Winter Tires vs. All-Season Tires

Snow Tire

 

Your tires are a vital safety feature to keep your car, truck, or SUV running smoothly on Darlington commutes, daily errands, and weekend getaway trips out of town. When you’re shopping for new tires, you’ll probably see a debate about winter tires vs. all-season tires. Read more with our guide!

Comparing Winter Tires vs. All-Season Tires

When you compare winter tires vs. all-season tires, think of all-season tires as tires that work any time of year. But when you want extra traction in snowy or icy conditions on any terrain near Sumter, winter tires are the way to go if you expect lots of winter precipitation for several weeks or months at a time.

Our service center technicians explain winter tires vs. all-season tires with the following:

  • The benefits and drawbacks of winter tires
  • Winter tire storage information
  • The right tire pressure in the winter

The Benefits & Drawbacks of Winter Tires

Winter tires work great when frigid winter hits. But when it’s not cold, there are reasons to consider the drawbacks of winter tires for ordinary weather conditions.

Advantages

  • Unique Rubber Compound: Winter tires utilize a special rubber compound that stays flexible during the cold weather to have a better grip on the road. All-season tires can get stiff and brittle in frigid conditions.
  • Specially Designed Tread: Gooves, also called treads, on winter tires are different from all-season tires because they’re specially designed for winter driving. These grooves help your vehicle maintain better traction.
  • Biting Edge Design: Winter tires dig into deep snow and ice to allow your vehicle to easily drive in winter conditions. They’re specially designed for these conditions.

Disadvantages

  • Wear: Winter tires in dry conditions can cause significant wear on the tires, meaning a decreased lifespan. Your winter tires could wear out faster than all-season tires. That’s why we recommend changing winter tires when the weather gets warmer.
  • Swapping Out: Our team recommends keeping a second set of summer tires to swap to when the weather gets warmer. Both sets of tires will last longer.

Winter Tire Storage Information & Tips

You don’t want to keep winter tires on for the entire year because they’re not necessarily made to tackle summer roads in Marion. Look over our winter tire storage tips to keep your winter tires in great shape. Plus, driving in the winter comes with some nuances you’ll want to be aware of for maximum safety.

See our winter tire tips and driving information to keep in mind:

  • Clean the Winter Tires for Storage: Clean your winter tires before you put them in storage. That could lead to corrosion, thereby decreasing the lifespan of your tires. Make sure you cover your tires after you clean them so they stay dry and out of the weather.
  • Keep Them in Temperature-Controlled Storage: Winter tire storage means putting them in humidity-controlled storage so they don’t experience increased wear or degrade prematurely. Stack your tires when you store them. When you put them on your vehicle in the winter, rotate them occasionally to avoid any deformities or uneven wear on your tires.
  • Tire Pressure: Tire pressure drops in the winter because cold temperatures cause air to become less dense in your tires. Add the correct tire pressure to your tires when they’re still cold. You don’t want low tire pressure when you’re driving on winter roads because you won’t get the right handling.
  • Tread Wear: Winter tires still wear over time, so you should still inspect your tire tread wear to ensure you’ve got the proper tire tread for when roads do become hazardous. Less tread wear means your tires will handle better.
  • Tire Pressure in Winter: What’s the proper tire pressure in winter? Due to the colder temperatures, the recommended tire pressure in winter is 30 to 35 PSI.

Get Tire Maintenance or New Tires at Five Star Chevrolet Florence!

Our service team can help you with tire rotations, wheel alignments, or new tires when you’re ready. Contact us, call (843) 277-9169, or schedule service with our team. We’re happy to help in any way we can!

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2199 David H Mcleod Blvd, Florence, SC, 29501
Five Star Chevrolet Florence 34.1867, -79.8176.