By law, winter tires must be installed before Dec. 15. How much longer can I hold out without installing them? I will go without until there is a long stretch of cold weather, or if there is snow on the way. I can wait till the last minute because I know someone with a garage that will give me immediate service. How long will you hold out?
Winter tires, how long can I hold out?
- Thread starter Tommy Hilfinger
- Start date
I believe the max date is DEC 15th, but good luck in trying to find someone to put them on in December
Johnny
Johnny
They wear out a lot more quickly running around on warm pavement, as they are made of a softer rubber.
I assume you are only asking this question because you feel that the law is less than rigorously enforced? What are the consequences if you are caught holding out after Dec. 15? I assume a fine?
I live in Connecticut and we are not required to install winter tires, although some people do of their own volition. My experience is that if you have a good all wheel drive vehicle, that is sufficient to handle the Connecticut roads during the winter.
The question is the stringency and/or means of enforcement in Qc. I cannot comment on "the snow tire police"...
I have been told by locals about the law. Their slant was typically one is not cited or fined unless they are caught having troubles negotiating the snowy roadways OR they get stuck or are in an accident during the time snow tires are required. It was also their understanding that the law applied to all vehicles operated in Qc during the required time...including those from the states....that is not true.
Here is everthing you may ever want to know about it:
http://www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/portal/pa..._hivernales/reglement_utilisation_pneus_hiver
Bottom line is if the vehicle is registered in Qc and there are no snows on it during the required period - you are rolling the dice.
Beav, I used to agree with you until I tried a 4 tire change to snows a few years ago...now I would never go back...I use 4 snows typically from January - March...
_utilisation_pneus_hiver[/url]
Beav, I used to agree with you until I tried a 4 tire change to snows a few years ago...now I would never go back...I use 4 snows typically from January - March...
I have always had 4 snows on in the winter, it saves your all season from wear and you have better traction. Last year I had a new car, of course the winter tires were brand new. In the first winter storm of the winter, I came to a steep hill where people had driven up and some had to back down bacause they did not have the traction to go all the way up. My 2 wheel drive car just soldiered up the hill in the 6 inches of powdery snow with no difficulty.
I keep my winter tires on rims and I can slap them on in 20 minutes if a snow storm is forecasted.
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I think anything warmer than 3 or 4 celcius makes the rubber soft (and wear faster) and blacktop can get a lot hotter than the ambient temperature if the sun beats down.
EB, I was a doubter of their grip until I started using them. If you have a vehicle with good AWD traction, with the winter tires you will have great AWD traction.
For me it's all about the stopping ability.
We all know that if temperatures are above 0 Degrees your winter tiers will wear out quicker.
Even if this is the case, I still have mine on since last week; because of a few years ago I learned my lesson.
I did not have my winter tiers on and it was the beginning on December, it rained the night before then it was frozen over night, the roads had black ice. Now with summer tiers you have to agree, even with the best of them you will still hit the car in front of you. Which is almost what happen, if the vehicle in-front of me didn’t think fast and got out of the way just in time I would have rammed him,…. Now imaging if this was a person crossing the road!!! Can you live with that?
I have quite a few Engineers working with me, and there respond to this was,
Johnny, it’s not the snow you have to worry about, we are in Montreal and all you have to do is follow the 50 cars that past in front of you that already made the way.
But it’s the ice that the 50 cars that past in-front of you and that have stopped at the same place, make that ice nice and smooth for you to roll right through your stop sign.
Not my 2 cents, but this time my experience.
Johnny
Even if this is the case, I still have mine on since last week; because of a few years ago I learned my lesson.
I did not have my winter tiers on and it was the beginning on December, it rained the night before then it was frozen over night, the roads had black ice. Now with summer tiers you have to agree, even with the best of them you will still hit the car in front of you. Which is almost what happen, if the vehicle in-front of me didn’t think fast and got out of the way just in time I would have rammed him,…. Now imaging if this was a person crossing the road!!! Can you live with that?
