Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Fall 2016 | Page 45

Winter Warrior
Fitment
Tires designed to battle the elements

when to install winter tires

We’ve just been handed an urgent and horrifying news story and we
need all of you to stop what you’re doing and listen: Snow is going to fly!
Now, while this may come as a surprise to absolutely no one, we felt it
was important to send this early reminder for one simple yet important
reason: Winter tires are kind of a big deal.
If you’re reading this article right now, there’s a good chance you’re
either driving a Subaru BRZ or, even more likely, a Subaru equipped with
Symmetrical Full-Time AWD. Either way, excellent choice. But driving a
car with superior inherent balance and handling is just the start when it
comes to dealing with the land of the ice and snow.
According to the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada, a good set
of winter tires provide up to 50% more grip than all-season tires in all
road conditions at temperatures of 7o Celsius and below. While all rubber
will stiffen as the mercury plummets, modern winter tires are designed
to maintain elasticity even at -30o Celsius and below. This characteristic
enables these tires to bite through snow and ice, creating superior traction
and grip along the way.
Early indications are that the winter of 2016-17 in many parts of
the country will be a blistering affair with shockingly low windchill
conditions and massive amounts of precipitation. To turn your Subaru
into a true winter warrior, think of winter tires as the icing on the
proverbial cake.
For more information, visit the Transport Canada website [tc.gc.ca],
then head to your local Subaru dealer to find the tires recommended
for your specific vehicle. Look for the three-peak mountain snowflake
symbol on the sidewall, a sure sign that the tires have been designed for
severe winter conditions.
There’s no need to fear the icy grip of winter — not when you’re driving
in your Subaru and riding on winter tires.

Temperature is key
Lower temperatures decrease the elasticity of the rubber
compound in tires, resulting in reduced traction. Instead of
thinking of winter tires only as “snow tires” you may want to
start thinking of them as “cold-weather tires”.
-30ºC

- TEMPERATURE ºC +

+ 30ºC

When shopping for winter tires, it’s important to look for
a tire that displays the Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake
Symbol (also referred to as the ‘Alpine’ symbol) on the
sidewall. Transport Canada acknowledges that tires
displaying this symbol meet the specific snow traction
performance requirements, and have been designed
specifically for use in severe snow conditions.
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