29 Jan Navigating Icy Roads: Square Tire’s Guide to Winter Tires
Bad tires will cause over 10,000 motor vehicle accidents this year alone. Don’t let your tires turn you into a statistic!
If your current winter tires are starting to show their years – or you haven’t yet experienced the greater control and security winter tires uniquely provide – then now’s the right time to check out what Square Tire can do for you!
Are Winter Tires Worth It?
Winter tires aren’t a sales gimmick. They have multiple safety-enhancing features that all-season tires lack, such as:
Flexible Treads – All-season tire treads are made of rubber that hardens in cold temperatures. Hard tires have poorer grip, which increases your risk of skidding out when you hit an icy patch. Conversely, winter tire treads are made of rubber that is specially formulated to stay supple in frigid weather – the reason why they achieve a better grip against icy asphalt.
Aggressive Treads – Winter tire treads aren’t just deeper. They are also designed to avoid clogging up with snow, as well as channel slush and water outward. That does even more to promote greater traction on the Midwest’s snow-strewn highways.
High-Traction Edges – Winter tire treads feature thousands upon thousands of tiny slits (known as “siping”), which widen under pressure to increase the tire’s overall surface area. If you really want to put some bite between your car and the road, then you can invest in studded winter tires. Each one wears dozens of hard tungsten carbide teeth that provide optimal traction on packed snow and ice.
If you’re considering getting studded snow tires in Nebraska or Iowa, then the government isn’t stopping you. Studded snows are legal in both states November 1st through April 1st.
How to Find Good Winter Tires
First, you have to know how to identify a winter tire in the first place. It is easy, because every dedicated snow tire has a symbol on its sidewall: the three-peak mountain snowflake (TPMS). It shows that the tire is capable of 110% or more traction than an all-season tire.
You may notice another marking on a snow tire: M+S, which stands for “mud and snow.” It’s a bit redundant. Any tire with the TPMS marking also meets the qualifications for M+S. (It actually exceeds them, because a TPMS tire has grippier siping.) At the end of the day, those initials only indicate that the tire is designed to provide at least some traction on slippery surfaces.
At this point it’s fair to ask: What about used winter tires? Are they a good way to save money? Anything’s possible, but we wouldn’t recommend pre-owned tires to our friends and family. Even if used tires appear to be in excellent condition, they can still be unsafe. That’s because rubber undergoes a harmful chemical reaction called “oxidation” when it is exposed to air. With the exception of the ones on the Space Shuttle, tires are always exposed to the air, which is why car manufacturers usually advise replacing them every six years regardless of wear.
TPMS symbol. Brand new from the factory. Those are the basic qualifications of a good snow tire. Here are a few examples of great winter tires to give you a more specific idea of what to look for.
Michelin X-Ice Snow – Two different types of full-depth siping create what Michelin refers to – accurately – as a “claw effect.” The X-Ice Snow also features Evergrip Technology, which promotes a surer grip on wet roads even when the treads are worn down.
Kumho WinterCraft WP72 – Although designed to maximize traction on snowy roads, the WinterCraft WP72 exhibits excellent performance in wet and dry conditions as well. Like all great winter tires, Kumho’s are surprisingly comfortable and quiet to drive on.
Nitto Exo Grappler AWT – Light pickup trucks need great winter tires, too! The Exo Grappler AWT dominates unpaved roads thanks to its chip-resistant composition, 3-ply sidewall construction, staggered shoulder blocks, and large lateral grooves that bite hard against snow and slush. (Available studded.)
Square Tire is committed to keeping you safer on the road this winter season. If you’d like to learn more about our expansive selection of high-quality winter tires for cars, trucks and SUVs, then we welcome you to contact us today for a free quote. Or stop by one of our service centers in Sioux City, IA or Norfolk, NE to speak with one of our team members in person!