As a car owner in Canada, you’re probably use to switching over your tires for the season. However, you might be asking yourself when is the best time of year to change your rubber?
Before we answer that question, you need to evaluate the status of your tires.
Maintenance
How Do I Know if My Tires Are in Good Condition?
We wrote an article that provides an overview of how to read wear patterns. There are at least four signs to indicate the status of your tires. For example:
- If they show increased wear along both edges, with the middle displaying less, the tires may be underinflated.
- If you see a strip of accelerated wear down the middle of the tread, your tire pressure may be too high..
- If they are showing a strip of wear along either the inside or outside, it can mean your suspension is misaligned.
- Scuffs of wear, located uniformly or randomly along the tread, are most often indicators of a suspension problem.
If you see any of these indicators, speak with a professional mechanic. Tires are an important safety feature of your vehicle.
Should I Switch to All-Season or All-Weather Tires?
Many people may not understand the differences between all-season vs. all-weather tires, but it’s simple.
All-Season
All-season tires are a peculiar beast. They offer average handling and braking in the summer driving and when there’s an occasional dusting of snow, they aren’t specialized enough to excel in any one area. They also don’t offer the same cold weather grip as winter rubber. When the temperature plummets, the rubber in an all-season design stiffens, reducing traction and performance across the board.
All-WeatherÂ
All-weather tires attempt to add some of the special cold weather ability offered by winter tires into a design you can still use in the summer without damaging the rubber compound, or compromising safety. Tread blocks are both straight and angled, in order to adequately channel water while still gripping snow. The rubber used is also capable of retaining its hold on the road even in the depths of January or February. They aren’t quite at the same level of a dedicated winter tire when dealing with snow and ice, but they definitely surpass all-season designs.
WinterÂ
Winter tires are designed with traction-grabbing tread patterns and sipes, and they are made with a rubber compound that stays supple even when the mercury drops.
Summer
Summer tires – also known as high performance – use special rubber compounds and tread patterns designed to stick to the road like glue during warm weather.
Which is Right For You?
Generally speaking, all-weather will outperform all-season tires in the winter, but they will also wear faster due to the design of the rubber compound. This said, the best and safest strategy is to drive on summer tires in the summer, and winter tires in the winter. While it might seem like a big investment to make up front, two sets will last you longer than a single set because wear will be distributed across both.
When is the Best Time to Switch?
If you’re an Allstate customer, your winter tires should typically be removed by the end of April and put on in early November. However, these are only broad indicators, and your local weather conditions could require a different schedule. Winter tires perform at their best in cold weather when temperatures drop below 7-degrees Celsius.
Allstate, for example, offers a 5% discount for all vehicles equipped with four winter, or all-weather, tires. They must bear the approved “winter tire” designation as implemented by Transport Canada and be installed on the vehicle during the winter season (November – April). Speak with your insurance professional about how this applies to your specific insurance premium.
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