Sunday 6 November 2011
In December 2010, there were a series of ultra-severe snowstorms in southwestern Ontario that hit the areas of Hwy 402 and Hwy 22 near Sarnia , Ontario
Hopefully you will never be caught in such severe weather, but nevertheless, the key with winter driving is not just to drive carefully and respect the fact that snow can start blowing spontaneously, but to be completely prepared with key items to keep in your vehicle that will help you survive should you ever be stranded.
Here are some key items to have in/on the car for winter:
- Buy a set of winter tires! The rubber on winter tires are designed to stay grippy when it is cold out, and the grippier the tires, the better traction you get. Winter tires are also designed with tiny gripping sipes that help you drive in snow better. Yes, a set of winter tires and rims are expensive, but by having an additional set of wheels, your summer tires will last longer, and a set of winter tires can be used for up to 4 or 5 seasons if you drive moderate kilometres every winter.
- Switch to winter wiper blades, or have yours checked to ensure there are no rips or tears. Just like with the rubber on snow tires, they remain softer in the cold and thus able to clean your windshield better
- Keep a blanket and extra jacket, extra pair of gloves, and some non-perishable snacks like protein/energy bars or trail mix
- An extra jug of washer fluid, booster cables, an extra pair of wiper blades, ice scraper, a quality snow brush (not the cheap wooden-handle ones!!!), a small collapsible shovel, and a large, bright quality flashlight with fresh batteries
- Your CAA card and the phone number of another tow truck company
Here are some winter driving tips:
- A very simple piece of advice: DON’T go out if you don’t have to if you are anticipating a big snowstorm or treacherous weather, even if you have winter tires. Sometimes it’s not you who could cause a collision, but someone else, or you lose control on black ice that nobody can see
- Don’t idle your car unattended (and especially not with your kids or valuable items inside!) unless your windshield is completely frozen, and you need the defroster running at maximum capacity to help melt the ice while you are there scraping. As mentioned earlier, idling wastes fuel and thieves can easily drive off with your vehicle if you are not careful.
- Keep the gas tank relatively full. I advocate filling it when it gets to just below a half tank in winter. Sometimes you never know if you will be stuck in traffic for hours, or if you’ll need the keep the engine running to stay warm should you be stranded in an emergency.
- Accelerate gently in snow, slush, or wet winter roads. In manual cars, you can start out in second gear to reduce wheel spin, and if you have traction control, turn it off in deep snow to accelerate better
- Don’t drive too fast. You want enough time to brake, and by keeping a safe distance from the car in front of you also, you will have more braking distance. Brake gently. ABS brakes increase braking distance, but they prevent the wheels from locking so you have more steering control
- Observe everyone around you on the road during winter driving. For someone driving very slow or fishtailing, they likely do not have proper tires, so keep a safe distance from them in case they slide out or lose control
- Let tailgaters pass you in inclement conditions. Big egos and speeding have no place in winter driving
- When parked and expecting snow or freezing rain, lift up your wiper arms so it will be easier to clear the windshield of snow and ice when you are leaving
- When driving in snowy, slushy conditions, always look ahead at the lights. If they are green, chances are they can turn yellow by the time you get there, so be prepared to brake if needed and try not to speed up.
It is worth noting again to keep your fuel tank at least half-full in winter before an anticipated snowstorm, and even when you are not driving long distances. Not only does this minimize moisture from getting into the gas (which could cause fuel line freezing and hard starting), but in winter, you just never know if you'll be stranded, and need to run the engine to stay warm. It is penny-wise, pound-foolish to keep the gas tank constantly low or at ¼ tank because you are going to have to eventually spend the money on gasoline anyways if you do a lot of driving, and as a bonus, putting in extra gas in winter will reduce the number of times you need to brave the cold to pump gas into the car, saving you time. It just makes perfect sense to keep your tank at least half-full.
Here Are Some Final Tips
1. DON'T turn on your wipers until you lift them up off the windshield to ensure they are not frozen to the windshield. You could damage your wiper linkages if the blades are frozen due to freezing rain, or after a big snowfall. Clear the snow around the wiper arms too before operation so they can move without obstruction.
Also, remember turn off your wiper system before you shut off your car!!! This is so they won't operate on their own automatically when you start the car up.
I cannot emphasize how important this is because if you break your wiper linkages, it can be quite expensive labour-wise to remove the windsheild cowling and fix the linkages. Worse-case scenario is you could kill your wiper motor. Do you really wanna spend a few hundred and be without your car for a few days because you didn't check that the wipers were frozen to the glass??? Dealers rarely stock wiper parts either, meaning you may need to wait a day or two for parts to come in.
