Tread optimized for:
Heat, heavy rain, braking
Tread depth new tires:
approx. 8 mm
Legal minimum depth:
1.6 mm
Period:
From Easter to the end of September
Tread optimized for:
icy and snowy roads
Tread depth new tires:
approx. 9 mm
Legal minimum depth:
1.6 mm
Period:
From October to Easter
Tread optimized for:
Summer and winter as a compromise
Tread depth new tires:
approx. 9 mm
Legal minimum depth:
1.6 mm
Zeitraum:
All year
It’s all in the compound
Exactly how tires become harder or softer depends on the ratio of the rubber compound used. Summer tires are harder so that they don’t melt like “gelato” at the highest temperatures. Whereas the winter tires contain more rubber, so that you don’t feel like you’re jetting around with old wooden and steel carriage wheels in sub-zero temperatures.
The tread for all cases
When it comes to tread, there are also significant differences and a fixed law: a tread depth of 1.6 mm is the minimum requirement for all tires (including all-weather). For comparison: new winter tires have a depth of approx. 9 mm, while summer tires have a depth of approx. 8 mm. While in summer aquaplaning is one of the predominant dangers, in winter the icy road becomes a skid trap. Therefore, the treads of the tires are designed for the corresponding dangers. In the case of winter tires, small tread cuts ensure that ice and snow stick to the tire and the risk of slipping is largely avoided. Whereas summer tires are specially designed to adhere securely even on roads in heavy rain or floods.
Abrasion as an individual footprint
So you see, if you think you can just drive with winter tires in the summer, you’re wrong. The water displacement is not guaranteed because of the profile incisions, also called sipes. So you can only drive safely with the right tires at the right time. If you take all the tire points with simultaneous ground contact together, you come in something like the same amount as two men’s shoes in average size.
The right one, even for the right car
Impressive, when you consider that tires, unlike shoes, have to support over a ton of steel. And because every car, much like us humans, has different stress points, the wear and tear is also different. Therefore, it is not advisable to switch used winter and summer tires between different cars. To ensure that we always have exactly the right tires for the right vehicle within reach of the driver, we work together with our partner “Hostettler AG”. Because with the right storage you can do at least as much wrong as with the change. That’s where you need a real expert.
How good that with your UPTO Auto subscription you don’t have to worry about changing tires, tread depth and all that stuff.
