Can I use M+S Tires in Summer [Answered]
M+S is the designation for a 3 season tire, the letters stand for MUD + SNOW. This doesn’t mean that you can’t use it in the spring and summer, they will perform fine. But once the temperatures drop, and the snow sticks, you’ve got tires on your vehicle that are not performing for the conditions.
These tires are better suited for a vehicle that lives in a climate that is warm year-round but can also be used in a vehicle where snow is rare or short-lived.
Are M+S tires all season?
M+S tires are not all-season tires. They are winter tires. They are made of a softer rubber than all-season or summer tires, which makes them less durable, but better for traction in the snow and ice.
Their tread pattern is also designed to channel away water and snow from the tire contact surface so that the tire has more grip on the road. All-season tires do not have this feature, and you should definitely avoid using them in winter conditions.
What happens if I use winter tires in summer?
In warmer temperatures, your vehicle’s performance can suffer if you use winter tires. Winter tires are made with a rubber compound that stays soft in cold temperatures, which allows them to grip the road better and offer improved traction than other types of tires in these conditions.
However, this same rubber compound becomes softer in warm temperatures and will decrease your vehicle’s handling and steering response, reducing safety when driving on dry or wet roads.
What do M and S mean on tires?
M&S stands for Mud & Snow. When you see this marking on a tire’s sidewall, it indicates that the tire meets the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA) and Rubber Association of Canada (RAC) definitions for a Mud and Snow-rated tire.
Are M&S tires OK for winter?
M+S tires are not the same thing as winter tires. M+S tires, or mud and snow tires, meet minimum RMA requirements for mud and snow traction. This is an important point because there are many types of winter weather including rain, slush, ice, sleet, etc. Winter tires are designed to perform well in all winter conditions.
How do you tell if a tire is a summer or all-season?
There are two ways to tell if a tire is a summer or all-season. The first is the easiest: Look for the M+S symbol, which is a tire tread pattern with mountains and a snowflake. The second way is to look at the sidewall of the tire and find something that says “All-season”, “Ultra-High Performance All-Season”, or something similar.
Should I buy summer tires or all-season tires?
All-season tires are a good middle ground between summer and winter tires. In most areas of the country, they can handle both warm weather and cold, snowy conditions, but they may not perform as well as summer or winter tires.
If you live in an area with harsh winters and can afford it, the best option for your car is to invest in the second set of wheels that you can swap out when the seasons change.
What are the best cheap summer tires for winter?
The Michelin Primacy MXV4 is a popular tire with good performance in dry, wet, and year-round conditions. It has a tread life of 40,000 miles and a cost of $89.95 per tire on Tire Rack as of 2010. Other low-cost tires include the Bridgestone Turanza LS-H, which costs $89 per tire, and the Goodyear Integrity, costing $49 per tire. These are designed for summer use only.
What temperature are summer tires good for?
The tread compound used in summer tires starts to harden at temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit and can crack at temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that you should not drive with summer tires below these temperatures because they will be less able to grip the road.
Conclusion on Can I use M+S Tires in Summer
You can use M+S tires all year long. This is accomplished by having more “tread” between the grooves of the tire. An M+S tire has more rubber on the tire between the grooves (the tread) than a “summer” or “all-season” tire would have. This makes it great for off-road conditions, but less efficient for dry roads, which decreases your gas mileage.
