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All Season vs. Summer Tires in the Snow Belt

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Lake Orion
#1
I live in Michigan where winter tires are a great help. My FiST will need new tires come spring. While I like the idea of buying pure summer tires (likely Firestone Indy's) I am concerned about the transition months. Summer and winter do not show up by throwing a switch and there is atleast one month at each season change where having to decide between winter nd summer tires will result in the wrong deciison on many days. Having an A/S tire would smooth out this transition.

Question for other snow belters: Am I over thinking this? It seems the only way to be safe is to keep the winter tires on and accept that they will wear faster in the transiiton months.
 


SST

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Toronto
#2
I am from Toronto, and used to live in Windsor, so just across the bridge from you. I have Michelin Pilot AS3+ as my summer tires, tried them with a bit of snow, and they are total failure when going a slight uphill stop sign intersection, they brake ok thou, if you buy All season, buy a all season, not performance all season.

thought i heard the Continental version is a lot better on snow. the general AS05 is also decent on snow. Maybe its just me picking the wrong tire, i would buy a set of proper winter tire. just get some 15" if you dont have big brakes, 15" winter tires are cheap!
 


OP
kenweise
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Lake Orion
Thread Starter #3
I have 15" winter tires. Work great. The question is what to get for summer. My big concern is the transition months from summer->winter and winter->summer. If I buy summer tires for the warm months, I will likely need to leave the winters on for and extre 2-3 weeks at each end of the season. This will mean running winter tires when it is >60°F to not risk running the summer tires in the snow. A/S solves the transition problem, but is not as great in the summer.
 


SST

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#4
most people i know here in Canada switch late just to be safe. plus 15" snow tires are cheap, and they dont wear out as fast as u think.
60f is not going to melt your tires right away
 


M-Sport fan

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#5
most people i know here in Canada switch late just to be safe. plus 15" snow tires are cheap, and they don't wear out as fast as you think.
60*F is not going to melt your tires right away
THIS! Especially if you do not use the sponge soft compounded, fine micro-siped, brush-like, 'studless' variety of winter tires (like the Blizzaks, X-Ice 3s/4s, etc.), and go for the harder compounded, winter setups like the Arctic 12s, Winterforces, etc. ;)
 


Intuit

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South West Ohio
#7
Seems like one could be implying three sets of tires. That would be overthinking it. All season would allow you more flexibility in terms of when to dawn the Winters, if at all.

Continental Winters are dawned with the first accumulating snow fall. The Bridgestone Summers are dawned when pretty sure there's no more snow fall... so maybe April memory serving. Yes, I've driven the Summers under frigid conditions. Against manufacturer recommendations? Sure. Cracked? No. Scratched? Dunno. Cracked? No. Fall apart? Nah. Poor grip under acceleration? When cold, of course. Poor grip when stopping? Not that I've noticed. Permanently damaged? I'm not tracking it so, not that I've noticed. I still have fun on the corners.

Just drive according to the conditions and you'll be fine. Regardless of the tire, if someone is out-driving the vehicle and the conditions as a whole, then the answer ain't to get a new vehicle or (within reason) new tires. The answer is to get driver training.
 


Jerickson88

Active member
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Rock Creek
#8
I like the Federal All Season i have. I’m sure they aren’t as good as snow tires, but I can’t complain for a daily driver.

To make the decision, really consider how hard you drive during the warmer months and decide if that’s responsible or necessary. I’m not poking at spirited driving, but for your region an all season can be just as useful as I’m sure you get some rain like we do in the South East. All summer we had rain, few days a week.

These guys out in Texas, NM, Arizona and SoCal, and South Florida would be who I’d see with summer tires all year.

I’d vote all seasons and a legit set of winters
 


Last edited:
Messages
152
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Location
Buffalo, NY
#9
I have dedicated summer only tires and a swap set of 15" snow tires (hankook i-pikes, $68 a tire and performed as good or better then the blizzaks I've had in the past)
Looking out my window currently there's a foot of snow on the ground. First good amount of snow this year surprisingly and my snows have been on for a few months now.
The snow tires won't wear as fast as you think and lets be real. Safety for $280 for you and the other drivers around you is CHEAP. Don't worry about the tires wearing fast, be concerned with the question "am I safer this way" more.
 


Jerickson88

Active member
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Rock Creek
#10
I have dedicated summer only tires and a swap set of 15" snow tires (hankook i-pikes, $68 a tire and performed as good or better then the blizzaks I've had in the past)
Looking out my window currently there's a foot of snow on the ground. First good amount of snow this year surprisingly and my snows have been on for a few months now.
The snow tires won't wear as fast as you think and lets be real. Safety for $280 for you and the other drivers around you is CHEAP. Don't worry about the tires wearing fast, be concerned with the question "am I safer this way" more.
Couldn’t have said it better myself. I still push for all seasons and there’s some very good offerings out there, Coopers, Falkens, Federals, Nitto that are still good performers.


To the OP, if you are concerned about the life of your tires, consider the fact that you are spreading out wear over two sets. You’ll get a few years out of both!
 


TyphoonFiST

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Rich-fizzield
#11
I live in Michigan where winter tires are a great help. My FiST will need new tires come spring. While I like the idea of buying pure summer tires (likely Firestone Indy's) I am concerned about the transition months. Summer and winter do not show up by throwing a switch and there is atleast one month at each season change where having to decide between winter nd summer tires will result in the wrong deciison on many days. Having an A/S tire would smooth out this transition.

Question for other snow belters: Am I over thinking this? It seems the only way to be safe is to keep the winter tires on and accept that they will wear faster in the transiiton months.
Here is a rule I live by there my Cheesehead neighbor.....If there is a week with consecutive 60 degree temps....The Winter tires come off and El Summer Wheels roll out! [raceflag]
 


M-Sport fan

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#12
To the OP, if you are concerned about the life of your tires, consider the fact that you are spreading out wear over two sets. You’ll get a few years out of both!
Also, something to be concerned about is the winters lasting too long, and 'dating out' from their build date (becoming ineffective due to the compound hardening way too much, heat cycling and cracking/splitting due to age, etc.), so using them, wearing them out, and replacing them every 3-4 years or so is not a bad thing, except to your wallet, of course. [wink]

I am guilty of the above myself, since I will not put the full winter setup on unless there is going to be exceptional snow/ice/slush on the roads for an extended period, and will leave the older build date, factory Pilot Sport AS/3s on to wear out instead, since I want to 'save' the Arctic 12's tread depth/edges for rally working use. [chair]
 


Intuit

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#13
Bag your wheels/tires whenever they're off the car. I put some lube on the sidewalls when it came to my spare. That helped immensely.
 


SST

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#14
maybe the OP can consider the Nokian WR, but Nokian aren't affordable anymore.
 


M-Sport fan

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#15
maybe the OP can consider the Nokian WR, but Nokian aren't affordable anymore.
They never really were, as compared to even the 'premium' winter choices at Tire rack and DTD. [:(]

(But they are still great winter/all weather donuts, regardless of co$t! [thumb])
 




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