Summer Tires - Winter Time

[NightmareMoon]

Im in Texas so it doesnt get all that cold here, so ...

Michelin Pilot Super Sport summer tires get driven year-round in any non-precipitating non-iced over conditions regardless of temp. Last year we did a club drive where temps were down to 20 degrees. MPSS tires did fine and only seemed notably slippery a couple of times on polished pavement in town. I will not drive the car if the roads are iced or snowed, but in those conditions the entire town would be shut down anyway, 'cause Texas.

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[347CobraII]

There is hard number if you go to Manufacture website and read tech info

 

[Souldriver]

So here is my question for you, how many of you drive with cold (sub 40's) weather on summer tires? What's your cut off temp?

This year hasnt been horrible except the sub 20 degree days. Just be happy the wet stuff hasnt kicked in, but summer tires at these temps make it feel like its ice.

Get some winters or good A/S tires asap. Last year i was forced to ride on the pirelli summers longer than i wanted as i waited for my new set up to come in. It wasnt even in the 30s one day and when i went to make a normal stop at a light the car just skid near into the intersection.

 

[Coyote Red]

I drive for work in the medical field, yesterday the temp was 34 degrees all day and I drove 40 miles both ways fine. My tires are "new" Bridgestone S-04 pole positions rear, Firehawk Indy 500's front. I'd not drive under 33 degrees though. Just safety first minded.

 

[kz]

OP - if you're worried about the tires - they will be fine. Nothing will happen to them, contrary to some nonsense posted, they will heat up a bit while driving.

(I drove many times on RE-71Rs - hard to imagine more summer tire - to early spring and late fall autocrosses many times in sub-freezing temps. Even autocrossed on them in subfreezing temps - yes, they did heat up).

Now, traction wise, whether that is safe or makes sense is up to you and your level of comfort.

But if your key concern is just whether you damage the tire - no you won't. Going out for an easy drive, I would not hesitate two seconds.

 

[Norm Peterson]

There actually are a few tires now that warn against using in weather that's too cold out of real concern for the possibility of tread cracking (I think the G:2 Goodyear Supercar tire was one of those). Most such tires now at least mention cracking.


Norm

 

[NYGman]

Lots learned. Think next set may be either MPSSS or their A/S version. Will need to do some autocross and drag racing this summer to help use up the existing rubber. It is a safety thing for me though, but more about saving the car from itself. If I can't stop as well, or loose traction when I shouldn't, that could damage my car, which I plan to keep forever. Having raced both drag and autocross in prior lives, I am comfortable with my abilities and car control, but if the car is not predictable, then even skill won't save me every time.

As for warming them up, while there would be some cooling effect from the cold roads, I know they do warm up, as I can see it on the tire pressure gages. The other day when I did drive it, the psi was 26 when I started, and rose to 32 by the time I was done. Went to a gas station and put 4lbs extra into them (36psi hot and a confirmed 30 when cold again) to give me some cold margin. I took it very easy until they got to 30psi, and even then, it want much better.

 

[scott_0]

the Michelin Pilot Super Sports I ran on my 2011 in single digit temps felt like wooden wagon wheels until they warmed up a bit, but I didnt have a winter wheels/tires setup for that car so.........but with this car I do have my stock all season tires, but Ive been too lazy to switch over, surprisingly my Nitto G2's feel decent in single digits. do not try to drive summer tires in snow or ice, and dont drive like a goon in low temps and youll survive the winter on summer tires just fine, Ive said on here multiple times, when I was younger and dumber I drove my supercharged 89 Saleen every winter on drag radials, lol even drove it in the snow sometimes, and Im still alive! lol and this was a 3000lb car with over 500rwhp

 

[kz]

There actually are a few tires now that warn against using in weather that's too cold out of real concern for the possibility of tread cracking (I think the G:2 Goodyear Supercar tire was one of those). Most such tires now at least mention cracking.


Norm

I know. It looks like just CYA disclaimer. I saw Mustang driven on P-Zeros in single digits, no sign of cracking.

