Snow tires above 50 degrees
can be a cause for concern. While snow car tires can be very beneficial for cold, snowy weather, certain things happen when they’re used in warmer weather.
This article will reveal everything you should know about using snow tires when temperatures are above 50 degrees.
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Is It Possible To Drive Snow Tires Above 50 Degrees Weather?
Yes, it is possible
to drive snow tires in above 50 degrees weather. However, when you drive in hot weather (50 degrees and above), your tires’ performance and tread life change dramatically. Consequently, you will experience several difficulties while driving or even end up with a bad tire.
Driving Winter Tires at 55 Degrees
When you drive winter tires at 55 degrees, the tire rubber will harden, thereby losing its grip on the road. As a result, your car performance will decline, affecting your driving. You’ll also experience shorter tread life for your tires.
Driving Winter Tires at 65 Degrees
Driving winter tires at 65 degrees can cause very significant damage to your car. You can have tire alignment issues or an emergency breakdown due to tire failure. Sixty-five degrees is just too hot for these types of tires, as it damages the treads greatly.
Treads are those protruding parts of the tire that make contact with the road. The treads found in winter car tires are wide, deep, and jagged. Apart from the damage to the treads, the rubber compound (the material your tire is made of) will react to the heat emitted by the ground you drive on. This results in thermal cracking: your tires begin to crack and may even burst while driving.
How Fast Can Your Car Go on Winter Tires?
On winter tires, your car can go as fast as it usually does on regular tires. However, you’re advised to drive at moderate speed, especially on icy or snowy roads. Such roads can be slippery, so it’s dangerous to drive at high speed, even when you have winter tires.
Can You Use Winter Tires All Year Round?
No, you can’t
use winter tires all year round. These tires are only designed for use on snow-covered roads. They are specially made to have deeper treads than regular tires. The deeper treads make them better at gripping icy or snowy roads, which would have been otherwise slippery.
Using these kinds of tires all year round will reduce their lifespan and cause serious wear and tear. The only condition when you can use your snow car tires all year round is when your region does not have very hot summer months.
But even so, it still isn’t advisable to drive with snow car tires during the summer months. If you do so, your car tire treads will wear out before the next winter comes. Consequently, your tires won’t perform as well as they should, even though they’re right for the weather.
Are Snow Car Tires Good on Ice?
Yes,
snow car tires are good on ice. These tires are made with softer and deeper treads than regular tires. They allow you to brake faster and make more precise turns. Snow car tires are also made with a special rubber that enables them to grip the road better.
Some snow car tires also have studs, which are small pieces of metal added to the tread. These studs help provide extra traction.
What Are the Effects of Driving Winter Tires in Hot Weather?
The effects of driving winter tires in hot weather include more or faster wear and tear, reduced tire performance, and increased rolling resistance. You may also notice cracking of the rubber compound in your winter car tires. Overall, it kills your tires faster.
Faster Wear and Tear
Faster wear and tear is one of those things you’ll experience when you drive snow car tires in hot weather. Winter tires are specially made with an emphasis on traction, not longevity.
Thus, using them in the wrong weather will only make them wear out faster. The real issue here is the tire treading. As you drive the car on hot roads or pavements, heat builds up in the treads, and they break or wear off.
Reduced Traction and Performance
Reduced traction and performance is one of the side effects you will notice when driving winter car tires in hot weather. This happens because the thread compounds cannot stay stable or firm enough to provide proper grip/traction for your car tires. This is why you’ll experience handling issues when cutting corners or driving at high speeds.
Increased Rolling Resistance
Increased rolling resistance is another common side effect of using winter tires above 50 degrees. Rolling resistance refers to resistance experienced by your car tires while rolling over a surface.
The rolling resistance of your vehicle’s winter tires is higher during warmer temperatures because the heat causes the tires to contract more than usual. Because of this, your tires will burst open, and your driving experience will be ruined.
Cracking of the Rubber Compound
Cracking of the rubber compound is another possible side effect of using winter tires above 50 degrees. The rubber compound is the most important component of a winter tire. This rubber is stiffer at the sidewalls and base of the treads. However, it is designed to stay soft and flexible in cold temperatures.
When driving these tires in hotter temperatures, they struggle to adjust to the high temperatures. At the end of the day, they harden and, consequently, crack. When these cracks are left unattended, they break open, making the wheel unusable.
