The 2015 Summer Tires Poll! ( / bitchfest)

[killramos]

Well guys it is starting to be that time where the summer tire / summer car itch comes in so when does everything think its appropriate to put the summers on.

For the purposes of this discussion lets keep this to people who dedicated summer tires or summer cars rather than all seasons as you could arguably swap to all seasons any time now that ambient temps are up.

I have never had dedicated summers on rims before so I am interested in what people have to say.

My car was delivered on the summers in the last week of march last year and I remember there definitely being days where it wasn't coming out.

[ercchry]

probably may... my summer rims need to be refinished and i havent gotten around to that... but i bought gramlights for winter... so its not like its really a big deal either way right now

[Tik-Tok]

Mornings are still pretty chill for summer tires right into May. There could be the odd day or two that you could, but why chance it? On the other hand, if you do your own tire swaps, it only takes < an hour, so change them out at will when it's nice, and back again when it's not.

Personally, I doubt I will until May long weekend. I put summer on last Monday, just for the dyno, but went straight back to winters as soon as I got home.

[bjstare]

I'll be doing it a bit early this year (next week or two), but only cause I have the fallback of another car with winters if it decides to snow on us.

If it was my only car, I wouldn't do it before May.

[BavarianBeast]

I'll prob swap the blizzacs off my S4 in early April.

Summer tires always stay on M3 and I was lucky enough to drive it every single weekday last week.

[Ntense_SpecV]

I used to do it May long weekend, but then I took a gamble and did it end of April last few years. I've never had an issue, but I don't do anything really stupid in the morning when it's still cool out.

[schocker]

I am figuring I might do it in april. My stock wheels have A/S anyways, so I would be OK unless we got a big dump of snow. I am OK with using them at low temps.

[blownz]

I have always done early April. However, my SUV goes from winters to all seasons so if it snows in April/May (which it always does) I am fine in the SUV for that day or two and park the car since it is on summers.

This year because it has been so nice I am actually going to switch next week. I would have switched the SUV already but I am driving to Calgary tomorrow and with snow in the forecast I would rather the winters. Weather has been great lately though.

[killramos]

Interesting, I figured there would be a bit of dissension.

How many of you swap your own?

Hilariously I have never been through this process before because I take them into the shop for mounting and balancing obviously but i sold my GTI before I ever had the chance to put the all seasons back on. ( the first 2 years i owned it it was never winter driven as i was only living in Calgary for summer so no winter tires).

[max_boost]

Always mid April and mid Oct.

[vengie]

Originally posted by max_boost
Always mid April and mid Oct.

:werd:

[sputnik]

I switched the Subaru to Nokian WRG3s last fall and couldn't be happier.

[infamous]

lol I put my summers on about three weeks ago. One morning it kinda sucked, but traction control kept me safe!

[Shlade]

Likely going to be putting summers back on mid May. Probably before Driven

[zipdoa]

Already did it at the start of March.

[never]

I can't have summer tires on a car until mid-May or into June...otherwise I'll never make it up my driveway. My entire commute could be clean and dry for weeks but my driveway will still be covered in ice. Though I did put down some fresh drainage rock last fall and it seems to be helping this year.

[riander5]

Parked for winter summers are always ready to rock!

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Mid-late April.

[E46..sTyLez]

I'm doing it right quick here. The dry roads eat up winter tires.
When it snows, which I'm sure it will again, I will drive the X5. It has summers too, but I won't be swapping those on until May. So I guess my answer is May??

^This plan works as long as it doesn't start snowing when you are across the city...in the middle of dinner. Happened to me last year in the Sti. I made it home, but it was sketchy!

[lilmira]

My tradition is may long and thanksgiving. That's more of a mental note to myself than exact dates. Before it gets too cold for my delicate hands, I put on the winters. When it's warm enough for my delicate hands, I put on the summers.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Originally posted by E46..sTyLez
I'm doing it right quick here. The dry roads eat up winter tires.
When it snows, which I'm sure it will again, I will drive the X5. It has summers too, but I won't be swapping those on until May. So I guess my answer is May??

^This plan works as long as it doesn't start snowing when you are across the city...in the middle of dinner. Happened to me last year in the Sti. I made it home, but it was sketchy!

My tires aren't getting eaten up at all. Must be that lack of torque and weight.

[schocker]

Originally posted by killramos
Interesting, I figured there would be a bit of dissension.

How many of you swap your own?

