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Should You Consider Winter-Use Tires?

Winter tires are designed for winter conditions to give you extra traction, braking and handling when road conditions deteriorate with snow/slush and ice.


If your area only sees a few light snows each year, then all-season tires are probably the way to go. But if you regularly drive in cold and/or snowy conditions during winter months winter tires are a smart investment.

What are the advantages of a set of Winter-Use Tires
  • Winter tires are built with specialized rubber designed to maintain its flexibility even below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. That flexibility means a better “grip” on cold road surfaces.
  • A winter tire’s tread design is very important. It includes specialized “lugs” that are raised blocks of tread designed to channel snow, ice, slush or water away from the tire’s surface and improve “bite” where traction has been diminished by snow or slush build-up on the road surface. Winter tires also have more “sipes”, or razor thin grooves within the tread. These “sipes” allow better contact between the tires and wet road surfaces by providing additional biting surface in wet or snowy conditions.
  • Some winter-use tires are designed to allow for the installation of “studs,” small, sturdy metal pins almost like nail points that can be inserted into the tread. Studs provide increased bite in icy conditions. It’s a good idea to check with your state or municipality to determine whether studs legal. They can contribute to the deterioration of some road surfaces.
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Why do I need to buy winter tires in a full set?

You’ll notice that Pep Boys does not sell winter tires in less than a complete set. The reason for this is that winter tires provide optimal traction in adverse winter conditions the likes of which cannot be replicated by normal all season tires. It is assumed by many that simply putting two winter tires on the drive axle of a vehicle will deliver the traction and safety needed in winter driving. This is NOT the case. The two winter tires would provide unequal grip compared to the non winter tires. For example, if winter tires were installed on the front axle of a front wheel drive vehicle, the rear of the vehicle could lose traction much sooner in a abrupt turning situation causing oversteer. This could result in a spin out. Pep Boys’ concern for safety dictates that we sell winter tires only in a full set.

Note: Remember to change back to your all-season or summer tires when snow and ice come to an end. Using your winter-use tires in warm, dry conditions can wear them out prematurely.