By Arch Linsao

So here we find ourselves at that time of the year, yet again. It’s the time of year that I get the opportunity to pursue a lengthy, caffeine-induced rant about the ins and outs of everything you need to know about buying winter tires.

I’m going to start things off a bit differently this year though. Instead of focusing on what you “should” do, I think it’s time for me to rant about what you “shouldn’t” do. I’m going to take on some of the most common winter tire myths out there…and I’m going to attempt to bust each one. From the ever-so-popular, “Oh, I know someone who read online somewhere that someone they chatted with but never met tried this once and it worked great.” To the, “Oh listen here, I’ve been driving since cars were invented and I’ve always done this and it’s fine.” And even some of the ones in between. So let’s begin, shall we?

Myth #1 –You don’t need winter tires. Your all seasons are just fine. Seriously? I can’t believe there are still people out there who think this. Let’s put this one to rest. Realistically, all-season tires should be called three-season tires. The compounds that make up all-season tires aren’t designed to handle cold temperatures. When they get cold, they get hard. When they get hard, they don’t stick. When they don’t stick, they don’t work. Winter tires are made with compounds that resist cold temperatures and stay flexible and maintain their ability to grip. I’ll make it easy. He’s how you can bust this one yourself. Walk into your local tire shop, and ask them what their busiest season is, by far. And you know what they’ll say? After they’ve stopped laughing to themselves about the fact that someone actually asked them this question? Yes, that’s right. They’ll laugh. And then they’ll say the obvious…WINTER! And if you still don’t believe it, get on the phone and call up any tire manufacturer. And ask them the same question. They’ll laugh. Then give you the same answer. Now if you didn’t need winter tires, winter wouldn’t be the busiest season of the year for the tire industry here in Canada. It makes sense when you think of it that way, right? And if you still have your doubts, wait until the first snow day of the season. Get bundled up and go for a walk outside. Then take note of all the vehicles that are either stuck or sliding around in the snow and either not able to go anywhere or not able to turn or stop. Walk up to each one (once they’ve stopped moving, of course) and look at their tires. I guarantee they’re running all-seasons. And if you’re still in doubt of what I’m telling you, get in your own car (with your all-seasons on) and go for a drive. Drive in a straight line down a small hill, and then hit your brakes while trying to turn onto a cross street. Once your car stops spinning you’ll stop doubting. Myth #2 - You don’t even need winter tires if you drive and All-Wheel Drive or Four-Wheel Drive vehicle. This one will be easy. Four tires spinning = Four tires slipping. Myth #3 – You only need two winter tires, not four There’s a couple of variations on this one. I’ve heard it from both a Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) vehicle perspective, and a Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) vehicle perspective. So let’s break it down for each one: RWD: Some RWD vehicle drivers out there think that all they need is two winter tires on the rear of the vehicle. Okay, so great, you can get going, but can’t stop or turn. Awesome. And for those who contest that and say, “Okay then put them on the front.” Great, you can stop and turn, but you’d never go anywhere and would end up making some really nice donuts in the snow. AWESOME! FWD: More commonly, FWD vehicle drivers will think all they need is two winter tires up front. So this way, they can stop, turn, and get going. At first it makes sense right? Now go back a few paragraphs to how I told you how you can bust Myth #1 yourself. Get in your own FWD car (with your winters up front and all-seasons out back) and go for a drive. Drive in a straight line down a small hill, and then hit your brakes while trying to turn onto a cross street. As the front tires grip and the back tires slip, guess what you get. Yes that’s right, donuts in the snow. AWESOME! So what conclusion have we come to? Running only two winter tires as opposed to four will more than likely end up with you making donuts in the snow. Myth #4 – It’s not snowing yet. You don’t need to put your winter tires on until it snows.

CONTINENTAL Features & Benefits: Continental’s wide variety of tires covers just about every vehicle and driver out there, from standard passenger vehicles, to crossovers and SUV’s, and to high-end, high-performance cars and SUV’s. A great example of its lineup is the ExtremeWinterContact, which features compact outside tread with elevated lateral grooves, inclined longitudinal grooves, high sipe density, highly flexible compound, and maximum void and grip edges with traction ridges in grooves. All this equates to excellent traction, reduced braking distances in snow and ice, improved dry handling and swift evacuation of water. The ExtremeWinterContact comes in a wide variety of fitments, both for cars, crossovers, SUVs and light trucks. The CrossContactWinter and 4x4WinterContact are specifically designed to get your SUV or Light Truck through all the winter conditions you may encounter. Continental also offers fitments for your high-end performance vehicle. The TS810 and TS830 both cater to the needs of the performance market, offering both standard and runflat options in many OE fitments for manufacturers like Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Mini, and Porsche. FIRESTONE Tire(s): Winterforce, Winterforce UV, Winterforce LT Features & Benefits: Firestone continues to offer a premium designed winter tire at a non-so-premium price point. Benefiting from Bridgestone’s engineering, the Firestone Winterforce features a directional, computer-modelled tread design which delivers confident snow, wet and ice traction. Also aiding in traction is the high-sipe density, three-dimensional tread pattern. For heavier conditions, this tire is also pinned for studs, but in most conditions they are not necessary as the sipes and high void-to-tread ration take care of water and snow evacuation. The newly designed Winterforce LT and the Winterforce UV are designed to get you to your destination, regardless of the weather conditions. With its inventive directional tread design, this standout tire in the Firestone line provides great traction on snow, ice and in wet conditions delivering performance you can count on for your light truck or SUV. HANKOOK Tire(s): W310 I*cept Evo, W409 I*Pike, RW11 I *Pike Features & Benefits: Hankook continues to be a strong force in the winter tire market, offering a great lineup of tires that are comparable with many premium manufacturers but at a fraction of the cost. The W310 I*cept evo, which follows in the footsteps of the incredibly successful W300 Ice Bear, is a winter tire with sporty look developed for high-performance and sports cars.

