Winter Tires Perfect for Michiganders!

Dedicated winter tires is where it’s at when you live in a blustery state like Michigan. We’re not talking about all-season tires here, but truly dedicated winter tires are what will serve you best when your fighting that LAKE EFFECT snow!

Winter tires from M & W Auto Service & Tire do an AMAZING job of gripping the road. 

Did you know that below 45 degrees Fahrenheit regular tires become hard and inflexible? That means they don’t provide the road grip you need. If you’ve been sliding, spinning, and stuck, it’s time to schedule an appointment with M & W Auto Service & Tire!

Winter tires were made to more effectively move snow and water.

Tires that act like mini-snowplows are what gives you traction on ice, packed snow and wet roads. To be technical, they use a micro-pore compound that allows the tire to bite into ice and snow. They also boast wider grooves that run around the circumference of the tread to expel snow from the tire better. Yep. They’re groovy. The lugs and grooves on winter tires have a special shape that throws the packed snow out of the tread as the tire turns. The tread is then open when it comes back in contact with the road and can provide good traction. Good traction keeps you on the road longer. Have you found yourself ditched this winter? If yes, you know it’s time to schedule an appointment at M & W Auto Service & Tire.

Preloaded with “lots of sipes”

Ummmm what? Winter tires are full of sipes. Sipes are thin slits in the tread. The edges of the sipes grab ice and packed snow to provide tons of traction and to expel water and slush out of the tread. Winter tires have a rounder casing to cut into the snow’s surface. So yes, added sipes are just one more trait that makes Winter tires better for snowy, slushy roads.

You thinking, your Summer tires will do the job? Read more.

The treads on your regular summer tires can get packed with snow and become very slick. This is why you are sliding and spinning. Winter tires offer 25% to 50% more traction than all-season tires.  And when it comes to stopping power, all-season tires take 42% longer to stop than winter tires.  Sometimes that’s the difference between getting home safely and spending the night in a snowbank. It’s time to schedule that appointment.

Time to go all in!

If you’re thinking, hmmmmm two should do it! You’ll be surprised to know that Winter tires provide much more traction than all-season or summer tires. It will create a huge difference between the traction at the front and rear ends of the car if you only put winter tires on the drive wheels. Think spin-out or even 360.

Here’s an example. If you take a corner on an icy road and the rear end starts to slide out, essentially the rear is trying to pass the front because it’s going faster.  If you have high traction winter tires only on the front, they are going to be much more effective at transferring cornering grip and stopping power to the front wheels.  This will cause the rear end to whip out even more. Yikes.

Tire manufactures instruct their dealers that they must install winter tires on the rear wheels as well whenever they put winter tires on the front end of any vehicle. 

It’s a major safety concern. It’s strongly recommended that winter tires be installed on all four wheels on rear wheel drive vehicles as well.  The front tires do most of the steering and braking work – it only makes sense that you provide the front end with the best traction you can. At M & W Auto Service & Tire, you’re family’s safety is our family’s business.

Do you have a new or newer car and think you don’t need Winter tires?

Many modern cars have traction control and anti-lock brakes so people may think that they don’t need winter tires. But you need traction to accelerate, steer and stop.  The tires provide the traction so that the traction control and anti-lock brakes have something to work with. So even though you have a new ride, you’ll need Winter tires so you don’t slide. (A little rhyming there!)

Look for tires with the symbol of a mountain with a snowflake.  This means the tire complies with the severe snow standard. 

When you live in Southwest Michigan, lake effect snow is just part of Winter driving. So when the temperatures drop below 45 degrees, be sure you have four winter tires for maximum performance in snow, packed snow, ice, wet and dry roads. Your tire professional’s and M & W Auto Service & Tire can help you find the right winter tire for your vehicle and driving needs.