Not all tires are made the same. It’s very important you choose the right tires for your vehicle. There are a variety of factors that will help you decide what type of tire is best for your car.

The Different Types of Tires:

In a recent article published in CBC, Maggie MacPherson shows the difference in the treads of each type of tire.
(Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/summer-winter-m-s-this-is-what-you-need-to-know-about-your-tires-when-it-snows-1.5432005)

We recently conducted an interview with Al, our Surrey Store manager who provided us with some further details.

Summer Tires: Smooth tread and is meant to stick to the dry pavement in reasonably warm conditions. Not to be confused with all-season tires.

What’s the difference between Summer Tires and All-Season Tires?

Summer tires are stiffer than all-season tires and are most suitable for sports cars.  Summer tires freeze at below zero temperatures. Their design supports better grip on dryer surfaces, but the downside is that they wear out fast.

Summer tires have wide water tunnels, which means they are not the best for driving in rainy conditions like we frequently have in the Greater Vancouver Area. This is why I recommend for most drivers to ask for all-season tires when they are looking to change their winter tires.

Al’s tip: Ask for All-Season tires, not Summer Tires.

When to change your winter tires for all-season tires?

For use in the Lower Mainland, Al recommends getting your winter tires changed for all-season tires in the springtime towards the beginning of March.

This is a good time to talk a little bit about, Winter Tires.

What makes Winter Tires good for driving in colder weather conditions?

Winter Tires: The deep tread and rubber are designed to work in icy weather. These tires have a little snowflake within a three-peaked mountain mark.

Regardless of the type of tires you have, Al wanted to share the following advice with our readers.

How long do tires last?

The lifetime of your tires depends on two main factors, driving style, and the brand. (60% dependent on your driving style, 40% on the quality of tires you have) On driving style, braking hard and lengthy travel has a significant impact on the life of your tires. As a rule of thumb, it is best to get your mechanic to check your tires every tire rotation. This coincides with every other oil change or every 10,000 km.

Best practices for Tire Care:

1. Proper Air pressure is paramount. Make sure you check this routinely.
2. Get your wheels rotated periodically. Typically a four-wheel rotation is $20.00 and it can help significantly in preserving your tires
3. Also, get your front/rear suspension and steering control checked at your mechanic’s every wheel rotation or every 10000 km (every second oil change)

How do you know when to change your tires?

You want to make sure that your tires aren’t bald or worn out. Here are two very expensive tips to do that!

1. Buy a tire gauge, these are typically less than $20.00 and you can easily find them on Amazon.
2. The Toonie Test.

Courtesy of the Alberta Motor Association.

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for our next blog, next month!