Okay, I can see how some might take this as being true. But the reality is (and forgive me for getting technical), the ability of your all-season tires to grip as the temperature drops decreases exponentially. As it gets colder, the compounds in your tires get harder. And as they get harder, they lose the ability to grip and get traction. In order for it to snow, temperatures are going to be hovering around or even below 0 degrees. Well, the threshold for the compounds in most all-season tires is 7 degrees. So do the math, and get your winter tires on once the temperatures start to hover around 7 degrees. That way, you’re set by the time it gets cold enough to snow. If you don’t you’ll be riding on hockey pucks. Have you ever seen what a hockey puck does on ice? Of course you have!

Also, have you ever tried to get an appointment to get tires put on when there’s already snow falling? It’s next to impossible! And you’re lucky if anyone has any tires left at that point. Save yourself the trouble… put them on early.

Myth #5 – Studded winter tires are better than non-studded winter tires

This one may have a bit of truth to it, but it really is case specific. And when people think about studding their tires, they tend to forget that it really is case specific. And not all winter conditions call for studs.

WINTER TIRE FEATURE

Basically, if you and your vehicle live and drive in conditions that are majority snow/ice and will barely see pavement, then yes, studded winters are fantastic and probably the most recommended configuration for you.

If however, you are going to be driving on pavement more than anything, you probably want to reconsider. Especially if you live in a wet climate like we do here on the west coast. If any one of you has ever driven in a car with studded winters on a rainy Vancouver day, you’ll know exactly what I’m getting at. Not only are they loud and annoying as heck, but metal contacting a wet, paved surface doesn’t scream “traction.”

So there you have it. Studded tires: let’s call them good for some but not for all. Fair?

Partially

Myth #6 - Winter tires are noisy, wear out fast, and don’t handle as well as my all-seasons.

Okay, so we’ve got another myth that actually has some truth to it. But there are exceptions, so let me explain.

Let’s tackle the noise myth. With winter tires having softer compounding and construction, they are known to resonate more noise than many all-seasons out there. But this isn’t true for all winter tires. As technology advances, tires, both winter and non, are becoming more and more quiet, just some naturally resonate more noise than others. Also, different vehicles either insulate or amplify this noise. And also keep in mind, tire noise is very subjective. Some people are more sensitive to hearing certain frequencies than others. And honestly, would anyone sacrifice safety due to a bit of tire noise? I’d hope not.

As for wear, it is true that as the temperatures get warmer, winter tires tend to wear quicker. But keep in mind, you’re ideally not running these tires all year long. You’re interchanging them in the spring for your all-seasons or summer tires, thus extending the wear of both your all-seasons/summers, but your winters as well. Factor in regular rotations and monitoring of tire pressure, and you’ve got two sets of tires that should last longer than if you were only running one set. Plus, each set is designed to properly perform in the seasons in which they are used. Your vehicle just got safer.

And handling is very dependent on what type of winter tire you are running, the size, and of course the vehicle they are on. The myth of the compromise in handling when running a winter tire is usually from the mouth of a driver who owns a performance or sport-oriented vehicle. Well, funny thing is that a majority of the manufacturers offer a performance winter tire. These usually feature a stiffer construction and reinforced sidewalls, as well as a slightly less-aggressive tread in order to increase stability in the tread blocks to aid in improving handling on vehicles that are designed to handle well. And again, they’re safer than any all-season or summer high-performance tire when it comes to winter driving. You get the best of both worlds.

And to put it simply, I’d much rather deal with tire noise, tire wear or a softer tire than deal with a damaged car, or worse.

Not , but JUSTIFIED

These are just a few of the winter tire myths out there, based on the most common ones that I’ve had come across my desk. If I were to tackle them all, this would be a book, not an article in a magazine. If you’ve got any more out there that you’re wondering about, go talk to your tire expert. I’m sure they’d be happy to bust those too (or at least offer an expert explanation).

If you decided to skim over the whole article and go straight to the end, here’s what you need to know:

-Buy four winter tires, no matter what you drive

-Buy your winter tires early; don’t wait until the snow is here and you’re stuck in a ditch

-Talk to your tire expert, and they’ll recommend the best winter tires for you, your vehicle and your driving conditions