When to change tires on a car in the fall. rubber question. When to switch to summer tires

Of course, the exact date of the change of footwear cannot be named. By Russian laws switch to summer tires possible since March. But you can - does not mean you need to. March is a difficult month for motorists. After a spring daytime rain at night or early in the morning, sleet forms on the asphalt. Meeting her on the “summer” is not a pleasant situation. Not every driver is able to cope with driving in such conditions, even on winter tires.

But it's not just the cover itself. The absence of snow or ice on the roads does not give a reason to refuse winter tires. Outwardly dry and clean, it would seem that the track can be fraught with danger when low temperatures, even with a small plus. This is due to the fact that seasonal rubber is very different in its chemical composition. The colder it is outside, the stronger the summer tires "tan". As a result, grip on the road deteriorates noticeably. When you go into the "minus" on summer tires, it becomes completely unsafe to drive. It’s better to slap spikes on the pavement for a couple of weeks than to suddenly find yourself in a ditch.

“Many tire manufacturers consider +7 degrees as a conditional minimum threshold. If the average daily temperature has crossed this mark, you can safely put summer tires. In such conditions, she begins to hold the road well, ”advises tire expert Leonid Pashchenko.

Long-term observations of experts suggest that in central Russia such average daily values ​​cannot be expected before April. Before rushing to a tire shop, it’s worth checking the condition of your summer tires first. The tread depth must not be less than 1.6 mm. Such minimum figures are indicated in the Technical Regulations, but in fact the “working” depth of summer tires starts from 3 mm, otherwise the risk of aquaplaning increases, that is, the wheels will “float” in puddles. It's better not to ride on "bald" tires and fork out for a new set.

The location of the wheels also matters. Experienced tire fitters usually look at the condition themselves. Tires that were on the front axle the previous season tend to have more wear, so it makes sense to move them back now. Thus, the tires will “bald” evenly - and this is primarily a safety issue when driving.

So, we changed. What to do with winter tires? Storage should not be taken lightly. The main thing is to protect them from light and moisture. Everything is more or less simple here. It's hard to think of a better place than a garage. Both dry and warm. The most suitable temperature is 0-25 degrees. A balcony is also suitable, but then the tires must be covered or packed in a waterproof bag. Constant "sunburn" under the scorching sun is harmful to rubber - microcracks will appear on the surface. For protection against external influence auto shops sell special tire conditioners. If you treat the outer surface with it before storage, you can extend the life of the tires.

During storage, it is still necessary to avoid deformation of the tires. Therefore, do not try to squeeze them into the first suitable size space. Give them freedom and do not prop them up with other hard objects.

“In what position to store the rubber depends on the kit. If the tires are without rims, then they cannot be suspended. Tires should be left upright, turning periodically, and not stacked, otherwise they will for a long time they are deformed. But with the wheels in the collection, everything is just the opposite. Perfect option— hang in the garage. If this is not possible, then it is better to store in a horizontal position. You can stack it on top of each other,” comments Leonid Pashchenko.

You don’t have to think about proper storage if you don’t mind paying 1500-3000 rubles per season. Usually, this is how much it costs to store tires for a season in specialized services or tire shops. What you definitely shouldn’t save on is the rubber itself. Thoughts “not to change shoes” are generally better to drive away. In the heat, even old summer tires are better than the freshest winter ones.

Correspondent of "North of the capital" talked with the emergency commissioner

This year's warm spring has made many motorists wonder if they should change their tires early. Andrey Polyakov, the emergency commissioner, gave some advice on the timing of “changing shoes” and the impact of summer tires on safety. His job is to go to the registration of an accident in Moscow and the Moscow region on the orders of insurers.

To a definite "plus"

Perhaps, main question about changing tires - when to do it? According to Andrey, there can be only one answer: as late as possible.

“During a recent snowfall, an off-road driver who had time to change tires to summer ones “collected” several cars that were standing at a traffic light,” Andrey says.

Moral: It's better to change your tires two weeks after the last snowfall than half an hour before.

- I myself put off “changing shoes” until the last, waiting for the temperature to remain positive both during the day and at night for at least about a week. The only loss that this practice can bring is the loss of a few more spikes, but on the spring road I am much calmer.

Tires are different

What tires to choose for the summer? According to Andrew, they have main parameter, which should be paid attention first of all:

– My choice is summer tires with high water repellency. Usually outwardly they differ in the tread pattern in the form of a herringbone. Such tires may produce more noise when driving, but they help to avoid loss of control in a deep puddle.