2. Buy some "silicone lube" and spray the front bumper, wheel wells, rocker panels and behind the mud guards to minimize snow sticking to the area. Silicone lube is also good for rubber weatherstripping to prevent them from freezing to your doors and trunklids after freezing rain. This is particularly important for those who have minivans and SUVs with automatic side sliding doors, or power rear liftgates. Don't strain the motors by leaving the weatherstripping dry.
To prevent weatherstripping from tearing if they happen to be frozen to your doors, try to lift or pull on the door latch gently first to confirm, then reach with your fingertips on the bottom and sides of the doors, and gently pull the door away as you have the latch up to get it to safely separate.
3. Fill up your gas tank FIRST, then go for the car wash if you need it! In winter, water easily freezes, and you don't want your fuel fill-up door to freeze on you and not let you fill gas. A frozen fuel filler door can also damage the release mechanism, so be careful!!!
3. Fill up your gas tank FIRST, then go for the car wash if you need it! In winter, water easily freezes, and you don't want your fuel fill-up door to freeze on you and not let you fill gas. A frozen fuel filler door can also damage the release mechanism, so be careful!!!
Drive on......
"Should I get winter tires?"
My answer is an emphatic YES. I'm going address a few key questions below. Read on.
I realize some people can't get winter tires, because a) they can't afford them, b) they don't have storage space for another set of wheels, and c) they simply don't believe in them.
I know I couldn't afford them when I was a starving student in University. I got by with all-seasons, drove very carefully, and didn't go out in very snowy conditions.
The best alternative for people who can't afford a set of winter wheels is to either find used tires that are cheaper, or to not go out on very snowy days or freezing rain conditions. You account for your own safety, as well as that of other motorists.
The best option if you can't afford 2 sets of wheels is to purchase an "all-weather" tire like the Hankook Optimo 4S (sadly, Crappy Tire is the sole seller of this brand, so there's no price flexibility) or the ultra-premium Nokian WR brand.
The difference between an "all-weather" and an "all-season" tire is that the former has a snowflake symbol, which means that it meets acceptable performance specs for winter driving, but can also be driven on year-round. The thing with these tires though, is that they wear faster because the rubber compound is a bit softer in order to be good in winter, so you MUST be religious in rotating them every 10,000 km to 15,000 km to maximise their lifespan and maximise your investment.
So What's the Difference Between Winter Tires and All-Season Tires?
To me, the difference lies in 3 key areas:
1. The rubber. All-season and summer rubber gets hard like pucks when the weather gets cold, like 7 degrees C or colder. Hockey fans know that pucks glide very well on ice, and they don't provide very good grip during a November Rain when you need to brake, or trying to accelerate in snowy conditions. Winter tire rubber however, is designed to stay grippy and pliable even when it's cold. Grippy and pliable means enhanced traction, braking and acceleration.
Try this test: Pour some water on your all-season tires, and rub with your fingertips. Do the same with winter tires, and you will feel the difference in the rubber and the grippiness.
2. Tread Pattern. Winter tires have bigger tread blocks with zig-zag-like sipes that help enhance snow and ice grip. All-season tires not only get hard like pucks when cold, but they don't have these sipes. Winter tire tread is also designed in a way that when driving, it clears snow from the treads as the wheels are turning to help enhance traction.
3. Well-Built Shoulders. Just like how women like men with good shoulders, winter tires have better-designed, blockier grips on the tire shoulders, which helps you navigate turns and highway ramps safer under snowy conditions.
There Are So Many Brands! What Brand Should I get?
The cheapest winter tire brand is still better in winter than the best all-season tire, but I'll summarize my thoughts on this question below.
PROS of Cheap Winter Tires
- Price
- Greater measure of safety vs. running with all-season tires
CONS of Cheap Winter Tires
- They ride harsh and loud, which could drive some people crazy because you get what you pay for
- They may not last as long
- Less re-sale value
- In really thick snow, better, pricier brands out-perform them in braking and traction because of better rubber compounds and more R&D in tread design
******
PROS of Brand Name Winter Tires (i.e. Michelin, Toyo, Bridgestone, Pirelli)
- Strong R&D/technology, with state-of-the-art tread designs and rubber compounds
- Quieter, smoother ride, with better handling
- Longer tread life
- Strong re-sale value
CONS of Brand Name Winter Tires
- Expensive! You are paying for the premium brand name and advertising to get peace of mind
The good news is that there are brands out there that bridge the gap between good price and excellent performance and ride. You just need to do your research and talk to friends and neighbours. I've listed some brands below to consider depending on your budget and on my personal experiences:
Good ultra-premium Brands if you have the money:
- Michelin X-Ice
- Toyo Observe G-02 or Toyo Garrit
- Bridgestone Blizzak
- Any Pirelli
- Nokian Haakaapelliita (the gold standard)
The best bangs for the buck:
- Hankook iPike
- Gislaved Nordfrost 5 (my personal choice for my cars)
- The Canadian Tire brands
- Firestone Winterforce
- General Altimax
- Any Uniroyal brand
The cheapie brands that could do the job:
- Nexen Winguard (from Walmart)
- Kingstar W404 (made by Hankook)
- Semperit Speedgrip
- Triangle Snow Lion
- Infinity Winter Hero INF-049
RIMS/WHEELS
You may need to buy wheels too. I say avoid buying steel rims from chain stores like Costco and Canadian Tire, because the rims they sell are meant for multiple applications. You want to buy a rim that matches your vehicle's bolt pattern and is "hubcentric." Hubcentric just means that the wheel is an exact match with the centre bore diameter on your wheel hub. You can get hubcentric wheels from your dealer or from a specialty tire shop, and they fit best, reduce vibrations on the highway and will reduce the strain on your wheel nuts.
