Yes, many of the "maximum performance" summer tires can be damaged by freezing temperatures.
Summer tires aren't meant for snow, but does that mean they can only be driven during summer temperatures?
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Tires like Michelin PSS, P4S, Continental DW, Bridgestone Potenza Sport etc. will be fine. They won’t perform good, but fine.
Tires that won’t be fine: Michelin Pilot Cup 2, Bridgestone Potenza RE71, Kumho V730, etc. that, extreme performance, 200 and bellow tires. There could be physical damage at low temperatures.
Tires that won’t be fine: Michelin Pilot Cup 2, Bridgestone Potenza RE71, Kumho V730, etc. that, extreme performance, 200 and bellow tires. There could be physical damage at low temperatures.
f355spider
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THIS!
I run normal summer extreme performance tires year round on a couple BMWs, no issues, just don't push them when temps drop into the 30s and below.
I run track tires on my Ferrari, Pirelli PZero Corsa K1 spec (tread wear rating 60) tires are not to be used in freezing or below freezing temperatures. In fact they are not even allowed to be stored in temperatures below 32F.
Even the BFG Sport comp2 with a 340 TW still can't be flexed below-7C, or they will crack.
I ran mine into October the first year and they took a couple miles to become round again at 5C or lower, and I did run them once in the rain at -1C and they still were OK. Probably the same as 4/32" older all-seasons. Easy to control a bit of wheel spin in a low power fwd car anyways...
In the dry at 0C, I think they would still outperform almost any winter tire at full tread depth that I've ever owned, as in general winter tires that are good in snow are no good on dry pavement at any temperature... Maybe some xice's at 5/32 would be about the same, but they aren't too good in the snow at that point either!
BFG might take a few miles to get round, but that was a problem on the first version of Conti DWS, which was all-season tire.
That BFG will be fine. I ran PSS in 20's, Continental Sport Contact etc.
I had that issue with General AS05 UHP all seasons. In cold would need a few miles to round out.
When I worked in a tire shop a few years back my manager would often sell the cheapest winter tires to older folks who hardly drove any miles. His reasoning was they were only buying one set anyway and they'd be safer in the winter and still not wear them out before they got hard/started to crack after 5-6+ years.
How long ago was that? Good modern summers like Conti ECS or Michelin PS4S get excellent ratings on wet pavement...(at the appropriate temps)
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Nobody "needs" these but they have a purpose for those looking for more performance.
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I put a new set of these on our old 2003 Taurus and they were great in the snow.
So far they are doing very well in the warmer weather as well. Will have to wait and see how they do when to 90 and 100 degree weather gets here.
So far they are doing very well in the warmer weather as well. Will have to wait and see how they do when to 90 and 100 degree weather gets here.
Where do you live? Here in central VA I can run my summers from about now (late March) through early Nov give or take a few weeks; basically once the lows are in the 40s or dipping into the 30s they come off and once like now lows rise above 40 consistently I can put them on. You'll read that they aren't ideal below 40 and damage can occur below freezing IF they are stored/parked in those temps. Keeping a car in the garage with summers and taking it to the store in 32 degree temps isn't the same as parking overnight in those temps and then driving it when the rubber is v. cold. I know several folks here that ran summers year around which I wouldn't suggest.Saw these on Facebook
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but it says summer tire. Remember reading here something about not using summer tires below or near freezing temperatures. Does that still apply, and what happens if you do?
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Long ago, I will admit. Nokia i3 I think. Would spin a tire on wet road markings, when no other tire would. Don’t recall what temps, too long ago now.
Just not a good fit for my driving.
Then it really had no bearing on a modern summer like we are discussing. Many people use the two tires I mentioned as their rain tires for track use. A summer tire today is really a dry/wet tire, just doesn't do snow/really cold temps. I agree that for me, a UHP all season is a one and done tire but it's fun to have summers with the better feedback without any loss in rain performance.
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Exactly. Any modern summer tire should perform as well in the wet/rain as an all season.
I run M&S tires on my Jeep year 'round.
Track focused summer tires may not perform in the wet as good as AS or summer tires, especially if there is standing water.
But i3 were not track tires.
Krzyś
I am speaking to "normal" summer street tires as I stated so the ~300tw type (I used PS4S/ECS as my examples), not 200tw "extreme" summer tires that are often used for track that will not perform as well in teh rain for sure. I have sets of both and understand the differences - I actually drove home from a track event last month on the 200s in the 30s-degrees temps/rain, not really ideal as they do hydroplane easier. It looks like the Nokian I3 is an all season, not a summer performance tire. Not sure what bearing it has in this convo.