Guys,

I got new wheels to replace my OEM 17". I plan to use the OEM's for Winter, but as I'm looking for tires, nearly all in the 245/35/19 (8.5) - 275/35/19 (9.5)are max summer performance.

I live in Chicago, and my question is do these types of tires loose performance in spring and fall where the temprature is lower? Do I need to go with an all season?

I want to get the Eagle F1's, but many places are out of stock for weeks on the 245's.

Thanks!

John

 

Summer tires would be better described as "non-winter" tires. The softer compound will be better any time the roads are dry. As long as you plan on putting all-seasons on for the winter, you'll be fine. (Actually, you should put dedicated snow tires on if you really want to do it right.)

 

I will never, ever put snow tires on a car again.

Loud, horible traction, and worse MPG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So are summer tires harder or softer? I thought they would be harder, as it would take more heat to make them soft, but winter tires have to be soft from the get-go for traction...????

 

Winter tires are a have silica compound in them which makes them very pliable and grip great when it's cold and wet out.

Summer tires in the cold get very hard and are like driving on ice all the time. Get the snow tires for the winter. They make 100 times the difference!

 

But how cold? If I'm driving on summer tires on a cool spring night, say 50 degrees, am I going to have less traction than my all seasons?

 

"summer" performance tires are ONLY for warm conditions

You car will not move more than a few feet in the snow with summer tires on....I am not joking

 

No. Summer tires are made of soft rubber compound, and have large tread blocks with wide, deep grooves for water. All season tires are typically (but not always) constructed of a harder rubber, and have smaller tread blocks with large grooves for water, and smaller grooves for snow and ice traction. Dedicated winter tires are a soft rubber that stays pliable and maintains grip in colder temps. Snow tires have small tread blocks with many small grooves. Softer compounds grip much better on dry roads, but they do not last as long.

Putting it simply . . . soft rubber + large tread blocks = maximum grip on dry roads.

 

All tires have a friction vs temperature graph and a wear vs temperature graph.

Summer performance tires have the highest friction when the tire - road interface is around 180F. What one would see at the track in serious cornering conditions.



http://www.ctre.iastate.edu/pubs/cro...easurement.pdf
http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/serv...cvips&gifs=yes
http://www.longacreracing.com/articles/art.asp?ARTID=18
http://www.edccorp.com/pdfs/WP2001-4.pdf
http://www.rowleyrace.com/PDF/Chapter_19_Excerpt.pdf
http://www.control.lth.se/documents/2003/tfrt7607.pdf

To simply answer your question: Every tire has a [DIFFERENT] plasticazation point temperature where the graph noses over and friction falls very rapidly.

 

I've had Goodyear Eagle F1's, and at 50 degrees outside, the do slip a bit when cold, but once they warm up from driving, they're fine. Excellent rain tire, as well, but definately no good in mud or snow or ice. Of course, I live in SoCal. Up where you are, I'd probably stick to a high-performance all-season tire. I wouldn't want to get caught on a bad day with tires that don't grip.

 

Abso-freaking-lutely! I grew up in PA and moved to NC 15 years ago. I have never owned a car with summer tires before the G35 (also never owned a FWD car). I was absolutely AMAZED at how bad summer tires are on even the smallest amount of snow. It almost never snows where I live, but I still insisted on getting A/S tires for those times when you have to drive in it. The one time I took my car out in very little snow I had to chuckle as I could barely get out of my driveway to start up the street. It was actually embarrassing being from PA and not being able to go 15 feet in the snow when I did it for years with no problems!

If you keep summer tires on your car, then you need to have another car you use when there is even a forecast for snow. Preferably a Subaru!

 

It's really all about the temperature of road/tire interface below 45-50F all bets are off with Summer Ultra Tires. As you are 100-120F BELOW the optimum friction points..........rain/snow remove heat faster from tire, so in rain you must raise the minimum critical interface temperature.

 

Naw. If I lived up in that climate, I'd just invest in a second set of rims with some winter tires.

 

I have a 2005 6mt Coupe and I live in the Chicago area. I took delivery end of February 2005 so I did have a couple of light snow experiances that were bad enough to be sure I got winter tires. I put 17" Blizzaks on Enkei wheels, 225/50F and 235/50R. Past winter went through several storms with amazing results, highly recommend in this area that you put on winter tires. Now I need to get new summer tires as my OEM Potenza RE050A are almost gone after 16K. Fronts roared after 8K like the bearings are shot. Similar issues as other postings. I put on 22K a year so I'm going with Pilot Sport A/S for the 400AA rating, sorry guys I know that's criminal.

 

summer tires tend to loose dramatic grip when ambient temps average
lower than 50F. at least from my experience.

i use my stock tires (pilot a/s) in the winter time...although i only drive
it in the dry.

 

lolz... once u get a Subaru, then you gotta hang out at NASIOC and see what all those crazy ppl do in the off topic forums. -_-;