Speaking of wheel nuts, if you run steel rims, you may need to get a different set of wheel lug nuts to be compatible. Toyotas and Lexus for example, requires open wheels nuts for steel rims. Check with your tire shop or dealer.
How Do I Save Money Buying Winter Wheels?
1. Buy used by asking around, looking online on car forums, kijiji and craigslist
2. Ask a tire shop how small a wheel and tire size you can go and still drive safety compared to your original wheels (most times you can go smaller to save money on tires and wheels). For example, 2006-2011 Honda Civics have P205/55R16 as the original tire size, but one can downsize to P195/65R15 to save money. Your speedometer just reads differently, up to 3% different, but don't speed just to be safe!
3. Shop around, ask people how they like their winter tire brand, and comparison-shop
4. If you are leasing or buying a new car, negotiate with your salesperson to see if they can throw in a set of winter tires and wheels, or give you a substantial discount on a new set.
5. Realize that the cheapest winter tire is still better than the best all-season tire in snow. You may just have to buy the cheapest brand and then deal with a loud and harsh ride when the roads are dry
If I'm Buying Used, How Do I Make Sure I'm Getting Something Good?
1. Ask questions like why are they selling? How old are the tires? Have they ever been repaired due to a puncture?
2. Confirm the age of the tires and don't buy something older than 4 years or if you see little cracks on the sidewall and treads. You can find out the manufacture date of a tire by looking on the sidewall for a DOT Number. It should end with a 4-digit code, like -2307, or -0809. The first one means "23rd week of 2007," and the other is "8th week of 2009."
3. Measure the tread, and my personal recommendation is to not buy a winter tire with less than 6/32" of tread (new is around 11/32") unless you just need them for a winter season. You can buy something called a "tire depth gauge" to measure tread depth.
To conclude, you gotta get winter wheels. Getting a separate set of wheels make better sense because you're not gonna be paying $80 to $100+ twice a year to get tires unmounted/mounted/balanced, plus you don't let the salt and winter dirt damage your stock wheels, which could drive down the re-sale value of your car, or get you in trouble come lease return time.
Drive on, and drive safe this winter....
My answer is an emphatic YES. I'm going address a few key questions below. Read on.
I realize some people can't get winter tires, because a) they can't afford them, b) they don't have storage space for another set of wheels, and c) they simply don't believe in them.
I know I couldn't afford them when I was a starving student in University. I got by with all-seasons, drove very carefully, and didn't go out in very snowy conditions.
The best alternative for people who can't afford a set of winter wheels is to either find used tires that are cheaper, or to not go out on very snowy days or freezing rain conditions. You account for your own safety, as well as that of other motorists.
The best option if you can't afford 2 sets of wheels is to purchase an "all-weather" tire like the Hankook Optimo 4S (sadly, Crappy Tire is the sole seller of this brand, so there's no price flexibility) or the ultra-premium Nokian WR brand.
The difference between an "all-weather" and an "all-season" tire is that the former has a snowflake symbol, which means that it meets acceptable performance specs for winter driving, but can also be driven on year-round. The thing with these tires though, is that they wear faster because the rubber compound is a bit softer in order to be good in winter, so you MUST be religious in rotating them every 10,000 km to 15,000 km to maximise their lifespan and maximise your investment.
So What's the Difference Between Winter Tires and All-Season Tires?
To me, the difference lies in 3 key areas:
1. The rubber. All-season and summer rubber gets hard like pucks when the weather gets cold, like 7 degrees C or colder. Hockey fans know that pucks glide very well on ice, and they don't provide very good grip during a November Rain when you need to brake, or trying to accelerate in snowy conditions. Winter tire rubber however, is designed to stay grippy and pliable even when it's cold. Grippy and pliable means enhanced traction, braking and acceleration.
Try this test: Pour some water on your all-season tires, and rub with your fingertips. Do the same with winter tires, and you will feel the difference in the rubber and the grippiness.
