The quality of the car's contact with the road surface should be high both in summer heat and in severe frost. That is why there are also summer ones.

Much has been said about the need for the correct use of seasonal automobile tires.

Everyone knows that when the ambient temperature goes up or down through the mark of 7 0 C, the car should be "changed" into tires that correspond to the season.

How to distinguish winter tires from summer tires?

Physical and chemical properties

Winter tires differ from summer tires by the touch - they are much softer, since the percentage of rubber in its composition is higher than that of tires intended for summer use.

When driving in low temperatures, winter tires heats up, becoming soft and elastic, providing reliable traction.

In the case of using winter rubber in the summer season, it begins, in the literal sense of the word, to "melt", undergoing increased wear and tear.

Summer tires, on the other hand, have the property of cooling when driving in high ambient temperatures, while maintaining their rigidity and shape.

In the cold season, summer tires become extremely hard, as a result of which the contact area of ​​the tire with the road surface is significantly reduced, impairing the vehicle's stability on the road and increasing the likelihood of loss of control.

Tread shape and pattern

The main distinguishing feature of winter tires from summer ones is the presence of studs on the surface of their protectors.

In this case, there is no doubt in front of you - winter tires. And if the tires are not studded? The shape and pattern of the tread will tell you a lot.

Winter tires, in contrast to summer tires, have more. winter tires has a diagonal structure with a developed network of channels for water drainage, as a result of which it is very similar to the silhouette of a Christmas tree (European type of tires) or consists of a large number of diamond-shaped figures placed at a decent distance from each other (Scandinavian type).

The presence of a large number of thin cuts (sipes) on the tread surface and powerful lugs on the periphery will unmistakably indicate that such a tire is intended for use in the winter season.

As for summer tires, the lugs of its tread have a large area, the pattern has a less intricate shape, and the sipes on the tread surface are either absent at all, or present in a small amount.

Marking and conventions

On the side surface of a winter tire it is obligatory applied in the form of symbols "M + S", "M&S", "MS", the inscriptions "Mud + Snow" or "Winter". The designation of winter tires in the form of a snowflake icon is often found.

If there are no such markings on the tire or there is a sun-shaped pictogram on it, such a tire is a summer tire.

There is also an all-season rubber labeled "Allweather" or "Anyseason". These tires are designed for operation in climatic conditions with minimal temperature fluctuations and are more suitable for use in western or southern parts of Europe.

Good luck to you! Not a nail, not a rod!

Whatever the conditions of the air temperature or the presence of precipitation on the road, the car must, in any case, keep clear contact with the road in winter, summer, and during transitional seasons. This is extremely important in order to achieve a normal level of safety. The 7 ° C limit, which all drivers are guided by to "change shoes" the car, you can protect yourself from most of the road troubles associated with the change of seasons. But here one important additional point should be noted: for some time summer, winter and all-season tires were distinguished. Today, the Regulations of the Customs Union, which are also valid on the territory of Russia, no longer recognize such a concept as "all-season tires". In Europe, to which Ukraine and the Baltic countries are actively reorienting, there is also no such concept. By and large, practical analysis shows that the features of tires that are presented as "all-season" are simply a reduced version of either summer or, more often, winter tires. Thus, the task comes down to very clearly understanding the difference between these basic types, then it will be possible to distinguish on an off-season tire what type it actually gravitates to.

Winter types of tires are softer - just a touch, the rubber content in them is much higher. When it's frosty outside, the winter type of rubber from friction on the road maintains a temperature, as a result of which it becomes more elastic, due to which the grip on the road is an order of magnitude more dense and of high quality. But if you use it in the summer, then it simply melts, quickly erases, and even spoils the road surface.

Stiffer summer tires when driving on hot asphalt, on the contrary, are cooled and retain the shape and degree of stiffness required for the road. But in the cold, such rubber becomes hard to the point of brittleness, its contact area with the road decreases, the stability of the car also decreases, and the risk of an accident in case of loss of control increases. A distinctive feature for a winter tire may be the presence of studs on the tread. There can be no doubt about the seasonality of the tire, by definition. But if it is frictional, there are no spikes on it. However, the patterns on the tread may suggest here.

