Can you use winter tires all year round - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

luxury1 · 01-03-2007, 07:49 AM

The box goes through tires pretty quickly so I wondered if I could buy winter tires now and as they wear they would essentially turn into all season with less traction by summer. Handling is not my priority, it is wear and traction.

Also, will winter tires wear excessively in the summer with Northeast temperatures? Besides handling, is there any other downside to this approach?

Sammy · 01-03-2007, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luxury1

The box goes through tires pretty quickly so I wondered if I could buy winter tires now and as they wear they would essentially turn into all season with less traction by summer. Handling is not my priority, it is wear and traction.

Also, will winter tires wear excessively in the summer with Northeast temperatures? Besides handling, is there any other downside to this approach?

I would imagine that the winter tires would wear even faster, but I don't have first hand experience with winters tires on my Boxster. I have used Blizzaks on a few vehicles and their traction and wear stunk...

If you want all season wear and traction, the best thing you can do is buy all season tires. They are designed to be the "best" of all worlds and will have a longer life with reasonable traction.

Perfectlap · 01-03-2007, 08:39 AM

this my first winter on dedicated winter tires, Pirelli Snowsports. I mounted them back in October, a bit early by I had a puncture to one of my summer tires.
In April I'll put on the Michelin PS and run them until the fall.

I think up here in the North East using all season tires is useless. They are no damn good in the snow and warm weather performance is crap too.

Like Sammy said hot weather and winter tire durability don't mix. I also have doubts about how good the added stress would be for your CV joints and the drive train itself. I know that some 911 owners were being warned by Porsche about putting too many miles at high RPMs on super soft compounds and the possibility of denying warranty claims for using r comps.

racer_d · 01-03-2007, 12:05 PM

A winter tire is designed to work best in cool to cold weather. Think 40 degrees or less. As such, its performance and wear rates will be severly diminished when used in warmer weather. Plus, you won't be getting all the performance your Boxster can provide, if she's using the wrong "shoes".

Be smart, not cheap, and use the correct tires for the season/weather that you need to drive in. If you are looking for "wear and traction", get the "right" tires. you don't need DOT R comps in the summer, but I am sure a regular "summer tire" vs a "extreme performance summer tire" would have the wear characteristics you want. The fact is you shouldn't expect more than about 25,000 miles out of the rear tires and that may be a "high" number.

luxury1 · 01-03-2007, 01:32 PM

Thanks for all of the great information guys! Do you feel that it is dangerous to drive with summer tires (the continentals that shipped with the car in '05) when the weather is near freezing if there is no snow or ice. For instance, I have to drive 600 miles over the next two days and the weather will be around 37 when I leave in the morning.

01-03-2007, 01:39 PM

Hey Luxury1!

Happy New Year! We have not heard from you in a long time. I hope all is well.

The Porsche tire guide states, "when the tempature drops below 35-40 degrees F, the rubber compounds that provide those extreme levels of grip tend to become stiff and unforgiving. Traction levels off and braking distances increase, even on dry pavement. The tires never reach their operating tempature in cold weather, and unpredictable handling is the result."

Sammy · 01-03-2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luxury1

Thanks for all of the great information guys! Do you feel that it is dangerous to drive with summer tires (the continentals that shipped with the car in '05) when the weather is near freezing if there is no snow or ice. For instance, I have to drive 600 miles over the next two days and the weather will be around 37 when I leave in the morning.

It is by no means ideal to drive with summer tires at cold temperatures, but as long as you drive smart, it won't be dangerous. You will have less traction if you need to make an emergency manuever but it's not like you're going to be all over the place. IMHO, I would not make it a long term thing and would get the proper tires for cold weather.

wild1poet2 · 01-03-2007, 02:25 PM

I have pirelli Pzero's. I garage my car in the winter but we are having an unusually mild winter so far with no snow. So I have been taking it out on sunny dry days. I have my car here at work today. When the temps hover around 40 or drop below I am just more aware of my speed and drive accordingly especially on turns and highway offramps.

luxury1 · 01-03-2007, 02:41 PM

I love this forum as you guys are always willing to help and have great answers! I REALLY appreciate it!