2. Tread Pattern. Winter tires have bigger tread blocks with zig-zag-like sipes that help enhance snow and ice grip. All-season tires not only get hard like pucks when cold, but they don't have these sipes. Winter tire tread is also designed in a way that when driving, it clears snow from the treads as the wheels are turning to help enhance traction.
3. Well-Built Shoulders. Just like how women like men with good shoulders, winter tires have better-designed, blockier grips on the tire shoulders, which helps you navigate turns and highway ramps safer under snowy conditions.
There Are So Many Brands! What Brand Should I get?
The cheapest winter tire brand is still better in winter than the best all-season tire, but I'll summarize my thoughts on this question below.
PROS of Cheap Winter Tires
- Price
- Greater measure of safety vs. running with all-season tires
CONS of Cheap Winter Tires
- They ride harsh and loud, which could drive some people crazy because you get what you pay for
- They may not last as long
- Less re-sale value
- In really thick snow, better, pricier brands out-perform them in braking and traction because of better rubber compounds and more R&D in tread design
******
PROS of Brand Name Winter Tires (i.e. Michelin, Toyo, Bridgestone, Pirelli)
- Strong R&D/technology, with state-of-the-art tread designs and rubber compounds
- Quieter, smoother ride, with better handling
- Longer tread life
- Strong re-sale value
CONS of Brand Name Winter Tires
- Expensive! You are paying for the premium brand name and advertising to get peace of mind
The good news is that there are brands out there that bridge the gap between good price and excellent performance and ride. You just need to do your research and talk to friends and neighbours. I've listed some brands below to consider depending on your budget and on my personal experiences:
Good ultra-premium Brands if you have the money:
- Michelin X-Ice
- Toyo Observe G-02 or Toyo Garrit
- Bridgestone Blizzak
- Any Pirelli
- Nokian Haakaapelliita (the gold standard)
The best bangs for the buck:
- Hankook iPike
- Gislaved Nordfrost 5 (my personal choice for my cars)
- The Canadian Tire brands
- Firestone Winterforce
- General Altimax
- Any Uniroyal brand
The cheapie brands that could do the job:
- Nexen Winguard (from Walmart)
- Kingstar W404 (made by Hankook)
- Semperit Speedgrip
- Triangle Snow Lion
- Infinity Winter Hero INF-049
RIMS/WHEELS
You may need to buy wheels too. I say avoid buying steel rims from chain stores like Costco and Canadian Tire, because the rims they sell are meant for multiple applications. You want to buy a rim that matches your vehicle's bolt pattern and is "hubcentric." Hubcentric just means that the wheel is an exact match with the centre bore diameter on your wheel hub. You can get hubcentric wheels from your dealer or from a specialty tire shop, and they fit best, reduce vibrations on the highway and will reduce the strain on your wheel nuts.
Speaking of wheel nuts, if you run steel rims, you may need to get a different set of wheel lug nuts to be compatible. Toyotas and Lexus for example, requires open wheels nuts for steel rims. Check with your tire shop or dealer.
How Do I Save Money Buying Winter Wheels?
1. Buy used by asking around, looking online on car forums, kijiji and craigslist
2. Ask a tire shop how small a wheel and tire size you can go and still drive safety compared to your original wheels (most times you can go smaller to save money on tires and wheels). For example, 2006-2011 Honda Civics have P205/55R16 as the original tire size, but one can downsize to P195/65R15 to save money. Your speedometer just reads differently, up to 3% different, but don't speed just to be safe!
3. Shop around, ask people how they like their winter tire brand, and comparison-shop
4. If you are leasing or buying a new car, negotiate with your salesperson to see if they can throw in a set of winter tires and wheels, or give you a substantial discount on a new set.
5. Realize that the cheapest winter tire is still better than the best all-season tire in snow. You may just have to buy the cheapest brand and then deal with a loud and harsh ride when the roads are dry
If I'm Buying Used, How Do I Make Sure I'm Getting Something Good?
1. Ask questions like why are they selling? How old are the tires? Have they ever been repaired due to a puncture?
2. Confirm the age of the tires and don't buy something older than 4 years or if you see little cracks on the sidewall and treads. You can find out the manufacture date of a tire by looking on the sidewall for a DOT Number. It should end with a 4-digit code, like -2307, or -0809. The first one means "23rd week of 2007," and the other is "8th week of 2009."
3. Measure the tread, and my personal recommendation is to not buy a winter tire with less than 6/32" of tread (new is around 11/32") unless you just need them for a winter season. You can buy something called a "tire depth gauge" to measure tread depth.
To conclude, you gotta get winter wheels. Getting a separate set of wheels make better sense because you're not gonna be paying $80 to $100+ twice a year to get tires unmounted/mounted/balanced, plus you don't let the salt and winter dirt damage your stock wheels, which could drive down the re-sale value of your car, or get you in trouble come lease return time.
Drive on, and drive safe this winter....
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