Opinions on installing my summer wheels for a week

White95Max · 01-28-06, 08:19

Here's the deal. We've had a lot of warm weather lately, and I've been very tempted to install my summer wheels. For the last month, we've had no snow, and so my snow tires are just getting driven on dry pavement, and getting worn out for no reason. The car also handles and looks much different than with the summer wheels.
Yesterday it was 56*F and sunny, so most of the snow is gone. Today it's 38*F currently, and we've gotten rain for the last couple hours, and rain is forecasted through tonight. Tomorrow there's a light chance of snow, with less than 1/2" accumulation, if any.

So here's the question:

The roads are washed off well already, and will continue to be washed more as the rain progresses. This week is forecasted to be above freezing and partly cloudy every day. If we get no snow tonight, should I put my wheels on for the week? They might stay on longer than a week if the warm, dry weather continues.

Spilchy · 01-28-06, 08:26

Hey Maxy, I voted no.

Remember, it's still January, winter and you're in Wisconsin. End of story.

Patience grasshopper. Soon you'll have months of uninterrupted wheel enjoyment

Edit: Or, if you feel like swapping back and forth every time you hit a warm spell, then knock yourself out!

FalconGuy · 01-28-06, 08:30

I'm right there with you, my winter wheels have been on a month and its been as high as 60F, 55 today..... I know if I go back to summers it will snow the next day.

Having separate summer rims and tires makes the change a one hour affair at most.

Keep in mind its not just snow that the winters are better for, low temps, like in the 30's that I see in my early morning commute can make my summer tires a bit squirrely....

I'm thinking I will stick with the winters and use the warmer weather to polish and seal my summers and go get them balanced so I'm all set for spring, which seems like its right around the corner.

flatstick · 01-28-06, 08:35

Sorry dude I voted no as well. I would say give it another 4-6 weeks.... depending on what the Groundhog says this week

j/k . all kidding aside give it about 6 weeks and you can then know that your wheels will be getting a break from all that winter throws at them. I wish I had two sets to be honest with you

Accumulator · 01-28-06, 08:39

Yeah, I agree- leave 'em on.

I'm in the same boat here with the MPV. I decided to leave the winter ones on since a sudden change in the weather might catch me at an inconvenient time. I hate wearing down my Blizzaks (and yeah, it's sure not handling like it would on summer tires), but having to *clean the vehicle, including the wheelwells, swap the wheels/tires, and then clean up the summer ones* sounds like the sort of job that might be a real hassle at the wrong time.

I just force myself to dial it back a bit both for the longevity of the winter tires and because of the way they handle. Those M3s oughta be OK as long as you drive sensibly and keep them properly inflated.

White95Max · 01-28-06, 08:40

Hmm.

Well I don't mind swapping them back in a week or so. If we get a forecast for snow, I will certainly take the summer tires back off. An hour is all it takes to swap the wheels.
They are already cleaned, AIO'd, and OCW'd. So it'd be a breeze to clean them whenever I did remove them.

And the snow tires work best with deep tread, so it bothers me to drive for weeks and weeks on the snow tires when there's no snow.

Pats300zx · 01-28-06, 09:19

For me. No way. Even with this nice weather I have been tempted to switch my winter wheels back out. I have to keep reminding myself that it is only the end of January and we till have Feb and March to go.

We have been extremely lucky this winter but I am still not taking any chances.

cwcad · 01-28-06, 10:23

My experience with Midwest winter says leave them on. If this were the end of February I would say go for it. Weather reports can be wrong. Would hate to have you go and get caught in a storm without the proper equipment

Scottwax · 01-28-06, 10:58

Summer wheels, what's that?

Reflections · 01-28-06, 12:04

Don't do it buddy. We've had record high temperatures here in Calgary. We broke a 114 year old record the other day with a high of 12C (normal high is -5). As soon as you put those wheels on it's going to dump snow and you're gonna be out of sugar for your coffee and you're gonna want to run to the store without taking the time to change your wheels cause you just want your damn coffee and on the way back from the store a gravel truck's going to be driving right in front of you spewing gravel everywhere and when you get home you'll look at your wheels and they'll be scratched to hell and you'll be so mad you'll drop your sugar everywhere and not only will you have to go back to get more but some raccoons will eat all the sugar and take up residence in front of your place and harass your family when they want to visit so they won't bring fresh pies over anymore and all cause you wanted to show off your wheels for a week! It happens!!

White95Max · 01-28-06, 12:54

Wow I'm convinced!

10 votes: 10 No, 0 yes.

But don't hate raccoons. I had a pet 'coon named Bandit for a few weeks. As far as I'm concerned, he would have been dead for certain within a couple days had we not brought him home to take care of him. He had an injured leg, and after a few weeks of scrambled eggs, breadsticks, sausage, and cheese, he was feelin' fine. I saw him climbing a tree in the backyard on my way to school (my dog was roaming around the yard), and never saw him again after that. Sad to see him go, but I was happy to know that I very likely saved his life. He was a very friendly animal, a bit shy at first, but grew to trust me and my brother.
And no, he didn't live inside. We built of fortress of branches around a box from a CPU with a blanket inside. Then covered the fort with a tarp to keep it dry.

I wonder where he is now. Hopefully he didn't end up like so many other raccoons...dead on the road.

JohnnyDaJackal · 01-28-06, 01:07

As everyone else said its not worth chancing the weather, it would also be a pain jacking up your car and switching them back and fourth. For some reason our winters have been really screwy the last couple years. We have very mild January and Februarys and very cold and snow filled March and Aprils, leaving us no real spring weather.