners of performance sports cars, sedans and coupes, there is the new Champiro WinterPro HP designed to meet the needs of drivers who want to retain the handling and precision of their performance vehicle during winter.
Here’s another winter tire myth: If you only buy two winter tires, you should put them on the axle that generates the power (on the front wheels for instance of a front-wheel-drive car).
This is a myth! The traction provided by winter tires over all-season or summer tires is so much stronger, one end of your car could be sticking to the curve while the other one is sliding.
According to experts at GITI Tire, which markets and sells GT Radial tires, the best advice for determining the right winter tire for you is to consult with your local tire dealer who will assess your vehicle and the types of roads you typically drive on.
Before talking to your tire dealer, think about the percentage of time you drive on regularly plowed city streets as opposed to rarely plowed rural roads. Do you regularly navigate steep hills? Any insights you can provide your dealer on your driving patterns and habits will help them make the right winter tire recommendation.
When the weather warms, you need to remove your winter tires for next season. Talk to your dealer about whether you should switch to all-season or summer tires; you now have that option since you are savvy enough to ride on winter tires during the winter months. Summer tires can provide more options than all-season tires based on your driving style and needs. For instance, you could go with a quieter summer tire, or one that really hugs the corners.
Your dealer can recommend the best strategy for switching out your tires. For instance, you may want consider buying an extra set of wheels from a salvage yard and use those for your winter tires. Keep your summer or all-season tires on your stock wheels; this makes for a quick and inexpensive job to switch out your tires.