Summer tires have a deeper tread pattern. Whereas a similar pattern for the winter version has a characteristic diagonally oriented structure, on which there is a very developed network of channels through which water is diverted from the tread. In general, this pattern strongly resembles a herringbone (this is a European type of tire). Or, on the tread, there are many rhombus-type figures that are located at a noticeable distance from each other (this is the so-called Scandinavian type).

If there are problems with the constant velocity joint, it may not always be necessary to replace it. Quite often, a repair kit is enough. Follow the link http://www.trialli.ru/catalogue/transmissiya/remontnye-komplekty-shrusa/ You can find CV joint repair kits for VAZ cars of different models.

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Diy tire studding
For maximum comfort and safety on the winter road, it is recommended to use studded tires. Such tires can always be purchased in the store, but with the help of modern technologies, studding of tires ...

Car tires are winter, summer and all-season. If the purpose of the first two types is clear to everyone, then motorists often have questions about all-season tires. When to use them? What are their characteristics? What is the difference between all-season tires and winter and summer tires?

All-season and winter tires. Comparison of the main parameters

General characteristics of tires for all seasons and winter:

• They are used at low temperatures. The composition of the rubber is balanced so that it does not become hard in cold weather and retains elasticity.
• They are characterized by increased cross-country ability. The tread pattern in the form of individual blocks provides good grip on slippery roads.
• There are slats in the design. They are thin cuts on the sides of the tire that resist slipping by clinging to the edges of snow and ice.

What is the difference between winter and all-season?

• Temperature range of use. If winter tires can be used at any negative temperature without restrictions, then all-season tires become too hard for safe movement even at -7 ° C.
• Handling on slippery roads. The deep tread of winter tires (from 9 to 17 mm) makes it easy to maneuver during icy conditions. All weather tires have lower tread. It is about 8-9 mm, so it is much more difficult to drive the car on such wheels.
• Braking distances. It has been experimentally proven that the braking distance on all-season tires is longer than on winter tires (by about 30%). This is a significant difference between all-season rubber from Velcro and studded rubber.
• Tread pattern. Winter tires are easy to distinguish by their larger blocks and a pronounced pattern. Sections on the working surface of All season tires are smaller. They are distinguished by a large number of drainage grooves, which improves its handling characteristics on wet asphalt.

Conclusion: rubber intended for any season is inferior to winter tires in all respects. The difference is less noticeable at temperatures close to 0 ° C. On a wet road surface, an all-season can show better handling due to high-quality water drainage.

Comparison of summer and all-season tires

General characteristics of these types of tires:

• good handling on dry and wet asphalt at temperatures no higher than + 15 ° C;
• efficient drainage of water from tires on wet roads. The presence of special drainage grooves reduces the risk of aquaplaning (uncontrolled sliding on a wet surface).

All season vs summer

The difference is as follows:

• The composition of the material. The rubber in summer tires is harder and more durable. It does not become too soft at high temperatures, in contrast to the all-season one, which already at + 20-25 ° C begins to "melt" and obey the steering wheel worse.
• Rolling resistance. Summer tires have a smoother tread, with a height of no more than 8.5 mm. They make the vehicle easier to move and save fuel.
• Noisiness. The lamellas and high tread of Allseason tires emit a noticeable sound on dry and hard asphalt, which is not the case in summer tires.
• Resource. Due to its softness, demi-season tires wear out very quickly. The difference compared to the summer can be up to 25%.

Conclusion: the main difference between summer tires and all-season tires is the degree of material softness. All-season rubber is not suitable for use at temperatures above + 25 ° C. At about 10 ° C, it has almost the same characteristics as the summer one - it brakes well, is easy to control and effectively removes water from the working surface.

