When to fit Winter tyres

Winter tyres have the function to provide more grip in winter weather. Winter weather contains snow, ice, rain and temperatures below 7 ° C. When these conditions occur, having winter tyres will provide more grip and therefore safety.

Are winter tyres worth it?

Tyres are an important part of the car, since it is the only contact your car has with the road. Having the right car tyres is therefore essential. Winter tyres will offer more grip and power. They are made from a special rubber mixture that does not harden at lower temperatures. This rubber mixture is different from that of summer tyres or all-season tyres. Also, the tyre profile is different from summer tyres. The profile of snow tyres consists out of fine slats that ensure the water or snow is better drained. This had a number of advantages; the chance of aquaplaning is smaller and the braking distance becomes shorter. When braking with snow, your car will come 2 to 3 times quicker to a stop than when driving with summer tyres.

Winter tyre profile

Snow tyres have drainage channels on the side, also the profile is made out of blocks. This profile ensures the tyre to remove water and snow more easily. The profile of winter tyres is also deeper than summer tyres, this provides extra grip. The tyre loses its effect when the profile decreases. The legal minimum profile depth is 1.6 mm for car tyres. However, we recommend you to change the tyres when the profile is less than 4.5 mm. Winter tyres in summer have higher wear, also the behaviour is more undefined.

Change winter tyres

When changing the tyres, you must pay attention to a number of things. First of all, it is important to change tyres on time from summer to winter tyres and vice versa. Driving with winter tyres in summer will have some disadvantages. First of all the tyres will wear quicker, also the braking distance will enlarge. The advantages the snow tyres have in winter will be no longer in summer. Another thing to be aware of is the tyre pressure. Having the right tyre pressure is also important for the performance of the tyre. You can check the pressure with a pressure gauge.

If you have only one set of rims, keep in mind that there may be an additional cost associated with changing the tyres. Changing will take extra time, and the tyres must also be balanced again. Therefore, we recommend you to have a separate set of rims for your winter and summer tyres. Changing will then be faster and cheaper. Also, you can change the tyres yourself.

Winter tyres mandatory abroad

In some countries it is compulsory to have winter tyres, however, this differs per country. For example, in Germany, it is mandatory to have tyres with a snowflake (Alpine symbol). In Austria, winter tyres are compulsory from the 1th of November to April 15th, under winter conditions. If you go abroad, make sure you are aware of the rules.

Winter tyres

If the temperatures falls below 7 ° C, it is strongly recommended to change from summer to winter tyres. In cold and wet weather, winter tyres will give more grip so accidents can be prevented. Winparts has a wide range of snow tyres from brand such as Michelin, Continental and Vredestein. Unfortunately, the number plate check does not apply to this category. However, to ensure you to buy the right tyres, you can select the tyre width, height and rim size. You can find this information on the tyre which is currently underneath your car. A code is displayed on the side of the tyre, e.g. 195/50 R15. Here, the width is the first number before the line (in mm). The height is the number after the line (this is the percentage of the width) and the rim size is the inch size behind the R.

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Width:

The width of the tire is shown in mm (millimeters). A code is displayed on the tire, for example 195/50 R15. The width of the tire is the first digit for the line, in this case 195. This means that the tire is 195 mm wide. You can therefore easily read this on your old tires.
Height:

A code is displayed on the tire, for example 195/50 R15. The height of the tire is the number after the line, in this case 50. This number indicates the height of the tire as a percentage of the width. In this case it is 50%. You can easily read this on your old tires.
Diameter:

The diameter of the tire is shown in inches. A code is displayed on the tire, for example 195/50 R15. The diameter of the tire is shown in inches behind the R. In this case, the diameter of the tire is therefore 15 inches. You can easily read this on your old tires. The unit of measurement "Inches" is widely used in English-speaking countries and is indicated by the symbol " what we see as a quotation mark. An inch equals 2.54 cm.