Winter is coming. It’s time to prepare for snowed and icy roads by replacing your vehicle’s standard tires with winter tires. Also called snow tires, especially by older drivers, these tires are much better at gripping slippery road surfaces covered by ice and snow.
Now, owners of all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicles might wonder if they can skip fitting winter tires to their cars or trucks. After all, AWD vehicles can handle slippery road surfaces better than many other vehicles because they can deliver engine power to all four wheels. Winter tires are also pricey for parts you don’t use all year.
Do All-Wheel Drive Vehicles Need Winter Tires On Snow And Ice?
Yes. It’s far safer –and thus highly recommended– to always install winter tires before driving on snow-covered or ice-covered roads, even if your vehicle has AWD.
Why Do AWD Vehicles Need Snow Tires?
The following is why snow tires are something AWD vehicles must always have for driving safely in winter conditions:
AWD Doesn’t Improve Traction While Braking Or Turning
When traveling in a straight line, AWD handles slippery road surfaces better than less-capable drivetrains.
Its ability to transmit engine power to all four wheels means that AWD can send more power to the tire with the most secure grip on a patch of road covered in ice or snow. At the same time, it will reduce the power sent to slipping tires. It increases the chance that the tire gripping the road will get enough traction.
Once the vehicle gets rolling, momentum ensures that the other tires will usually gain traction.
However, AWD becomes less effective during sharp turns or when the vehicle engages its brakes on slippery surfaces, such as icy or snow-covered roads.
Vehicles rely on friction between the tires and the ground to decelerate and turn around tight corners. Ice and snow reduce the friction between the two surfaces, making it more difficult for tire treads to get enough grip. AWD’s ability to transmit engine power to all the wheels can’t compensate for the tires sliding across the road surface.
Instead, you need something that increases the friction between the tire tread and the road surface. Winter tires and their earlier predecessors, snow tires, provide that.
What Are Snow Tires?
Snow tires have tread patterns designed to grip slippery road surfaces, specifically ones covered in snow and ice. They have deeper treads that clear more snow from road surfaces, improving friction between the tire and the road. Since snow makes surfaces more slippery, removing as much of it as possible helps the tire tread get a better grip.
The tread patterns of snow tires have a higher number of slots and sipes when compared to all-season and summer tires. Sipes are tiny slits on the tread surface that can dig into snow and other loose material. They also bite into slippery ice.
What Are Winter Tires?
What we now call winter tires improve upon snow tires because of modern materials science. In addition to deep treads with sipes, winter tires use enhanced rubber compounds that can stick to wet and slippery surfaces more effectively than earlier compounds.
Furthermore, the tread rubber of winter tires is for use in cold weather. Unlike the compounds in all-season and summer tires, the material used in winter tires can stay flexible at far lower temperatures. Flexible tires grip the road surfaces better, which is crucial when you’re stepping on the gas, hitting the brakes, or making turns.
Combining specialized tire tread patterns and sticky rubber compounds make winter tires better than earlier snow tires. Winter tires produce more friction, allowing them to grip snow and bite into ice more effectively.
Do You Need To Put Winter Tires On All Four Wheels Of Your AWD Vehicle?
Yes. Don’t mount winter tires on the wheels of only one axle to try to save time and the expense of buying four tires. Instead, always install winter tires on all wheel positions.
Mounting only two winter tires reduces the improvements in traction, braking, and cornering. Furthermore, fitting winter tires on one axle while leaving ordinary tires on the other one might cause issues that even the all-wheel drive can’t compensate for.
If you install winter tires only on the front wheels, your vehicle might lose traction on its rear wheels when you hit the brakes or make tight turns on snowy or icy roads. It might lead to your car’s rear wheels skidding over slippery road surfaces.
It isn’t good to mount winter tires only on the rear wheels. Most vehicles steer with their front wheels. Thus, the front tires must exert the best possible grip on the road. If you don’t mount winter tires on them, you might find it more challenging to steer and control your vehicle.
Traction and Grip
When discussing what tires can and can’t do, it helps to remember that traction and grip are different things.
Traction is the tire’s ability to resist spinning against the road’s surface. Meanwhile, grip refers to the tire’s ability to generate friction that lets it cling to the road.
High traction makes it easier to accelerate and drive on slick roads. In comparison, tires need enough grip to stop the vehicle and make sharp turns.
Best Practices When Driving AWD Vehicles During Winter
When all-wheel drive and winter tires work together, they provide more than enough traction and grip to mostly negate the slippery effects of ice and snow on the road.
Here are some recommended tips when you drive using AWD on snow and icy roads:
- Gently step on the gas and brake pedals.
- Avoid suddenly changing directions.
- Drive at lower speeds.
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Any information provided on this Website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace consultation with a professional mechanic. The accuracy and timeliness of the information may change from the time of publication.