5 main differences between car tires by season

The considered characteristics can be summarized in one table. It will clearly demonstrate how winter tires differ from all-season and summer tires:

	Winter	"Allseason"	Summer
1. Tread depth	from 9 to 17 mm and more	7.5 to 8.5 mm	7 to 8 mm
2. Tread pattern	Large blocks. Lamels	Medium blocks. Lamels. Water drainage grooves	There are no slats. The surface has a large number of drainage grooves
3. Rubber alloy material	Soft porous	Has medium softness	Hard, smooth.
4. Noisiness on dry asphalt	Strong	Average	Small
5. Cost *	USD 32	$ 60	70 USD

* the prices for Nokian Nordman and NokianWeatherproof are shown as an example

conclusions

• All-season tires occupy an intermediate position between winter and summer tires. It has average handling characteristics, directional stability and shows its best qualities at temperatures around 0 ° C.
• Visually, the difference between all-season tires from summer and winter tires can be determined by the tread. It has a shallower depth and size of blocks than the winter one and larger than the summer one. Also, the all-season car is distinguished by the presence of shallow sipes on the sides of the wheel.
• AllWeather rubber is soft to the touch, but harder than winter.
• On the side of the wheel, you can read the designations AllSeason (AS) or AllWeather.

Which tires to choose? Winter tires, summer tires or all-season tires ?!

From the point of view of the legislation of our country, the requirement to use rubber in accordance with the season is advisory in nature. However, from the point of view of driving comfort, experienced drivers (or drivers who have received negative experience as a result of driving on summer tires in winter) prefer to change the “shoes” of their own car in a timely manner.

In a number of countries (Germany, Austria, Norway, Latvia can serve as an example), drivers are required to use appropriate tires in winter (sometimes an alternative can be the use of summer tires supplemented with chains), the laws of these countries clearly state the start and end dates of the winter season. In the Russian Federation, work is underway to create such bills, but this work is significantly complicated by the size of the territory and significant differences in weather conditions in different regions.

Differences of summer tires

One of the differences between summer tires and winter tires is that the rubber used to make summer tires is harder - several performance characteristics of the product depend on this at once. So, if you use winter tires in summer, they will wear out much faster, relatively soft winter tires will “melt” on hot asphalt. In addition, the vehicle's grip will be much worse.

Summer tires also have different tread because the nature of the load on the tire differs from season to season. Thus, winter tires provide excellent handling on a snowy or icy track due to studs and other tread elements, which in summer are a hindrance to driving.

Separately, it is worth noting the tires, positioned by manufacturers as "all-season". Such tires will be an excellent solution for areas where climatic changes with the change of seasons are minimal (first of all, this relates to the temperature regime). So, the absence of snow, icing of the road in winter and intense heat in summer make the operation of such tires quite justified. However, if climatic changes are significant, then all-season tires show a sharp difference in the direction of deterioration in performance relative to seasonal tires.

Low profile rubber

Tires with a low profile (what this is can be found in the article "How to understand tire markings") can make the control more "precise", the driver can control the car at high speeds easier, in other words - such tires are designed for an active driving style.

But low profile tires are only good for good quality road use. If there are potholes, irregularities on the roads on which the owner of the car usually moves, such tires will cause suspension failure.

Wide rubber

For summer driving, it is recommended to choose wider tires, since such tires provide improved dynamic characteristics of the car (handling, quick acceleration and braking). This is achieved mainly by changing the configuration of the "contact patch" with the road.

However, when choosing a wide rubber, it is necessary to take into account not only the width, but also the quality of the product itself (the composition of the rubber). This parameter is not directly indicated in the labeling, and it is unlikely that the composition of the rubber can tell a lot to a consumer who is unaware of such specific details.

The criteria for choosing a high-quality wide rubber can be a high speed index, the presence of UHP markings, as well as price. In addition, a brand belonging to a European or American manufacturer can serve as an indirect guarantee of high quality. In the case of purchasing Chinese tires, the markings may not always correspond to the real characteristics of the rubber. For more information on tires labeled UHP -Ultra High Performance (this abbreviation means "high-performance" tires), see the article "Purpose and benefits of high-speed UHP tires" (link).

The downside of wide rubber is increased fuel consumption, since an increase in the "contact patch" is associated with an increase in "rolling resistance". When choosing wider tires, remember that the risk of aquaplaning starts at a lower speed. Aquaplaning occurs when the wheel does not have time to drain water from the "contact patch", as a result of which a water film appears between the wheel and the road surface, the car becomes uncontrollable.

