when to put on summer tires this year?

jamtinge

Hi Guys,

For those of you in GTA and using "370z as dd", when are you planning to put your summer wheels on?

would it be too early to put them on this weekend?

Nixin

As soon as all the snow is gone and the temps crawl back up into double digits. Yes, I would have to say around June-ish or once the Stanley Cup is handed over to the winners, whichever comes first!

jdsto

For summer tires you don't really want to be driving on them at temperatures below 7 celsius. For the next couple of weeks the day time highs are only in the 7 range. Personally I'd wait a little longer.

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Gone but not forgotten

z_nation

June?? i think that's a little long to wait i say begining of May for sure

ZCanadian

They say that below +7 degrees C is when "3-season" tires lose their effectiveness. "They" being the people who want to sell you winter tires.
Similarly, as the asphalt gets warmer, winter tires wear more quickly.
Even when the air is warmer, keep in mind that the pavement can be pretty cold (lie down on your driveway in the shade this weekend when it's supposed to be +10, and tell me how warm it is!). And the nights are still plenty cold.

That said, my winter vehicles don't run winter tires - never have - and I've survived to a pretty ripe old age. So, if you drive reasonably, and your summer tires are not R compound, then put them on as soon as the salt and grit isn't going to damage your pretty rims.

If your summer wheels are shod in R compound rubber, then don't for any reason drive them until the temperatures are consistently warmer. From what I've been told (and I can't back it up, but I'm sure someone here can), you not only don't have the traction you should have, but you could also end up damaging the tires.

ZCanadian

So, about that R-compound rubber, see this From TireRack.com:


Whether you blame it on climate change, a polar vortex or what seems to be the beginning of the next ice age, there's no doubt recent weather patterns have exposed many drivers to freezing temperatures and wintery driving conditions. In anticipation of the next time Mother Nature extends her cold reach, drivers with vehicles equipped with summer performance tires need to know those tires are not designed for near- or below-freezing temperatures on clear roads, nor in slush, snow and ice.

When faced with near- and below-freezing temperatures, drivers should leave their summer performance tire-equipped vehicle at home and drive a vehicle equipped with all-season or winter tires.

Summer performance tires feature tread compounds engineered to provide traction in warm to hot ambient temperatures. They were never intended to experience near- and below-freezing temperatures, nor the wintry driving conditions that often accompany them.

As ambient temperatures get colder, typically in the 40-45° Fahrenheit range, summer performance tires lose a noticeable percentage of traction as their tread compound rubber properties change from a pliable elastic to inflexible plastic. The tire industry uses the term "glass transition" to describe the temperature where a summer performance tire's grip/slip performance changes dramatically. This means the summer performance tires that provide predictable traction in warm to hot conditions will be found to be very challenging to drive in cold to freezing temperatures. This is especially true when the tires first begin to be driven or if the driver aggressively applies gas pedal pressure with today's turbocharged fours or high-torque sixes and eights. Fortunately, glass transition is a reversible condition that allows the tires' normal traction to return as the ambient temperatures climb.

If ambient temperatures drop to near- or below-freezing, driving or rolling a vehicle equipped with summer performance tires risks the possibility of tread compound cracking. Tread compound cracking is a permanent condition that requires the tires to be replaced. The other condition that can be caused by running summer performance tires in cold temperatures is the possibility of chipping away the edges of the tread blocks.

Since both of these conditions only occur as the result of what's considered improper use or storage, they are not typically covered by the manufacturer's warranty.

Tire Tech - Performance Tires in Cold Weather

MacCool

IMHO, as soon as there's no snow on the ground. I've already had my Z out on the Minnesota highways as of about two weeks ago. Then we had a couple of little snowstorms, so back in the garage for awhile. Driving it now though. Temps are 30's, but the only road hazard is all the gravel and salt that they used all winter.

cooltoy

I never took them off.

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jamtinge

Thank you guys! i guess the general consensus is that i should wait a little longer.

I bought my z last winter with winter tires on from the dealership, so i can't wait to drive with the proper tires.
It was 14 degree celcius this tuesday, and i could literally feel winter tires being smudged

night blade

Didn't winter my Z, but it's coming out of hibernation this Monday, temps are almost 10 or above for the rest of next week, in you're case just wait until 10 is the daytime norm and switch them over.

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2012 Kia Sportage 6AT (the short bus)

mishuko

I have driven on re050a, re11 and indy500. I've driven all at near freezing and I agree grip goes out the window. For some reason my re11 did better grips I almost spun out on a slow uphill on re050a. That's when I said park time.

I put my insurance on Monday and took her out a few times since then. As mentioned it's not ambient temperature it's ground temps that will have a greater impact.

I take it easy under 10. At 15+ I know I can go. 20+ I will let my spirit guide me.

Last Tuesday when it did a nice deep drop I felt my frowns slipping on acceleration. Yea decided to pull in for the night.

OhioYJ

Just depends on the weather. Here its beens unseasonably warm, so I went ahead and swapped my wheels/tires last weekend when I changed the oil.