Summer Tires

Dedicated winter/snow tires are the most effective for driving in heavy snow, ice and extreme cold, but once the mercury rises and the last of the ice and snow has disappeared you could be better off switching to a summer tire rather than an all season tire. All season tires are a compromise, and the same trade-offs that make them less than ideal for winter weather also work against them when the weather heats up. If you run winter/snow tires and switch to different tires at the end of the season, or live in an area where it never snows, a set of summer tires may be right for your vehicle.

All season tires are the most popular tires for a reason – they provide satisfactory year round performance under the conditions most drivers experience, enabling vehicle owners to only need one set of tires. Their tread depth and pattern can handle light snow, and the rubber compound stays flexible at lower temperatures for better grip. But when the snow gets deep and the mercury really drops, that tread is inadequate and the rubber is too stiff to provide the needed traction. But all season tires also reveal their limitations at the opposite temperature extremes and conditions.

An all season tire tread pattern designed for moderate traction in light snow is at the same time not as effective when maximum grip is desired on dry and wet roads. Tread that is by necessity more aggressive for driving in snow, with blocks that are widely spaced and numerous voids and grooves, means less rubber contact with the road. In contrast, summer tires have less space between tread blocks, shallower tread depth, and fewer grooves, plus they commonly feature continuous, unbroken ribs, all of which puts more rubber on the road, and that means better traction and grip for cornering, braking, and acceleration. And even though summer tires have shallower grooves, their tread design is optimized to expel water and prevent hydroplaning on wet summer roads.

But tread design is only part of the reason for summer tires’ superior grip and performance on both dry and wet roads in warm ambient temperatures. All season tires are also popular because of their long tread life, and to be sure tires that last many thousands of miles are easy on the wallet. However, for all season tires to last long their rubber compound has to be harder than summer tires, which means less traction. The softer rubber compound of summer tires makes them stickier so you get maximum grip and optimal performance when you mash the accelerator, push it hard in the corners, or stand on the brakes, and this compound improves grip in both dry and wet conditions. The tradeoff, of course, is shorter tread life, but if performance is most important, summer tires are the way to roll.

Before choosing summer tires you should consider your driving conditions. It goes without saying that the tread design makes summer tires virtually useless in snow, but the ambient temperature must also be taken into account. Because the tread compound was designed to perform in hot temperatures, when the mercury drops to 40ºF or below summer tires get hard and traction will suffer. More importantly, when the temperature drops below freezing a vehicle with summer tires should not be driven or even rolled as the rubber compound can crack, irreparably damaging the tires. If it never snows where you live and you rarely see temperatures below 40ºF, summer tires are a great choice. But if it gets colder and there’s a chance of encountering the white stuff, all season tires may make more sense.

Summer tires are synonymous with performance tires, and we have an extensive selection, including low profile designs for late model cars and trucks, in large diameters and with the top speed ratings. If you want tires that are even stickier, check out our drag radials and track/competition tires for road racing. Our summer tires for trucks, SUVs, CUVs and commercial vehicles combine dry and wet road traction proficiency with the rugged construction needed by larger and heavier vehicles. Choose from tread patterns optimized for highway use to all terrain tires that are sure-footed on and off road. And if you have a collector car and want to upgrade to modern ride and performance, we offer summer radial tires with classic sidewalls including wide white walls, red lines, and raised white letters.