It’s Never Too Early to Think About Slapping Some Snow Tires on Your Aftermarket Wheels

A snowstorm in early November can teach us a good lesson; that it’s never too early to think about slapping some snow tires on your aftermarket wheels. In fact, depending on where you live, you should start thinking about winter tires in September. And even if you are still raking leaves while the wife is stuffing the Thanksgiving Day turkey, you need to realize that it is critical that you do what you can to prepare your car or truck for winter, including getting winter tires.

Why Winter Tires?

All too many drivers just take for granted that all-season tires are perfectly acceptable for driving around in the snowy winter months. This only holds true of you live in a relatively mild climate. But if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow and experiences routine temperatures below 40 degrees, then a set of winter tires will improve your safety dramatically, especially in the months that are coldest. And while all-season tires will provide a reasonable amount a traction in snow, their performance can be compared to a set of half-worn winter tires. But if your all-season tires are half-worn, they are utterly useless in snow and icy road conditions.

Winter tires are far superior not only because they have tread patterns made specifically for traction on snow and ice, but also because the rubber compounds that make up the tire is softer to enhance grip. In addition, the softer rubber will also improve performance even if there is no snow or ice on the road, as long as it is cold out.

Braking

Braking performance is a huge reason why drivers should seriously consider winter tires. Recent studies saw a dramatic improvement in braking when using winter tires over all-season tires, as much as 35 percent, which is huge when it comes to stopping distance, a distance that could save your life.

Setbacks

One of the biggest reasons drivers shy away from winter tires is the cost. A complete set of winter tires will put a dent in your wallet, especially if you have big wheels. Of course, you can always compare the price of winter tires to your insurance deductible should you suffer a crash. And a good set of winter tires could be the difference between getting home safely and winding up at the hospital or worse.

Space

Another setback is finding a place to store your all-season tires in the winter and your winter tires in the spring and summer. For some people, they already live in an apartment or small house and suffer enough clutter in their lives. And even if you do have a garage, it might already be packed to the ceiling. But if there is a will, then there is a way.

If you are in the market for winter tires, visit BB Wheels.