Hopefully everyone :rofl:
This is my first time with two sets of wheels though lol

[EM2FTL]

Originally posted by ercchry
but i bought gramlights for winter...

I thought I was the only one!

General rule for me is consistent above zero temps - freezing temps and summer compounds result in bad things happening to the rubber from what i've been told.

[nismodrifter]

May. need roads to be clean

[blownz]

Originally posted by killramos
Interesting, I figured there would be a bit of dissension.

How many of you swap your own?


I have always changed my own. Car is easy, my wife's SUV not so much. 20" wheels with 275/55 studded hakka's weigh a lot!

The forecast for Calgary keeps changing for this Fri/Sat/Sun. I am driving down and don't know if I should change tires yet. Earlier today it was showing 5-10cm of snow. Now rain. How am I supposed to plan? This time of year is brutal for Calgary to Red Deer. Always some crazy storms in the spring. Last Easter driving down to Calgary I got stuck on a closed highway because of a pileup and a ton of vehicles (most trucks...) in the ditch.

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by E46..sTyLez
I'm doing it right quick here. The dry roads eat up winter tires.


They don't really though. A co-worker ran winter Michellin LTX winters on his tacoma year round for 4 years and 90k kms.

[ercchry]

Originally posted by EM2FTL


I thought I was the only one!

nah, i was instantly copied by some jackass at vex with a red subi wagon too :rofl:

[mrsingh]

Probably second week of May for my IS. While it woke up from winter hibernation last week, I parked it on stockers with half worn blizzaks, they are more like all seasons now and should be fine for chilly mornings until then. I have two SUV's to drive if/when it snows.

[Blue]

i say late april..
Last year it was still snowing until may.

But i been driving my summer rims for past 2 weeks.

[CapnCrunch]

I did mine last Friday.

[Speed_69]

I already swapped mine over the first weekend of March. The consistent warmer temperatures and dry roads were killing my blizzaks. No doubt that it's going to snow more but there's going to be very little, if any accumulation.

[snowcat]

I change my wheels/tires twice a year. When? Who knows. Calgary is all over the place. Just do it when you feel it's the right time :dunno:

[Sugarphreak]

...

[austic]

went early this year and did it today. We have another SUV with all seasons that we can use if the weather sucks

[EF9 Sedan]

I just ordered a new set of summer tires. Hopefully the weather stays nice...

[MGCM]

probably time to swap to my studdless more worn winters and save the rest of my studded kuhmos for next winter

[benyl]

Originally posted by E46..sTyLez
The dry roads eat up winter tires.


http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/videos/a5604/winter-tires-track-tested/


There are two common myths about winter tires. One is that they're only good on snow or ice. Wrong. Even where the roads are dry, you'll benefit from a
rubber compound that's optimized for freezing temps. Thinking of them as "snow tires" just perpetuates the myth. The other is that having them on when
there's no snow on the ground will wear them out. No way. We've run dedicated snow tires for months without seeing any snow at all.

[NoPulp]

April is too soon (Maybe not this year though). I drove the mustang last weekend lol wtf.

Typically mid May... but that's the beauty of having a winter beater. As the weather gets nicer I drive the mustang more, but there's always that spring dump...

As for putting winters on, always right before Halloween. Snow on or just after Halloween is always guaranteed.

[r3ccOs]

they should mandate manditory Summer tires!

they have far shorter stopping distances and better control in predictable Summer conditions

lol... but for me, I am going back to all seasons, as I no longer have any sort of a performance car, and much prefer better wear than the last set of Khumo Escta XSs... (lasted me 11k km)

[Graham_A_M]

For my Regal GS, I put on general Gmax's, which are decent in everything. No complaints here. Far better then the Pirelli zeros my car came with stock. Almost all the summer performance, with about 1/5 of the tread wear. I'm quite happy with these tires

[Axe]

Weather permitting; Easter Weekend is when the summer tires go on the LGT....Swapped out the Winters for the stock All Season's on the SUV last weekend.

[E46..sTyLez]

Originally posted by benyl


http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/videos/a5604/winter-tires-track-tested/



That's good to know! :thumbsup:
I'd be curious to see if the same result would come from a RWD V8, but I will definitely rest a bit easier when driving the winters on dry road now.

[pheoxs]

I swapped back two weeks ago (Though I'm on the stock all seasons still so not 'summer' tires). They're a separate set of wheels and with the short wheelbase I can put the jack in the right place and get both tires in the air so it takes all of 10-15 minutes to swap over.