I have quite a few Engineers working with me, and there respond to this was,
Johnny, it’s not the snow you have to worry about, we are in Montreal and all you have to do is follow the 50 cars that past in front of you that already made the way.
But it’s the ice that the 50 cars that past in-front of you and that have stopped at the same place, make that ice nice and smooth for you to roll right through your stop sign.
Not my 2 cents, but this time my experience.
Johnny
I don't know what the conditions are like in Connecticut, but AWD only helps forward traction. It does not help stopping distance at all, nor does it help steering at all. In fact, it slightly reduces the effectiveness of both.
Mine are already on.
According to my mechanic when temperatures are 10 or below it is time for your winter tires since it is cold enough (I also thought it was 0 degrees Celsius before having this discussion with him)
Ronnie,
Naughtylady
According to my mechanic when temperatures are 10 or below it is time for your winter tires since it is cold enough (I also thought it was 0 degrees Celsius before having this discussion with him)
Ronnie,
Naughtylady
The mechanic will tell you to put on your winter tires when the temp. starts to go below 10 C. This is a matter of convieneience for the garage. He wants a steady flow of clients coming in to change their tires over to winter tires. If the temp. is above 0 C. the winter tires will still wear away quickly if driven hard. the fricktion on the road is what warms the tires up. Below 0 C. there is much less wear on the winter tires because the ambient air temp. and the cold asphalt will cool the rubber.
I will put on my winter tires when there is:
- Constant cold weather below 0 C.
- There is a snow storm forecasted.
- The mandatory Dec. 15 date approaches.
I have my winter tires on rims and can put them on quickly. The rims and my hydralic lift and jack stands have paid for themselves many times over now. The tire change over cost is about $50 - $60 at the beggining and then again at the end of the winter. ($100 - $120 total )
I will put on my winter tires when there is:
- Constant cold weather below 0 C.
- There is a snow storm forecasted.
- The mandatory Dec. 15 date approaches.
I have my winter tires on rims and can put them on quickly. The rims and my hydralic lift and jack stands have paid for themselves many times over now. The tire change over cost is about $50 - $60 at the beggining and then again at the end of the winter. ($100 - $120 total )
O C is not a magic number any more than 10 C is.
There is no material transition temperature at either of those.
The coefficient of friction of tire rubber falls with temperature.
A winter tire rubber has a better coefficient of friction than summer tire rubber.
As such winter tires grip better on cold asphalt & ice. Winter tread also handles snow better
This added grip is to the detriment of durability and long life.
In summer, summer tread is more effective than winter tread. Temperature can go up to 30 40 50 C. Those temperature would make a snow tire wear out too quickly. Snow tread is not as good on asphalt as summer tread.
As for roads getting warmed by the sun in winter. Sure it happens but: It is night for 14 hours. The warmer days are cloudy and the crystal clear days are windy cold streaks.
There is no material transition temperature at either of those.
The coefficient of friction of tire rubber falls with temperature.
A winter tire rubber has a better coefficient of friction than summer tire rubber.
As such winter tires grip better on cold asphalt & ice. Winter tread also handles snow better
This added grip is to the detriment of durability and long life.
In summer, summer tread is more effective than winter tread. Temperature can go up to 30 40 50 C. Those temperature would make a snow tire wear out too quickly. Snow tread is not as good on asphalt as summer tread.
As for roads getting warmed by the sun in winter. Sure it happens but: It is night for 14 hours. The warmer days are cloudy and the crystal clear days are windy cold streaks.
Winters tires are not made of jello.I have my winter tires on my suv for the past 4 years & there still good for this winter.I install then around the 15th of NOV & remove them early APRIL.I do about 25,000 klics a year so its not like im parked all the time.
ICheck out the the traction grade. You can get a snow tire with long wearing rubber or one with high traction rubber. Same with summer tires.
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