 

[NYGman]

The clicking I heard when turning my wheel, combined with the rock hard plastic feel of my wheels told me there was a real chance of damage, even before I looked it up. I know temp impacts pressure, but I didn't realize it impacted the plasticity of the rubber on summer tires. However I figured the combination could damage the tires, and based on this thread, I think that is the case for at least the Pirelli tires I have on now. I guess I was spoiled by my old Audi and it's MPSS rubber which worked fine in the cold. Although on reflection, I did replace a few tires due to cracking over the 9 years I owned that car, which I passed of as lack of driving, but in retrospect may have been do my Sub-Zero cold drives in that car.

 

[madlion]

Tire warmers won’t help. The cold road will suck any heat out of them in no time.

They are called summer tires for a reason.....just like all season and winter tires.

If you must drive in severe cold like we are experiencing so far this winter, you would be better served with all season tires.

If you drive in Winter and will not drive even if it snows, then get 3 season tires, otherwise get Winter tires.

Those Summer tires will crack (if they haven't already...) but needless to say, they are useless in the cold and you will be better off either swapping them or not driving at all because you will slide all over the place and will feel like driving on ice ask me how I know...

 

[kz]

If you drive in Winter and will not drive even if it snows, then get 3 season tires, otherwise get Winter tires.

Those Summer tires will crack (if they haven't already...) but needless to say, they are useless in the cold and you will be better off either swapping them or not driving at all because you will slide all over the place and will feel like driving on ice ask me how I know...

No, they won't crack. Please stop spreading nonsense. No, they're not useless as long as it is dry and not extremely cold. I drove many times on summers in sub-freezing temps and I was not "sliding all over the place".

 

[Norm Peterson]

No, they won't crack. Please stop spreading nonsense. No, they're not useless as long as it is dry and not extremely cold. I drove many times on summers in sub-freezing temps and I was not "sliding all over the place".

Not all summer tires are sensitive enough to temperature to actually crack, but some of the more recent extreme-performance tires actually can. It took a little effort to find a tire that actually mentions this, but I did (it's in a Note at the bottom of the Description tab above where it says "Ratings & Reviews).

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Falken&tireModel=Azenis+RT615K%2B


That said, I have also driven on summer tires (most recently, MPSS) in temperatures as low as high single-digits F without much difficulty as long as the pavement was dry/bare. But as soon as there's any snow, slush, or ice underfoot, you might as well have ball bearings for tires instead. Could make for an eye-widening demonstration that TC, AdvanceTrak, and ABS absolutely do have their limits. Trust me on this.


Norm

 

[Ebm]

.

No, they won't crack. Please stop spreading nonsense. No, they're not useless as long as it is dry and not extremely cold. I drove many times on summers in sub-freezing temps and I was not "sliding all over the place".

You calling Tire Rack liars?

If ambient temperatures drop to near- or below-freezing, driving or rolling a vehicle equipped with summer performance tires risks the possibility of tread compound cracking. Tread compound cracking is a permanent condition that requires the tires to be replaced. The other condition that can be caused by running summer performance tires in cold temperatures is the possibility of chipping away the edges of the tread blocks.

 

[kz]

Not all summer tires are sensitive enough to temperature to actually crack, but some of the more recent extreme-performance tires actually can. It took a little effort to find a tire that actually mentions this, but I did (it's in a Note at the bottom of the Description tab above where it says "Ratings & Reviews).

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Falken&tireModel=Azenis+RT615K%2B


That said, I have also driven on summer tires (most recently, MPSS) in temperatures as low as high single-digits F without much difficulty as long as the pavement was dry/bare. But as soon as there's any snow, slush, or ice underfoot, you might as well have ball bearings for tires instead. Could make for an eye-widening demonstration that TC, AdvanceTrak, and ABS absolutely do have their limits. Trust me on this.


Norm

I trust you completely, been there, done that. Agree on race compounds as well, but I'm sure very few if anyone here drives these on a street during winter.
Just "OMG, summer tires are going to crack !" nonsense needs to be stopped.

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