Differences of winter tires

The main differences between winter tires and summer tires are “softer” rubber, from which winter tires are made, as well as a tread pattern. At temperatures above 5 degrees Celsius, it is not recommended to use winter tires, since soft rubber "melts" under the influence of temperature, the degree of tire wear increases, and the car's handling is significantly reduced. Summer tires (harder), on the contrary, with a decrease in temperature, "dubs", the likelihood of skid increases, in addition, the wheel can literally burst even with a small puncture.

Naturally, for movement on an icy, snow-covered track, as well as for movement in off-road conditions in winter, the tread pattern of a winter tire should be significantly different from the tread on summer tires. What profile configurations are used by manufacturers to achieve different tire qualities will be discussed a little later.

Studded or non-studded rubber

Studded tires can be an indispensable aid in certain driving conditions. When driving on smooth ice or rolled snow, acceleration dynamics increases, directional stability improves and the braking distance decreases (in comparison with non-studded tires with a similar tread pattern).

When driving on cleaned asphalt, tires with spikes lose to non-studded tires in ensuring directional stability, comfort of movement (first of all, this is a high level of noise), and the braking distance may increase. To some extent, the properties of studded rubber are lost in warm weather on melted snow.

Thus, for a megalopolis, where road services carefully monitor the condition of roads in winter, the driver of a vehicle may well do without studded tires. If the vehicle is operated in a mixed cycle in winter (city, highway, regional roads), then studded tires can greatly facilitate driving and make driving more comfortable.

So the winter period has come in most of the territory of Russia, which, as always, brings an increase in emergency situations on the roads of our country, and with them the average speed of vehicles changes. Unfortunately, not all motorists change summer tires to winter tires in time. Moreover, many of the drivers are well aware that in this way and inaction on their part, they deliberately ignore and violate the law, endangering not only their own safety, but also the safety of other road users. Such grief motorists are in no hurry to change their cars, they believe that in winter you can safely use summer tires.

In our today's material, we will not frighten once again those drivers who have not changed their summer tires to winter ones. There are many other materials for this on our resource. There is also a lot of information on the replacement of seasonal tires contained in the Internet itself.

Today we will briefly try to tell our readers how summer tires differ from winter ones, naturally from a scientific point of view, that is, to tell our readers about the main aspect of this problem, namely about what happens at the molecular level with summer tires in cold weather and vice versa, what can occur with winter tires at high positive temperatures above zero.

We hope that our story will not seem too boring and complicated to you. We also think that this editorial material will nevertheless convince many car enthusiasts and eventually force them to abandon the use of summer tires in the winter period.

Many car enthusiasts assume that summer tires differ mainly from winter tires only in their tread, which is designed to be used at certain times of the year. This is partly true, but not fully. After all, the tire tread plays an important role in traction on the road at different times of the year.

But you need to know that the tread itself is not the main difference between summer and winter tires. What is most important here for tires is in what temperature range they retain their efficiency and their technical characteristics. After all, probably many people know that summer tires at low temperatures become very tough. Do you know why this happens?

Yes, many car enthusiasts know that this is due to the different rubber compounds used in summer and winter tires. But few people know what process occurs in summer tires in the cold, and even more so few people understand what chemical process occurs in winter tires when the positive temperature rises.

Let's try to explain.

Turn on subtitles and their translation if you don't know English

Differences between summer and winter tires

Winter tires, unlike summer ones, do not lose their flexibility in the cold and, due to the special chemical composition of the rubber, allow maintaining high grip. Summer tires work differently, they only provide optimal grip at high temperatures. The point is as follows. At high temperatures, the rubber composition of summer tires becomes more sticky and viscous.

There are also all-season tires. This is a cross between summer and winter tires, which provide optimal grip on the road surface in a certain range of positive and negative temperatures. But unfortunately, nothing is perfect in the world today. Therefore, the so-called all-season tires cannot provide the car with maximum traction with the road at high positive plus and too low minus temperatures.

