Every motorist is undoubtedly aware that during the winter period it is necessary to install winter tires on the car, and with the arrival of warm weather switch to summer tires. This approach guarantees proper wheel grip on the road surface and confident vehicle handling.
However, not all drivers rush to change tires when the season changes, continuing to operate the car on unsuitable rubber. Moreover, there is a widespread misconception that in the summer it is acceptable to use winter tires designed for "mild European winters." What consequences this can lead to and why this happens is described below.
How tires differ
The differences between summer and winter tires are quite significant, which is associated with different conditions of their use. Their main goal is to ensure traffic safety in any weather.
This determines the difference both in materials and in the design of tires for different seasons.
It is also worth mentioning all-season tires - they can be used both in winter and summer. But, like any universal tool, they are inferior in characteristics to seasonal counterparts: in summer they lose to summer tires, and in winter to winter ones.
Rubber compound and its composition
Winter tires
Winter tires must remain elastic and maintain traction qualities at sub-zero temperatures. Therefore, they are made from a rubber compound with an increased proportion of rubber and a significant content of silicon-containing polymers. Also, all additional components (fillers, vulcanizers, softeners, antioxidants, pigments, etc.) are selected with an eye to the cold season.
As a result, such tires remain "soft" and do not harden in the cold.
Winter tires begin to show their best qualities already at temperatures from +5 to +7°C, and fully reveal themselves at negative readings.
Summer tires
The composition of summer tires, on the contrary, is designed for warm weather - above +5-7°C (in heat, asphalt can heat up to +50-60°C). There is less rubber and silicon-containing polymers here. Other additives are selected to provide the best grip on the road at temperatures above +5-7°C.
When the thermometer drops below this mark, the tread rubber hardens, and its characteristics deteriorate.
Features of the tread pattern
In addition to the composition of the mixture, winter and summer tires also differ in the tread pattern - this is the second key difference.
Winter tires
The tread of a winter tire is equipped with a special pattern adapted for the cold season. It is deeper and more sparse, with large blocks separated by many additional grooves.
The abundance of grooves and ribs improves handling on snowy and icy roads, and traction increases due to the larger contact area with the surface.
The grooves on winter tires are much wider than on summer ones - otherwise they quickly become clogged, and the tire loses its properties already in the first meters of the journey. A winter tire must effectively remove snow and dirt from the contact patch, while a summer tire only needs to cope with water.
Summer tires
The tread of a summer tire is designed to provide grip on a hard rough surface. Its pattern has a pronounced longitudinal direction.
The grooves here are much narrower than those of winter tires - their task is only to remove water. Given the high abrasiveness of summer asphalt, summer tires must be wear-resistant, have low rolling resistance, and they do not need to cling to every unevenness on a non-slippery surface.
What happens with improper use
So, it is obvious that each type of tire is designed for its own operating conditions.
Therefore, at temperatures below +5-7°C, a summer tire loses elasticity. This increases the risk of skidding even on dry asphalt, and in the event of a puncture, the wheel may tear.
The tread pattern of a summer tire is not adapted for driving on snow and ice: it cannot remove snow slush from the contact patch.
As a result, the car becomes almost uncontrollable: it holds the trajectory poorly, responds sluggishly to steering wheel rotation, and the braking distance noticeably lengthens.
A similar situation arises when using winter tires in summer.
Below +5-7°C, a summer tire hardens, and above +5-7°C, a winter tire becomes excessively soft
At temperatures above +5-7°C, a winter tire softens, which leads to rapid wear on asphalt.
The tread pattern of winter tires is not designed for hard surfaces: handling suffers (large lamellas "fold"), the car "wanders" in corners, it obeys the steering wheel poorly, and the braking distance increases.
Additionally, fuel consumption increases due to higher rolling resistance.
Do not look for compromises and believe that "European winter tires in our conditions are almost like all-season." For many tire models this is not the case, and a single positive experience of such operation cannot serve as a basis for recommendations. And in the end, you will have to pay much more than the tires themselves cost.
When it's time to change tires
The optimal time to change tires is when the air temperature crosses the +7°C mark. This rule applies to both spring and autumn replacement.
Since the weather is often unstable, it is difficult to catch this moment precisely. Therefore, there is another recommendation: winter tires should be installed around October 15, and summer tires closer to April 15.
Let us remind you that we talked about the marking and sizes of tires earlier - in the material "Everything you wanted to know about tires. Marking, types, seasonality."
Summary
- Summer tires in winter lose traction so much that even a short trip on dry asphalt can be dangerous.
- Winter tires in summer wear out quickly (1-2 months is enough), and vehicle handling deteriorates significantly.
- Driving in summer on winter tires is, in principle, possible. But it is expensive, and you will have to move slowly and extremely carefully.
- Winter "European" tires should not be used as all-season ones.
