Why Do You Need To Switch To Winter Tires?


 

In Canada, when winters arrive everything is covered with snow and sometimes the worst to expect is black ice. Nevertheless, this does not stop people from going outside because Canada is a country which is mostly covered in a sheet of snow. However, people do get lazy when it comes to changing tires from all-season to winter-tire. Some Canadians believe that all-season tires are better than snow tires. Although all-season tires are named so, yet these do not adhere to their name because these cannot withstand freezing temperatures.

Earlier winter tires were named as snow tires, however, the name changes because these can not only be driven on snow but on ice and wet slush. Another reason for not buying winter tires is because these are very expensive in the province. Nonetheless, safety is always a priority and money should not be a hurdle in between. Therefore, it is extremely important to get the winter tires in Brampton as soon as the winter arrives.

The tread pattern is seen as the major factor when we talk about taking a shift. However, it is not the tread which is crucial; rather the winter tires have superior rubber which is softer than that of all-season tire. The softer rubber is capable of giving better traction when the roads are covered with feet of snow. Not only this, the rubber exclusively in winter tires is also able to withstand dry roads and wet slush.

Whereas, all-season tires have a different rubber compound which though gives good traction yet does not stand by when temperature reaches below 7 degrees. Moreover, the rubber in an all-season tire is made to suit summers as well; hence, the rubber gets hard in winters because it is already tough while the counter one is softer. This is why winter tires come into play.

The aggressive treads on snow indicate good traction. Winter tires have good grip over snow and ice which adds friction when driving and does not let you slip on road. Whereas, all-season tires are not soft enough to hold onto ice and run over snow and slips which can make you lose control of your vehicle.

Imagine going in hills; when driving downhill then stopping your vehicle can be a problem if you did not change tires to suit snow and icy roads. Apart from this, the tires are made to drain water; when the wheels are driven on ice and snow evacuate water which prevents hydroplaning. However, this is not the case with all-season tires; these tires do not expel snow because of poor grip in snow. This can be an issue with braking and cornering. Although winter tires provides more comfortable ride however the less aggressive tread of all-season tires is the reason which can put you in risk while driving in harsh winter conditions.

Everybody in Canada look for an All Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicle to avoid unnecessary expenses. However, the AWD vehicle equipped with all-season tire is believed to wear off more quickly than the other because the former gets brittle thus can create problems because the dynamic conditions put the wheels off therefore, making drive difficult.

There are some frequently raised questions regarding the same. People even after getting enough information about winter tires still raise queries like an unknown.

Is two set of tires (all-season and winter) a better option?

The reason this question is put up is because of cost. Winter tires are expensive and instead of installing all 4, people go on with just replacing two. This is said to be an idiotic idea because it may put you in dangerous situation.

You may think of replacing only front wheels however, the back wheel may disturb your balance and your car may slip and wobble more than with all-season tires. To cite this, when taking a turn while driving on uphill or downhill, or while taking sharp turns you may have a grip of front wheels but control of back wheels will not be in your hand resulting in uncontrolled spinout, which can be a reason of facing any misfortune. Therefore, the thought of installing a mixture of both tires can be disastrous.

Can Winter Tires be driven throughout the year?

Canada though is a cold country, it experiences every season. Winter tires have rubbers exclusively made to withstand harsh winters of Canada. The rubber is comparatively softer than that of all-season tires. These are made to be compatible with the harsh conditions of winders and cutting snow and making way for the drive.

The softer rubber forms grip of snow and ice thus leaving aggressive treads. Therefore, it means in summers the dry and hot roads can lead to melting of rubber and thus the tires will wear out more frequently than all-season tires. Eventually, it will increase your expenses as there will be need of installing new tires more often. Apart from this, all-season tires have harder rubber which are more sustainable in summers thus, gives a comfortable ride and better traction in summers. And other seasons except freezing winters.

Conclusion

For people living in colder climatic conditions where the temperature falls to zero degree Celsius or below are highly recommended to get winter tires as soon as winters arrive and should uninstall the same and witch to all-season tires as the snow starts to melt and season takes a turn. Do not go by words of some people saying winter tires are not important because your safety should be your concern. Also, make sure not to be smart by introducing only two winter wheels.

Needless to say, for buying winter tires it is really important to choose a trustworthy shop which also provides the tires at an affordable rate. Harrad Auto Service has been in the automotive service for decades. Having an experience of almost 40 years, they know the need of your car and drive. You can find everything from all-season tires to winter tires. Also, they even have winter tires with metallic studs for an extra hold while getting on-road and driving on a sheet of ice.


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