Increased Costs
Driving snow car tires in hot weather makes them wear down faster. And so, you’ll end up spending money on a new car tire when you shouldn’t have if you had driven with the right tires. Moreover, snow car tires cost more than regular tires. You can spend up to $1200 to replace a full set of snow car tires, whereas doing so for summer tires may only cost $600 – $1000.
Apart from tire replacement costs, you may also suffer damage costs. If your cracked winter car tires blow out while driving, there’s a chance you’ll lose control of the vehicle and end up in an accident. The cost of repairs will far outweigh the cost of changing your tires to the right ones.
What Should You Do Instead of Using Snow Tires Above 50 Degrees?
Instead of using snow tires in above 50 degrees weather, you should adjust your driving frequency or distance or swap tires if you have both winter and summer tires. You can also get all-season or all-weather tires for your car, so you don’t have to change tires every season.
Get All-Season Tires
All-season tires are designed to provide a balanced performance both in summer and winter. These tires can provide good traction in snow and perform very well on wet or dry roads. The tread depths in these types of tires are moderate (not too shallow or too deep), and the tire rubber is better at adapting to both hot and cold weather conditions.
Using these types of tires will save you the trouble of driving with snow car tires in warm weather or having to change tires every season. However, note that these tires perform fairly, not perfectly. During extremely hot or extremely cold conditions, all-weather tires may fail or perform poorly. Since they are a blend of both winter and summer vehicle tires, it’s best to use all-weather tires in moderate climates.
Get Both Winter and Summer Tires
Getting winter and summer car tires is the smartest thing to do to ensure your tires perform well in any weather condition. Summer car tires have shallow treads and unique tread patterns. The kind of rubber used also differs from the kind used for winter car tires.
As a result, these tires possess characteristics like enhanced speed, agility, and high-temperature resistance.
Winter tires, on the other hand, are the opposite of summer car tires, with deeper treads and a different rubber compound. Having both kinds of tires is ideal, so you can always switch between them when the seasons change. Ideally, you should change tires early to preserve them for the next year/season.
Don’t Drive Too Often or Too Far
Tires get worn out with increased usage. And so, even when driving snow car tires in summer, you can always reduce the damage to the tires by driving short distances only or driving less frequently. This way, you’ll be able to minimize damage to tire treads, reduce the development of rubber cracks, and ultimately prevent your tires from blowing out.
Fix or Replace Snow Tire
Fixing bad snow car tires can be a temporary, quick solution to improve tire performance. Fixing, in this case, means doing something to enhance the tire’s grip. You can either get a pair of tire socks or snow chains. These are tools that can be mounted to your tires to help improve grip in snow.
When installing these tools for front-wheel drives, you attach them to the front tires only. But when installing them for all-wheel drives, you attach them to all the vehicle tires. However, the best solution is to replace your snow car tires with summer variants.
Usually, the tires that wear out first will be responsible for cornering. And so, in a 2wd vehicle (2-wheel drive), the front snow tires will be the first to crack or wear down. You’ll have to change these first before changing the rear tires.
Note: when fixing or replacing tires, always check to ensure the right tire pressure is maintained. Filling your tires with too much or too little air can still cause performance issues. This is why you should check the tire pressures of all four tires before concluding the repair.
FAQs
How Much Do Winter Tires Cost?
Winter tires cost anywhere from $100 to $1000. Mid-range versions cost between $100 and $200, while premium winter car tires can cost $200 and above. The actual prices you pay will be determined by the dealer and how many sets you buy.
How Much Do All-Season Tires Cost?
All-weather tires cost anywhere from $49 to $873 for a single tire and $460 to $1280 for a set of four. Prices will vary based on the size of the tire and the grade/quality you’re buying. Labor costs for installation could result in an additional $50 to $300.
Conclusion
Tires are the most important part of any vehicle because driving on roads would be impossible without them. Driving snow tires above 50 degrees can, however, be detrimental. Here are the major points in this article:
- Snow car tires are best for icy or snowy roads due to deeper treads and more suitable tire rubber.
- Driving snow car tires in warm temperatures can result in issues like wear and tear, reduced traction, increased rolling resistance, and cracking of tires.
- To prevent or remedy these issues, you can mount tire socks or snow chains on your tires or simply replace your snow car tires with summer car tires.
- As a best practice, always have both summer and snow car tires so you can switch them when seasons change.
Tires require maintenance, so always ensure the tire pressure is optimum, and do checkups on the tires yearly.
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