TIRES! TIRES! TIRES! The essential thing needed to keep us stuck to the road. But with all the different types of tires out there like summer tires, all season tires and winter tires what makes them all different? What do summer tires have that winter tires don’t have? In this article we hope to inform you on the wonderful world of tires so that you can know the differences
Snow/Winter Tires
Snow tires are the almost perfect tire, Why? Because they do exactly what they do! They are specifically made for tougher conditions like snow, slush, and ice. having a softer rubber compound tread be more flexible to give a grippy edge. A set of winter tires are relatively price competitive compared to a set of All Season tires. However, due to the softer material in a softer tire it causes a few discomforts and safety hazards, most of the discomforts are that winter tires tend to be noisier on dry and wet pavement, but the safety hazard is driving on snow tires all year long. This becomes a problem because the soft material is easier to wear out a lot faster, like driving on an eraser head on pavement. But for the few flaws its pros outweigh its cons especially when it comes winter time in your location.
Summer Tires
These are usually a sticker tire, like a racing performance tire, in dry hot weather which is great for when you are looking for stopping power or when taking a corner at higher speeds (not recommended) but these are most commonly seen on Porches, Mustangs and Camaros but they do have some variety for other vehicles but that is depending on sizing. In more inclinate weather they do handle the cold weather well, they tend to harden up and generally have more uneven wear. These are the only style of tire that has a high-speed rating which we will dive into later but the only downside to these tires is that they have a shorter life time expectancy but every tire wear is usually on a case by case scenario of how much the vehicle is being used and what for. If your vehicle is going down to the track every weekend, expect a shorter life span, If the tires are on your weekend warrior that you drive to the car meets and back, probably a higher life span for these.
All Season
The ultimatum for most choices, as described the all-season tires is like a jack of all trades, it’s exceptional when handling in the rain, and handles great for dry summer weather even approved for mud and snow on some brands (M+S). Most of these tires are going to be seen on everyday vehicle use especially if you happen to live in Oregon or Washington because of the all year rain we get and the occasional dry warmer weather. These tires normally have a higher life expectancy (depending on manufacture) due to tire compounds that they are made from. A tire company like Continental usually sees anywhere from 40,000 – 80,000 miles on a tire lifespan but again that depends on the way that the vehicle is being driven and how far how often. But being a jack of trades tire comes with some shortcomings, although approved by some manufacturers of being capable of driving in snow, doesn’t mean that you can take these through blizzards and hope to come out okay, but compared to how these tires were made 20 years ago where life spans were much shorter and not capable of funneling out water like they do today, they have come a long way to be a top choice for most when driving in a part of the world that gets all 4 seasons.
Load Rating
Now you know that each tire has a different application for every occasion. It’s important to know what your tires are able to handle. Every tire has a load rating, what does that mean? How much weight your tires can support. In every vehicle there the gross weight of the vehicle that is measured in total, most RVs have a front and back gross weight, the weight of the vehicle becomes crucial to picking out tires because generally you want to have a tire that can handle a higher weight load than what your vehicle weight is and nothing below that. Another thing to think about with load rating is tire pressure, having an over inflated tire and carrying a heavy weight, it is like loading a grand piano on top of your vehicle filling your tire pressure to 100 PSI, it would pop just like jumping on top of an over inflated balloon. Almost every manufacturer has the recommended amount of tire pressure or PSI that it should be filled to located in the driver’s door jam.
Speed Rating
This is a subject that many are not aware of, way back in the day developers made tires to only reach 130 MPH but in today’s world almost every modern vehicle can reach 130 MPH and then some (Highly not recommended) but manufacturers have kept this evolving to keep up with the speeds. Most speed rating have to do with the vehicle themselves and if that tire company has made a higher rating or not but in general for example heavy duty trucks would the letter S for its speed rating meaning its max speed is 112mph whereas a sports car would be in the index Z for that tire meaning its max speed is 149+. Snow tires on any vehicle have a lower rating usually due to its application. You can find your speed rating next to your tire size information located on the tire sidewall, for example 225/45R17 V.
Looking for the right tire for your vehicle usage?
We here at AG Automotive know the stress of making the decision of getting a set of tires to get and getting them installed, that is why we have very knowledgeable service advisors here to help you pick out the right tire for you that will fit your budget and needs when it comes to having confidence on the road. We have experienced ASE technicians that will get you on the road and fix your car right the first time. Don’t wait, give us a call today and let our experts get you back on the road safely and confidently.