Some motorists - especially summer residents, mushroom pickers - make one more requirement for summer tires: they must “row” well in mud, sand, etc. It is clear that you need to think about this in advance, before buying rubber: read reviews and comparative tests of tires, reviews about them.

Beware the curb!

Buyers of expensive tires tend to sometimes exaggerate their capabilities. This provokes such drivers to drive equally fast in dry weather and in the rain, both in the city and outside the city.

- No matter how perfect the tires are, in the rain - even where there are no deep puddles - the braking distance increases, the likelihood of skidding increases. So in rainy weather, it's time to remember what they said about this in a driving school: use the brake and gas more carefully, increase the distance, - says Andrey Polyakov.

Owners of off-road vehicles need to be especially careful. Firstly, on a four-wheel drive car, the technique for getting out of a skid is more complicated. Secondly, if tire grip deteriorates, the driver of a conventional car feels it immediately, even during acceleration, and the driver of an all-wheel drive may not notice the problem until he needs to brake hard. Here, by the way, a large mass of such a car can remind of itself.

Among other things, outside the city there is another potential danger that threatens absolutely everyone, and is aggravated in wet weather. This is a weak edge.

“Most recently, outside the city, a car in front of me, the driver of which pulled onto the side of the road, slowing down insufficiently, immediately rolled over - it turned out to be slippery there,” Andrey recalls. - The roadside is unpredictable at any time of the year, and it is impossible to drive onto it without reducing the speed to at least 40 km / h. Even having put on new and high-quality summer tires, it is important to remember this on future trips to the country.

Twice a year, motorists are faced with the question: when to change tires Is it time or is it too early? Are there any rules for changing tires to summer tires according to the law? What do tire manufacturers recommend?

Hello, dear readers blog.

It is worth warming the spring sun, drying the asphalt a little, and showing the temperature to the thermometer at about +5 degrees, many people immediately begin to ask when to change tires to summer tires according to the law? And many hurried drivers are rather in a hurry to change the tires on the car for summer. The weather at this time is very unpredictable: today it is melting, tomorrow frost and snow may fall! March is a tricky time. And, apparently, the beginning of April this year will be somehow incomprehensible ...

- On January 1, 2015, a new technical regulation came into force Customs Union, which provides for restrictions on the minimum allowable tread depth of rubber: for summer tires - 1.6 mm, for winter tires - 4 mm. In addition, the technical regulation of the Customs Union "On the safety of wheeled vehicles" introduced a ban on the operation of summer tires in winter and studded tires in summer, called " studded tire law ". According to this document, the duration of the winter period is 3 months - from December 1 to March 1. But due to the fact that climatic conditions in different geographical subjects can differ significantly, this period can be extended, but not reduced in any way.

However, in Russia, despite the fact that in order to exclude the possibility of using unsuitable tires, amendments were made to the traffic rules, clearly describing which tires are considered summer, which winter, and which all-weather, this bill is not in full force (about types of tires I already said). This is due to the fact that the rules do not spell out a ban on a specific time of tire operation. It turns out that, despite the restrictions established by the technical regulations, drivers are only responsible for the use of studded tires in summer, but not for summer tires in winter. The main thing is that the tread depth meets the designated standards.

Based on manufacturer's recommendations car tires and experts in the industry, then it is worth changing car tires when the average daily temperature of +5 - + 7 degrees has been kept in your region for several days.

Remember that it is the air temperature that directly affects car tire properties. If you change tires ahead of time (when the temperature drops and frosts are still possible), then summer tires will become harder and therefore it will be quite difficult to drive a car. If you now need to choose and buy summer tires, then I want to remind you what are markings on tires and what they mean.

7ºС. Every motorist should know this indicator: when the average daily temperature ( keyword- average daily) will step over "plus seven", you can safely change winter tires to summer ones - it means that spring has finally come, the chances of meeting an ice crust on the road are minimal.

Is it possible to change earlier?

Yes, but only if there is confidence that the cold has unconditionally capitulated. At temperatures from 0 to +7ºС, the grip properties of summer tires remain high, but at "minus" the rubber compound tans and tire performance deteriorates sharply. And on the “white road” - covered with snow or ice - tires designed for the warm season are completely helpless.

Or maybe not change?
Indeed - well, what's the point of buying a set of summer tires now, if you can drive through the season without changing your shoes on the old winter one, and in the fall just buy new spikes or Velcro. Moreover, the tread depth is sufficient, and the money saved can be spent ... Yes, it doesn’t matter what to spend on, the main thing is the money saved!

