Getting Ready for Summer Is All About Timing

When is the Best Time to Put On Summer Tires?

Driving in this part of the country comes with challenges – mostly during the snowy and icy winter months. Regardless of how you feel about the winter season, it’s always nice when the thaw comes and temperatures begin to rise. Once we start to see the snow melt, it’s not uncommon for the Fifth Avenue VW Service Department to get a lot of calls from people asking, ‘When is the best time to put on summer tires?’ While it may be tempting to swap out your winter tires for a summer set on the first warm day of the year, we would advise you to think about a few things first. Let’s take a look at a few tips you might want to consider.

READ MORE: Is it Time to Buy a New Set of Tires?

Which Day Should You Change Seasonal Tires?

Helping someone with the timing to swap out their seasonal tires isn’t as simple as choosing a day in April or November and just going for it. Weather patterns can vary from year to year and if it’s unseasonably warm or cold at a given time, it might be wise to wait. The one guideline we can always follow is the 7-degree rule. Basically, when the average ambient temperature slips below 7°C, it’s time to put on winter tires. Once the thermometer averages above 7°C, it’s ok to put on all-season or high-performance summer tires.

Why is 7°C the Line to Change Tires?

To be sure, the technology used to make modern tires is infinitely more advanced than ever before. Different tires have different purposes and are designed to react to certain conditions. For any of many reasons, 7°C seems to be the point that separates cold weather tires and warm weather tires. Broadly speaking, all-season and summer tires lose elasticity at temps below 7°C, making them more likely to slip, and, conversely, winter tires get too soft at temps above 7°C, which will cause damage to the treads on warm and dry road surfaces.

How To Properly Store Seasonal Tires

If you’re the do-it-yourself type, you may also switch out your own seasonal tires. While our team can help, we also understand the feeling of getting the job done yourself. Here are a few tips to make sure you aren’t causing unnecessary damage to your tires by storing them incorrectly.

• Thoroughly clean off all of the dirt, grime and brake dust
• Make sure they are kept at a temperature that is consistently comfortable, if it’s ok for you, it will be ok for your tires
• Ensure your tires are completely dry before putting them away
• If you can, invest in a tire storage bag for excellent storage protection

The Fifth Avenue Volkswagen Service Department is always available to help you with your service needs. Make an appointment with us, today, if there is something we can do to help.