Good to hear from you bmussatti! Just about a year ago around this time you helped me find my new car! I love it! I have been incredibly busy with work and personal life that my time on the forum has been significantly hindered. How is your box treating you?

djomlas · 01-03-2007, 03:12 PM

i have contis and use them year round, not the best for winter but they are OK. just have to be extra careful, which i am as soon as the conditions turn from sunny 50 degree to rain/snow or whatever

Paul · 01-03-2007, 06:49 PM

Winter rated tires are required by law during the winter months in many states.

Your insurance company will notice.

YellowPorscheMan2002 · 01-04-2007, 01:51 AM

Hi:

I concur with much of what's been said here.

I've been using winter tires on the cars I drive in winter, like my Mercedes, for many years. Learned this when I lived in Germany. Simply, winter tires are for winter and summer tires for summer.

As stated, the wear rates on winter tires will be much worse during summer temperatures, plus you'll get less traction in the summer with winter tires due to the tread patterns.

Someone once told me, "Tires are the only part of the car that touches the ground." So basically, if your a car connesseur, go ahead and buy the right tires for the right time of year.

MNBoxster · 01-04-2007, 05:54 AM

Hi,

Winter tires are designed to provide improved performance under winter conditions (ice, snow) compared to tires made for use in summer. The rubber compound used in the tread of the tire is usually softer than that used in tires for summer conditions, providing better grip on ice and snow, but wearing more quickly at higher temperatures.

Winter tires also often have siping (fine grooves) in the tread that are designed to grip any unevenness on ice. Running Winter Tires in the summer can result in the rubber compound becoming too soft in warm weather resulting in a reduced tire life.

The Heat Management of a Winter Tire is usually inferior to that of a Summer or an All-Season (M/S rated) tire. Winter Tires run an increased risk of a temp related Blowout if run in warm weather, they should only be run in the -20°F - 40°F range, this is where they were designed to run.

Also, both Wet and Dry traction has been purposely compromised in the design of Winter Tires in order that they provide greater traction in Snow and Ice conditions. Your Range (MPG) will also suffer too if Winter Tires are run in the summer. Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Perfectlap · 01-04-2007, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luxury1

Thanks for all of the great information guys! Do you feel that it is dangerous to drive with summer tires (the continentals that shipped with the car in '05) when the weather is near freezing if there is no snow or ice. For instance, I have to drive 600 miles over the next two days and the weather will be around 37 when I leave in the morning.

I tried something similar once (not 600 miles though) and the weather dropped unexpectedly fast and guess what happened next? Rain that quickly became snow! In a span of less than 50 yards I went from cruising at 50mph to spinning like on dog in a hockey rink. Easily the most dangerous situation I have ever been in. The 4WD cars and trucks(big ones!) sailed right past me as I struggled to keep the car moving in a straight line just to get the car off the interstate. But no before spinning into the barrier and miraculously avoided damage. Somehow I literally drifted down the exit ramp and slid into a parking spot in a residential area. Everything changed in a heart beat. That's winter in the North East.
Now I have my snows and from what I hear the car is excellent on them.

Dr. Kill · 01-04-2007, 10:11 AM

It really doesn’t save you any money to keep driving on the same set of tires year round. ALL OTHER THINGS BEING EQUAL: If you are wearing your tires as you drive on them, having a spare set in the garage that you switch back and forth will run you through two sets of tires just as fast as blowing through two sets that you burn through – one right after the other. It is the same total number of miles run for the useful life of each set of tires.

Buy the right tires for your driving conditions. It will allow you to enjoy the car more, and more importantly, it will help you to operate your vehicle more safely year round.

Wonko The Sane · 01-04-2007, 12:28 PM

Although everyone's already said it, I'll add that with my cars, as soon as the weather is going to be above 40 for more than a day, the snows come off and the summers go on. Snow tires are just as dangerous in high temps as summer tires are in low temps, especially if you're in a car that is easy to drive at high speeds.

That said, if you're a smart shopper, you can do what I did, which is buy a set of rims/tires from a member on this board (check the classifieds), and have a dedicated set of snow tires and a dedicated set of summers, ready to swap at a moments notice. I found a set of rims from a member for $700, which included all four tires with at least 80% tread on them... That was less than what tirerack.com wanted for a set of after market look-alike rims for the Porsche.

By the end, it still cost me the same $1,500 to get all outfitted for snow driving, but I came away with a "free" set of summer rubbers that will do just fine when I wear out my current set!