Drive such thoughts to hell right away: summer and winter tires differ in all respects - in design, rubber compound, tread pattern ... Therefore, on asphalt, no matter if dry or wet, any summer tire behaves better than winter.

Where to put what tires?
Pulling a set of summer tires out of the pantry, you suddenly notice that one pair of wheels is less worn. Where to put it? "Experienced" taught that on the leading axle. However, let's not forget that the advice of veterans of garage gatherings dates back to the days when cars were all rear-wheel drive.

The deeper the tread pattern, the more efficient the tire is in the wet. It turns out that the new front wheels are more tenacious, and the “bald” rear ones are more “slippery”. In corners, such a tire will work as follows: the front end still clings to the asphalt, but the rear part (moreover, lighter), even with a slight speed increase or a relatively sharp turn of the steering wheel, loses contact. Feelings - inexpressible: after all, the car just stood safely on the road!

False calm is just given by fresh tires on steerable wheels.

Of course, there is another point of view, which is professed by experienced drivers. Like, it is not difficult to extinguish a skid (a skid is called rear axle withdrawal), the main thing is that the driving and simultaneously steered wheels have a good hook. But for this, it’s true, you need to have stable skills in counter-emergency driving, which not everyone has ... And therefore, tire manufacturers have a different opinion. They believe demolition is safer for the average driver. Experience shows that during demolition, "dummies" simply release gas, which helps to stabilize the car.

We put newer tires back, regardless of the type of car drive!

In general, in order for the tires to wear out evenly, experts recommend regularly rearranging the wheels, including the spare, every 10-12 thousand km, if the mileage per season exceeds this figure. Along the way, it would be nice to drop in for balancing (for reference: this operation is performed so that the wheels rotate evenly, without vibrations). Thus, it will be possible not only to extend the life of the tires, but also to reduce the load on the chassis and steering.

Another piece of advice concerns the spare wheel. If you already decided to save on it and hid the best of the surviving tires from the old set underground, try not to ride on three new and one old wheels for a long time in case of a puncture. And when you get caught in the rain, reduce your speed by at least 10, and better - by 15-20 km / h.

For those skeptics who believe that one “tired” tire will not cause trouble, we remind you that the car relies on asphalt precisely with tires, and the contact patch is a small rectangle 10 × 15 cm in size. So, the controllability and braking efficiency of the car depend on the condition and quality of the rubber directly.

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    Every year, a prerequisite for all car owners is to prepare the car for the winter and summer season. This process requires special attention to the technical condition of the machine and additional costs associated with its maintenance. The main need to start with is the replacement of tires.

    1 Why do tires need to be changed twice a year?

    Automobile wheels are the main component of the vehicle, most of all subject to wear. The reason for this is the constant contact of the rubber with the track and road chemicals. In order to extend the life of wheel tires, to protect yourself and other road users, you should follow the technical recommendations for the use of tires. Consider the end of winter and the onset of heat and do not wait for the warning from the traffic police about when to change tires to summer tires.


    Timely replacement of tires will help to avoid the following causes of tire wear:

    • seasonal deterioration of the quality of roads (ice, potholes after winter, hot asphalt);
    • exit from snowdrifts and off-road;
    • during heavy braking, the tread is maintained;
    • imbalance of air pressure in tires depending on the season;
    • violation of vehicle regulations.

    Some economical car owners change tires on only one pair of wheels - front or rear. Such savings are fraught not only with a breakdown of the vehicle, but also with traffic accidents.

    2 Change winter tires to summer

    Each motorist has his own beliefs about the seasonal replacement of tires:

    • supporters of the early replacement of the winter period motivate their position by the need to prepare early for the upcoming cold weather and to secure their movement on the road in case of sudden frosts or ice.
    • late shift supporters summer period change tires when it is already warm enough, not taking into account that this increases wear and significantly reduces its life.

    The practice of using winter tires confirms that the operation of treads in hot summer time significantly increases their wear. Therefore, if timely replacement is made, then the rubber life can be extended.

    When changing shoes for your car, it is worth arming yourself with the recommendations of manufacturers who advise putting on winter protectors if the average daily temperature drops to + 7C. At low temperatures, summer protectors harden and their properties deteriorate.


    According to the law of the Russian Federation, change winter tires follows from March 1 to March 15, depending on severe weather conditions and territorial distribution. In Russia, by mid-March, temperatures become more stable, snow cover disappears and asphalt becomes dry, as a result of which the technical characteristics of winter tires are not relevant.

