10-01-2011, 01:11 PM | #1 |
Private First Class
10
Rep 157
Posts |
When is best time to change to snow tires in midwest Michigan?
Haven't had snow tires in years, but considering them for my X3. For those of you in Michigan or in locations with similar climate, when are you planning on changing your tires? Early December?
|
10-01-2011, 06:01 PM | #3 |
Banned
17
Rep 412
Posts |
The answer is NOT when it begins snowing!
If you have summer tires on then the answer is when temperatures go below 45F (+7C) and look like staying there. Typically(!) that is somewhere around the 2nd or 3rd week in November, but can be earlier. |
Appreciate
0
|
10-02-2011, 01:16 AM | #4 |
Lieutenant Colonel
333
Rep 1,560
Posts
Drives: 2022 X4M40i, retired ‘11 X3
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MI
|
November (middle to end of).
|
Appreciate
0
|
10-02-2011, 10:20 AM | #6 |
Lieutenant Colonel
333
Rep 1,560
Posts
Drives: 2022 X4M40i, retired ‘11 X3
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MI
|
|
Appreciate
0
|
10-02-2011, 11:14 AM | #7 |
Major
67
Rep 1,041
Posts |
In Northern IL, I can usually wait until the end of November, or until we have the first deep snowfall. Our X3 was delivered in early February so I drove it twice on lightly snow covered roads (1 to 2 inches max., and temps. of low 30's F.) The OEM Pirelli P7 All-Seasons were surprisingly good in those conditions and I had no loss of traction during braking or turning. Of course, they were brand new then.
However, the Dunlop SP Winter Sport 3D's are stacked in the garage, and as soon as the prediction is for more than 1 inch, they will be swapped for the P7s. See: Changing Wheels and Tires on a X3 if you're planning on changing tires yourself. |
Appreciate
0
|
10-02-2011, 02:16 PM | #8 |
Second Lieutenant
32
Rep 225
Posts |
Lotus, do you know if there is a break in period for winter tires? eg. A few hundred km for the tires to start to be effective in snow? I thought I had read something about that.
|
Appreciate
0
|
10-02-2011, 03:27 PM | #9 | |
Major
67
Rep 1,041
Posts |
Quote:
Some manufacturers recommend you limit speeds to under 100kph for the first 100 km or so to allow the mold release compound to wear off, but I find it hard to believe that there would be any release compound left on the tread surface after driving a few km on most abrasive road surfaces. |
|
Appreciate
0
|
Post Reply |
Bookmarks |
|
|