Tire Health Vital for Safe Winter Driving

There are lots of ways to save this holiday season, but auto experts (and not just the ones trying to sell you new products) all agree: scrimping on tires is not one of them. Just four little contact patches keep you, your kids, and 3,000-plus pounds of vehicle on the road (or 6,400 pounds if you’re the bold driver of a Hummer H2). And the quality, age, and pliability of those taken-for-granted rubber rings is crucial in winter driving.

Heat, extreme cold, and age are three main enemies of rubber, transforming the pliable, soft material into something ultimately akin to brittle, cracked plastic. Without pliability, a tire’s rubber can’t conform to bumps, rocks, and icy lumps on winter roads. Additionally, the tire’s tread can’t sink down between icy grooves to grip the tarmac and keep the car on the road. Result? Tires that act more like the cookie tin you used as a kid to slide down your icy driveway.

If you live in the ice belt and want the ultimate in winter performance, step up to a true winter tire. These tires are made from special cold-resistant rubber that maintains pliability down into frigid temperatures. They also feature a knobby tread pattern that makes the most of the traction available, and feature lots of grooves and deep channels that absorb snow and slush rather than riding up upon the mush and reducing traction. Modern traction control systems and all-wheel drive can work wonders with four tenacious contact patches, transforming a fishtailing nightmare into a relatively stable drive even in the nastiest conditions.

The folks at Continental Tire have a few tires that handle harsh conditions well: the ContiWinterContact TS810, which is engineered to handle unpredictable snow and wet driving conditions; the ContiWinterContact TS810 Sport, which delivers winter driving performance in medium and luxury-class vehicles; and the ContiWinterContact TS790, described as a state-of-the-art winter tire for high-performance sports sedans. Continental advises that pressures must be set about 2.9 psi higher in winter tires than in traditional all-season or summer tires, but check with individual manufacturers to be certain, and consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual to make certain your car and its wheels are compatible with winter tires.

The Tire Rack also has a slew of winter tires, from Bridgestone Blizzaks and Pirelli Winter Carving radials to Dunlop Winter Sports. They also have some smart suggestions about winter tire selection whether you drive a sedan, a GT, or an SUV, as well as some suggestions about how to drive in treacherous conditions.

Of course, the standard advisories about tire pressure apply. And remember that cooler air takes up less volume, leading to lower tire pressures even without leaks. So check your tire pressure, inflate as needed, and make sure the pressures match the manufacturer’s recommendations typically listed in the driver’s door jamb or inside the glove box before setting out on a winter drive.—Colin Mathews
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Make sure you check out our partner sites dedicated to focused news, reviews and more for Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and the Toyota Prius. creative commons - flickr.com: http://www.flickr.com/photos/digitaleye/2289436931/Enlarge PhotoThere are lots of ways to save this holiday season, but auto experts (and not just the ones trying to sell you new products) all agree: scrimping on tires is not one of them. Just four little contact patches keep you, your kids, and 3,000-plus pounds of vehicle on the road (or 6,400 pounds if you’re the bold driver of a Hummer H2). And the quality, age, and pliability of those taken-for-granted rubber rings is crucial in winter driving. Heat, extreme cold, and age are three main enemies of rubber, transforming the pliable, soft material into something ultimately akin to brittle, cracked plastic. Without pliability, a tire’s rubber can’t conform to bumps, rocks, and icy lumps on winter roads. Additionally, the tire’s tread can’t sink down between icy grooves to grip the tarmac and keep the car on the road. Result? Tires that act more like the cookie tin you used as a kid to slide down your icy driveway. If you live in the ice belt and want the ultimate in winter performance, step up to a true winter tire. These tires are made from special cold-resistant rubber that maintains pliability down into frigid temperatures. They also feature a knobby tread pattern that makes the most of the traction available, and feature lots of grooves and deep channels that absorb snow and slush rather than riding up upon the mush and reducing traction. Modern traction control systems and all-wheel drive can work wonders with four tenacious contact patches, transforming a fishtailing nightmare into a relatively stable drive even in the nastiest conditions. The folks at Continental Tire have a few tires that handle harsh conditions well: the ContiWinterContact TS810, which is engineered to handle unpredictable snow and wet driving conditions; the ContiWinterContact TS810 Sport, which delivers winter driving performance in medium and luxury-class vehicles; and the ContiWinterContact TS790, described as a state-of-the-art winter tire for high-performance sports sedans. Continental advises that pressures must be set about 2.9 psi higher in winter tires than in traditional all-season or summer tires, but check with individual manufacturers to be certain, and consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual to make certain your car and its wheels are compatible with winter tires. The Tire Rack also has a slew of winter tires, from Bridgestone Blizzaks and Pirelli Winter Carving radials to Dunlop Winter Sports. They also have some smart suggestions about winter tire selection whether you drive a sedan, a GT, or an SUV, as well as some suggestions about how to drive in treacherous conditions. Of course, the standard advisories about tire pressure apply. And remember that cooler air takes up less volume, leading to lower tire pressures even without leaks. So check your tire pressure, inflate as needed, and make sure the pressures match the manufacturer’s recommendations typically listed in the driver’s door jamb or inside the glove box before setting out on a winter drive.—Colin Mathews --- Make sure you check out our partner sites dedicated to focused news, reviews and more for Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and the Toyota Prius.