    Of course, it’s good to change the car’s shoes according to the rules, but the owner must take into account the quality of the road surface (after winter) of the area on which he drives: the city track is more well-groomed and clean than rural or provincial roads, which sometimes remain snowy until mid-April.

    Russia is a vast country, and the inhabitants of the southern regions have some peculiarities regarding the seasonal replacement of wheels, since in winter there is no snow at all, the asphalt is dry and the temperature is quite high. In this regard, the use of studded tires in such areas is not common, all-season is more in vogue there. Change date winter protectors there it fluctuates relative to weather conditions, drivers need to track the date from which the temperature has leveled off and stays at +5, +7C and above, then you can safely change the car's shoes.

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    On the contrary, car owners of the North use studded tires more, since driving in snowfalls and very coldy requires special specifications- protectors with metal spikes. And the terms requiring the replacement of studded tires are somewhat different there than in the central and southern regions, they are determined by territorial temperature parameters.

    3 Change summer tires

    According to Appendix No. 8 of the technical regulation of 01/01/2015, the operation of cars with studded tires in the summer from June to August is prohibited. Consequently, the law of the Russian Federation does not prohibit driving on winter tires without studs in the summer, but you can ride on studded tires until June 1.

    The conditions for replacing a car's summer tire depend on the average daily temperature not lower than +5, +7C. Even if in the daytime the air warms up to +10, +11C, then in the morning frosts may appear in places and the movement of a car on summer treads can cause an accident. Moreover, summer tires used in winter lose their elasticity, and vehicle braking is doubled.

    If the summer has dragged on and the winter season is just beginning to remind of itself, it is useful for motorists to familiarize themselves with the following parameters of the relationship between seasonal temperature and summer tire replacement:

    • the lower the thermometer readings, the harder the summer tread;
    • the harder the rubber, the lower its grip properties;
    • the worse the grip properties, the greater the fuel consumption and the greater the tread wear.

    To balance these processes, tire manufacturers have developed tires that differ in chemical structure and tread pattern.

    Car tires used in summer are stiffer and better able to withstand contact with hot asphalt. At low temperatures, the rubber becomes stiff and grip decreases. The process of movement turns into a process of sliding.


    The minimum average daily temperature, after which we understand that it is time to "change shoes" - +7 degrees Celsius

    In addition to winter and summer tires, there is another, third option for tires - all-weather tires. "All-weather" are characterized by more disadvantages than advantages, because in the summer they wear out more and in winter they are not very elastic. All season tires most practical behave at 0 degrees.

    There are 4 main reasons why experts advise changing summer tires in advance:

  1. The excitement at the service station.
  2. Running in studded treads: avoid slipping and sudden braking during the first 100-200 km. The recommended movement is 70 km/h.
  3. In warm weather, it is more comfortable to install than in cold weather.
  4. The car is ready for the sudden whims of nature.

A few lost spikes are not as dangerous as the possibility of being with summer tires in a snowdrift or ice.

4 Additional reasons to change tires on time

Car tires must be changed, primarily for reasons of their own safety. The economic reasons for this are also not unimportant: winter tires wear out quickly in the summer, and driving in winter on summer treads leads to accidents and unforeseen expenses.

Insurance companies, as a rule, refuse insurance if tires inappropriate for the season are installed on the vehicle during an accident.


The terms for replacing tires depend on the conditions for using the car: if in the spring the car is used mostly in the mornings and evenings, and at this time there may be frosts, then you can not rush to change tires if in the autumn the car is used in the morning and evening time, then you should hurry up to change the car.

The geography of operation is also very important, because on country roads and urban temperatures, night and day temperatures usually differ. Consequently, the probability of ice formation is greater, and snow melts longer on country roads than on urban ones.

5 Penalty for seasonal non-compliance of tires

Financial punishment for summer tires in winter from January 1, 2015. is 500 rubles, thanks to the technical document of the Customs Union that has entered into force. The decree prohibits the operation of a car without winter tires from December to February. Regional structures have been given the right to regulate the timing of the ban, depending on weather conditions in various regions of Russia.

The legislation of the Russian Federation does not provide for a fine for the operation of winter non-studded tires in the summer.

Also, the legislation does not provide for a fine for the absence of the "Ш" sign on a car with studded tires.

Replacing car tires, like everything else in our lives, must be done on time, especially if your own safety depends on it.

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