We all probably know that automotive rubber is based on rubber. Rubber is an amphora polymer, which, depending on temperature, can be in three states:

• - glassy
• - highly elastic
• - viscous

For example, at a temperature of -70 -72 degrees the rubber passes from an amorphous to a crystalline state (crystallization). True, this process does not occur instantly, but gradually. At such a low temperature, the rubber completely loses its plasticity and passes (phase transition) into a glassy mass.

The fluidity of natural rubber begins to occur at a temperature of plus 180-200 degrees... Thus, the higher the ambient temperature, the softer and more ductile the rubber becomes.

If you heat the rubber up to plus 250 degrees, then it will decompose into gaseous substances and liquid products.

Like other polymers, rubber begins to change its chemical properties due to a phase transition to a certain temperature. True, the changes occur gradually, as the temperature decreases or increases.

What is the phase transition temperature of rubber is the temperature at which rubber molecules stop moving freely, which leads to a decrease in the energy properties of the molecules themselves. The less rubber molecules move, the less they emit heat.

Due to the low energy properties of the molecules, the rubber composition becomes less plastic.

That is, the hardening or glass transition of rubber begins to occur, the friction between the rubber and the road surface decreases, and this leads to a decrease in the car's adhesion to the road.

This is what can happen to summer tires in the cold

As you already know, there is a big difference in the chemical composition of the tires between summer and winter tires. This is done on purpose so that each rubber has its own temperature phase transition.

Summer rubber has a not very low temperature threshold at which rubber molecules begin to affect its plasticity.

For example, rubber molecules in summer tires change their properties, which affect the plasticity of tires, already at positive positive temperatures, approximately in the range from 4 to 7 degrees.

Accordingly, the higher the temperature, the better the grip is provided. As you already understood, at negative temperatures, the efficiency of summer tires will significantly decrease, primarily due to a decrease in rubber ductility (the glass transition process begins in rubber), and secondly, due to a decrease in its adhesion to the road.

Winter tires have a low phase transition threshold. This allows it to maintain maximum grip (due to greater friction with the road) even at very low freezing temperatures.

Did you know that positive temperatures can also negatively affect rubber. The fact is that as the positive temperature increases, the rubber, becoming more plastic, begins to wear out faster. This is due to increased traction. That is, at high positive temperatures, the rubber itself simply becomes sticky.

As you already understood from the above, winter and summer tires have different temperature phase transition points with an increase in positive positive temperature. For example, in winter tires, the phase temperature point at which the rubber molecules begin to move freely is in a positive value not far from 0 degrees.

Accordingly, at a positive positive temperature outside, winter tires become too sticky much earlier than summer tires, which have a completely different polymer composition.

As a result, it turns out that at high positive temperatures, winter tires will wear out faster than summer tires.

That is why it is impossible to make universal tires that would be suitable for their use in a wide range of action, both at negative and positive temperatures. Therefore, tire manufacturers use their own rubber chemical composition for each season, which provides tires with optimal performance in a certain temperature range.

By the way, even external factors do not affect this temperature range. For example, driving in the rain with summer tires generally does not change the temperature range for optimum tire performance.

We also all know that summer tires provide better grip when driving in the rain, thanks to their special tread that allows excess water to drain from under the wheels, which protects the car from aquaplaning in such a situation.

In addition to all this, the tread of summer tires has a special configuration that provides the car with a certain amount of grip at speed when cornering.

In general and in general, the task of summer tires is to provide the car with maximum grip on the road, both on dry asphalt and on wet.

Unfortunately, winter tires already have a different tread, which is designed for movement on slippery road surfaces, on ice or on snow.

By the way, the new winter tires have a deeper tread than the same new summer tires. This is necessary for more efficient snow movement.

Due to the tread depth, winter tires provide better grip on snowy surfaces when compared to summer tires, which, unlike summer tires, have a shallow tread.

And the last thing. Winter tires are additionally equipped with studs or zigzag grooves on top of the tread, for better grip of the car on ice. For example, the special tread surface of winter tires provides better grip on snow or ice.