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ON WINTER.
NOT ALL TIRES ARE EQUAL.
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WINTER TIRE BUYING GUIDE: SAFETY | PERFORMANCE |FUEL ECONOMY
Choosing the right winter tire for your individual driving habits and specific vehicle requirements can't be easily ascertained through online reviews. Below is a general winter tire buying guide that helps you understand how our tire experts work with you to help you make the best choice for a winter tire this season.
TREAD DESIGN.
TIRE COMPOUND.
The tires rubber compound is the most important feature of a tire and influences its performance, longevity and how the tire ages. Tire technology has progressed dramatically over the last decade due to advancements in compound, namely the addition of polymers like silica. This has resulted in tires that are 20% more fuel efficient, last much longer all while improving wet and dry performance.
SIDE WALL & LOAD RATINGS.
Often overlooked, side wall design and load ratings are key considerations when choosing winter tires, especially for European cars and SUVs. The large diameter wheels coupled with low profile sidewalls leaves little shock absorption from the winter tires softer sidewall.
This can result in tire blow-outs when hitting potholes and damage to your vehicles wheels or suspension. It can also cause excessive tread squirm under acceleration, which can be dangerous in higher horsepower vehicles.
Depending on the winter tires sidewall design and the vehicles application, choosing an XL sidewall can often solve this issue for most tires. Some side wall designs however simply don’t work well in certain applications and unfortunately tire manufacturers refuse to warranty these claims (i.e. blowouts). Choose a tire shop with a lot of experience to help you make the right decision.
STEEL WHEELS: UNIVERSAL VS. DIRECT FIT (HUB-CENTRIC).
Steel wheels cannot accept hub-centric rings which creates two types of steel wheels on the market.