4 Things To Consider When Buying Winter Tires

If you live in a region of the United States that gets a significant amount of snow, ice and rain during the winter months, winter tires are a great investment. They will provide you with a higher level of traction on the road and help keep you safer as a result. Here are four things you need to consider when purchasing winter tires.

#1 It's Always Best To Purchase A Set Of Four

It can be tempting to cut corners and save money by just by two wheel and putting them on the front if you have a front-wheel drive car or the back if you have a rear-wheel drive car since those are the two tires that grip the road the most.

However, even in front-wheel and rear-wheel cars, all four tires actually grip the road and work together. When you just put winter tires on two wheels, when you hit ice, rain and snow, your winter and non-winter tires may grip the road differently, which can cause you to more easily pinwheel and lose control of your vehicle. 

#2 Consider Investing In A Set Of Rims As Well

If this is the first set of winter tires for your vehicle, you may want to consider investing in a second set of rims as well.

Although you can have your winter tires re-mounted on your regular rims, and your normal tires re-mounted when you take the tires off again, you can save a lot of money over the long-term lift of your vehicle by investing in a set of rims for both your winter and regular tires. That way, every time you swap out your tires, you will not have to pay to have them mounted again. 

#3 Buy In The Fall

Most tire places receive their entire stock of winter tire in the fall, and sell them until they run out. The longer you wait to purchase winter tires, the less of a selection choice you are going to have.

If you wait until winter is in full swing, there is a high chance that the tires you want may be sold out due to the manufacture being sold out or due to your local tire company running out of their stock of that particular tire. 

#4 Don't Forget About Installation 

Finally, don't forget to budget for installation. You are going to have to pay a set fee for each of your new winter tires to be mounted and balanced on your vehicle. Although some tire shops work this fee into the price of the tire, many do not, so be sure to ask what the entire cost of purchasing and installing a set of winter tires is when you call around getting estimates for winter tires for your vehicle. For more information, contact shops like Jensen Tire & Auto.