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What You Should Know About Winter Tire Swaps

Winter tires can help you get the most out of your vehicle and increase your safety. Here’s what you need to know about winter tire changes.

When Is The Right Time For A Winter Tire Swap?

At Trail Tire, we advise all our clients to use winter tires in winter, or all-weather tires, which we’ll explain later in this blog. If you drive on all-season tires or summer tires in cold weather, you’re endangering your safety and the safety of other drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians. It simply isn’t safe. And you might be surprised by what constitutes “cold weather” in this context.

You might call winter tires “snow tires”, but the reason you need special tires in winter has less to do with snow and more to do with the temperature. The rubber compounds in summer and all-season tires stiffen when they get too cold. This means they can’t grip the pavement and provide the traction drivers need. This can cause skidding and problems with steering and braking.

What feels too cold to a hardy Calgarian and what feels too cold to a summer or all-season tire are two different things. You might be happy going for long walks when it’s ten below freezing outside, but summer and all-season tires begin to stiffen in conditions as warm as seven degrees Celsius. Positive seven degrees! In Calgary, the daily mean temperature in October is 5.2°C. That means for most of October, all-season and summer tires can’t perform at optimal levels.

That’s why it’s wise to do your winter tire change in October or November. This way, you can be ready for whenever the cold weather and snow start. And it’s always helpful to book your appointment for a tire changeover early, to avoid the rush.

Winter Tire Design And Tread Design

Winter tires have different rubber compounds than other tires. They also have special tread patterns and designs, as well as siping. This enables winter tires to provide traction even in extreme cold. But it’s important to buy the best winter tires for your specific vehicle. The best winter tire for an SUV may not be the best pickup truck winter tire, for example.

Another factor to consider is whether your car is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or four-wheel drive, as different tires are better for different configurations. The tire experts at Trail Tire can recommend winter tires that suit your vehicle and driving style.

What About All-Weather Tires?

“All-weather” and “all-season” mean the same thing, right? Well, not exactly. While all-season tires are not suitable for winter driving in Alberta, all-weathers are. The Rubber Association of Canada rates all-weather tires as safe for winter driving. That’s why they are embossed with the snowflake mountain pictogram. Having said that, not all all-weather tires necessarily offer the same features as some winter tires.

Come To Trail Tire Auto Center On 16th Avenue!

There’s no need to keep searching for a winter tire swap, a seasonal tire changeover, or winter tires for sale in Calgary. Just come to Trail Tire Auto Center at 1624 16th Avenue NW. We sell winter tires and we can install them on your vehicle for you. To learn more, you can visit our website, contact us, or call us.