Snow/summer tire swap

[MotF Bane]

This question is obviously not for those of you in sunny and warm climates.

To those who have pure summer tires, not all seasons, and pure winter tires, when do you tend to swap them over?

Summer tires are rocks when it gets cool (sub 50?), but winter tires wear really fast on dry warm (>40?) pavement. And for those not familiar with New England, it was 60 on Monday, it's 35 right now, and it'll be 80 on Saturday.

 

[alevasseur14]

I'm in Minnesota and generally wait until mid/late November. This year they'll be going on around the first of November. Last year I tried to make it through the entire Whitetail deer season on my very worn summer tires - not fun.

<--- Walked back to cabin multiple times due to stuck buggy. 🙂

 

[vshah]

this weekend is going to be very warm in NYC, so at least one more week to go hopefully 🙂

need to order some continental DWS soon so I have them when it comes time to make the dreaded swap.

 

[alevasseur14]

...when it comes time to make the dreaded swap.

Do you have two sets of wheels or do you have to unmount/mount each tire? My winters are on a set of steelies and it probably takes me an hour to rebalance and mount all four wheels when I swap.

 

[vshah]

Do you have two sets of wheels or do you have to unmount/mount each tire? My winters are on a set of steelies and it probably takes me an hour to rebalance and mount all four wheels when I swap.

this is my first year doing the summer/winter swap (had all seasons for the past couple years and got summers earlier this year), so I'm debating whether to get the new tires remounted or get steelies for the all seasons

I don't commute so i'm not getting dedicated winter tires.

hmmmm

edit: it's dreaded because summer tires are fun! either way i'll have to have a garage do the work as I have nowhere to do it myself.

 

[alevasseur14]

edit: it's dreaded because summer tires are fun! either way i'll have to have a garage do the work as I have nowhere to do it myself.

I am pretty lucky in that I work at a shop. I work in a different department but I can pop into the lube bay and do my own maintenance whenever I need to. 🙂

Think of the situation like this: Sure, summer tires are super fun but you know what else is super fun? Having confidence in your tires and being able to pay more attention to the other idiots on the road. Lol.

 

[RKS]

Around Thanksgiving and a couple weeks after Easter are usually good times for me. I have a dedicated set of winter wheels & tires and just switch in the garage.

 

[ThatsABigOne]

Around Thanksgiving and a couple weeks after Easter are usually good times for me. I have a dedicated set of winter wheels & tires and just switch in the garage.

If you change tires yourself, then how do you balance them? Or tires are balanced 'enough'?

I am going to order Continental DWS very soon for Lexus RX330. Going to replace the tires somewhere around 2nd week of november...even if it snowed.

 

[vshah]

if the tires never come off the wheels, how would they get unbalanced?

 

[Zap]

I actually have three sets of wheels, with Summer, Winter and all season rubber on them respectively. :awe: Though... I've been lazy and have not swapped in the Summer tires for a long time. They're almost down to wear bars anyways.

either way i'll have to have a garage do the work as I have nowhere to do it myself.

You can swap tires roadside.

 

[vshah]

I actually have three sets of wheels, with Summer, Winter and all season rubber on them respectively. :awe: Though... I've been lazy and have not swapped in the Summer tires for a long time. They're almost down to wear bars anyways.



You can swap tires roadside.

i guess I could. I live in a hilly area so i'd have to go somewhere else, and rent some jack stands/floor jack. OTOH there's a garage right across the street.

maybe I should get a part-time job there 😀

 

[Zap]

i guess I could. I live in a hilly area so i'd have to go somewhere else, and rent some jack stands/floor jack.

You do need a flat area to park, but you can get by with just using the jack that comes with your car, if you have a second set of wheels. Just swap one at a time. Almost like changing a flat, 4 times in a row. :awe:

 

[vshah]

hehe, only one set of wheels here. contemplating some steelies....

 

[Fenixgoon]

waiting till the high temps are probably in the 50's...for now, low is about 45 in the morning, warms up to ~70 during the day.

summers: Bridgestone RE050A's (OEM tire) 245/45/R19 rear and 225/45/R19 front

winters: Michelin X-Ice-Xi II's - 245/45/R18 rear and 225/45/R18 front

 

[Rifter]

I wait till the temp hits 5c then swap over.

 

[alevasseur14]

if the tires never come off the wheels, how would they get unbalanced?

A lot of ways. Hit a big pothole/curb and bend the rim, drive on a flat,, uneven alignment, suspension issues, etc. I keep my car pretty well maintained but if balancing only takes me 5 minutes a wheel, why not? I don't think I'd worry about balancing them every year if I didn't have access to a balancing machine.

 

[manimal]

I swap mine after thanksgiving and as late as December if its still warm.

If anyone wants help with a winter swap I have a garage in Indianapolis. I have a lift in the shop and work on my cars after hours. I am storing summer rims for a few friends who live in apartments and a few cars and bikes for really good friends lol.


I should also be able to mount tires soon too!

Ill post some pictures of the shop if you guys are interested.

 

[Jumpem]

I go by the snow forecast, not temperature. I'll usually swap from all seasons to snow tires in mid November, and back in early April.

I have the tires changed and balanced on one set of wheels. If I got second set of wheels I would have to buy a second set of TPMS sensors, and pay $75 each swap to have the computer calibrated to the new set of sensors. It's cheaper to just remount and balance tires.

 

[MotF Bane]

I swap mine after thanksgiving and as late as December if its still warm.

If anyone wants help with a winter swap I have a garage in Indianapolis. I have a lift in the shop and work on my cars after hours. I am storing summer rims for a few friends who live in apartments and a few cars and bikes for really good friends lol.


I should also be able to mount tires soon too!

Ill post some pictures of the shop if you guys are interested.

A proper car lift... :fap:

 

[MotF Bane]

I go by the snow forecast, not temperature. I'll usually swap from all seasons to snow tires in mid November, and back in early April.

I have the tires changed and balanced on one set of wheels. If I got second set of wheels I would have to buy a second set of TPMS sensors, and pay $75 each swap to have the computer calibrated to the new set of sensors. It's cheaper to just remount and balance tires.

TPMS is such a fucking pain. I absolutely hate the thing.

The batteries in my sensors are going, and besides, I want to end up with two full sets of wheels. So I'm probably going to end up just shorting out the TPMS dash light, or loading four sensors in a pressurized container to fool it forever.

 

[Fenixgoon]

TPMS is such a fucking pain. I absolutely hate the thing.

The batteries in my sensors are going, and besides, I want to end up with two full sets of wheels. So I'm probably going to end up just shorting out the TPMS dash light, or loading four sensors in a pressurized container to fool it forever.

my solution: put a boost gauge in front of it 😛

 

[caniroc]

I usually swap wheels around the first of December--but depending on how the weather is i may do it earlier or later.
I have winter wheels mounted on different rims for all my cars so its an easy swap in the garage.

I have 3 cars in the driveway--but 16 extra wheels/tires. 3 sets for my car alone (summer, winter, drag racing)

Here is the stack for my car:

And the wheels for my wife and daughter's car:

 

[Fenixgoon]

I usually swap wheels around the first of December--but depending on how the weather is i may do it earlier or later.
I have winter wheels mounted on different rims for all my cars so its an easy swap in the garage.

I have 3 cars in the driveway--but 16 extra wheels/tires. 3 sets for my car alone (summer, winter, drag racing)

Here is the stack for my car:

And the wheels for my wife and daughter's car:

damn, what kind of stable are you rocking? 😀

 

[caniroc]

LOL--I have a 2005 GTO (modded a bit), wife has a 2008 G8.
My daughter has a 2001 Neon.