Three Types of Winter Tires January 5, 2010

Winter Tires Many car owners know that a dedicated set winter tires are the best option for improved safety and performance during harsh weather conditions. However, did you know there are three different categories of winter tires? Winter tires come in three basic types: – Performance snow tires – Studded snow tires – Studless snow tires All three are built to withstand the cold temperatures and dangerous conditions like ice and snow. Each has distinct advantages.

Performance Winter Tires Performance winter tires are designed for performance vehicles to provide drivers with added responsiveness and handling on snowy and icy roads. For example, these tires have higher-speed- rated standards to give vehicles added traction in cold weather conditions. Traction won’t be as strong as with the studless and studded types, but it will grip better than the performance all- season counterpart.

Studdable Winter Tires Studdable winter tires contain 60 to 120 inserted small metal studs, usually made of tungsten (a type of metal that is extremely hard and durable). The studs protrude out of the surface of the tire by about 1.5 millimeters. This type of snow tire enhances traction in ice and snow significantly and performs the best out of any of these types of snow tires. Drivers looking for a quiet and comfortable ride won’t find one with studdable tires because they are very noisy and sacrifice smoothness for the traction they provide.

Studdable Winter Tires cont. Studdable tires are banned in many states across the country or heavily restricted (limiting the size of the studs). States have made laws to ban or restrict studded tires because they can cause major damage to roads. For example, Michigan does not allow studded tires because manufacturers of tire studs have not supplied information that their studs meets or exceeds the states pavement wear specifications. In Ohio, drivers can only use studded tires on their vehicles from Nov. 1 through Apr. 15 each succeeding year.

Studless Winter Tires This popular type of winter tire is relatively new to the market. They were introduced in the early 1990’s. Instead of metal studs, studless winter tires feature a softer rubber than traditional tires. This rubber compound has microscopic pores to give these tires added grip to the road and in most conditions offer traction levels close to studded tires. Studdless tires use the entire contact patch of the tire and rubber to grip the ice and provide traction. They also have an open tread design to claw through snow and slush.

Studless Winter Tires cont. Choosing a winter tire category largely depends on what type of car you drive and where you drive it. Car owners living in areas such as Michigan, which gets extremely cold temperatures in the winter, might not consider studdable tires because the local laws won't allow it. Drivers in Michigan can always consider a good set of performance or studdless winter tires, which will give their car added responsiveness, handling and traction in winter road conditions.

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