Summer performance tires driving in non-snow winter?

I have summer performance tires, and moved to Dallas this year from California. Having limited experience about tire compounds and treads in cold winter conditions, can someone please share if I need to be concerned about loss of grip due to temperature near 32 degrees F, if there is no snow or ice on the ground? Will the compound of the tire, which I expect is optimized for higher temperatures, will have really poor grip due to low winter temperatures? Should I drive the wife's car with all seasons on days like this? I expect I can ***** foot it around and find out for myself, but I'd like to avoid mistakes, or at least have an indication of what I'm in for.

TIA.

Originally Posted by chrischeung

I have summer performance tires, and moved to Dallas this year from California. Having limited experience about tire compounds and treads in cold winter conditions, can someone please share if I need to be concerned about loss of grip due to temperature near 32 degrees F, if there is no snow or ice on the ground? Will the compound of the tire, which I expect is optimized for higher temperatures, will have really poor grip due to low winter temperatures? Should I drive the wife's car with all seasons on days like this? I expect I can ***** foot it around and find out for myself, but I'd like to avoid mistakes, or at least have an indication of what I'm in for.

TIA.

Here is a quotation from a Wheels.ca web site............+7C is equal to 44 degrees.

So basically when heading toward freezing the summer compound loses grip. Note the 44 degrees is in reference to all seasons not summers............

Having said all that I don't see why you would have problems in Texas other than a freak snow storm.

Once the average daily temperatures are over +7C, it is time to make the changeover to summers or all-seasons. Self-preservation should be the motive: the changeover may help you avoid a collision or a blowout.

All classes of tires - winter, summer and all-season (really three-season) - start life with quite different rubber compounds. Each is optimized for a different temperature range. If we run a tire outside of its comfort zone, it reacts badly.

Summer tires in winter turn hard as hockey pucks; in winter, all-season tires start to lose grip as temps drop below +7C and are virtually useless for grip below -10C. Winter tires lose grip as the temperatures climb above +7 C. Just as all-seasons wear tread faster in winter, winters wear faster in summer.

Originally Posted by chrischeung

I have summer performance tires, and moved to Dallas this year from California. Having limited experience about tire compounds and treads in cold winter conditions, can someone please share if I need to be concerned about loss of grip due to temperature near 32 degrees F, if there is no snow or ice on the ground? Will the compound of the tire, which I expect is optimized for higher temperatures, will have really poor grip due to low winter temperatures? Should I drive the wife's car with all seasons on days like this? I expect I can ***** foot it around and find out for myself, but I'd like to avoid mistakes, or at least have an indication of what I'm in for.

TIA.

I've driven in conditions similar, no snow, but cold - and you should be fine for daily driving. That said, if you push it, you'll experience reduced traction (because of the cold temps) so handling wise, you'll want to take it easy. The tires will become less grippy, and the back end will be even more prone to rear wheel spin (as if it's already not easy enough LOL).

My PS2's end up requiring some reasonably significant warm-up time even on mornings where it's around 50F outside. I would be very, very cautious in the DFW area as the overpasses there are notorious for ice build up.

Having driven more then I should in the winter with summer tires I can tell you that on clean pavement you'll be fine if you're gentle with the right foot. On snow/ice you're screwed. I could get stuck in a 1/4" of slush or the slightest ice.

Tim

I would advise against using summer tires in the winter, even in TX...read the post below.

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...r+tires+winter

Originally Posted by carman26

I would advise against using summer tires in the winter, even in TX...read the post below.

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthr...r+tires+winter

In all fairness, 24 degrees in the wet is a lot colder and more treacherous (ice) than what the OP is talking about, 32+ presumably in the dry.

FWIW I have taken the OEM Bridgestone summers on 36 degree dry and low 40s wet. Obviously wasn't driving like a maniac but no problems driving 'like a normal person'--that being said, I will be getting winters mainly for the prolonged below-freezing temps as well as occasional snow & ice

Basically I'm not going to drive the car on days below 40.

Originally Posted by chrischeung

Basically I'm not going to drive the car on days below 40.

IMHO you will be fine. Unless the michelins or whatever brand you have react massively different to 40 degrees than my bridgestones did, which I somehow doubt

I would have gotten caught in last week's suprising "snowctober" storm but I waited till it was low 40s and sunny (nothing on roads except some water from melted snow) and was fine for a 4hr drive home