Snow Tires Need Break-In Time For Optimum Grip
by Bruce W. Smith
Great grip is what you expect from new snow tires.
But you might be a little disappointed in how they work if the new snow treads on your vehicle haven’t been broken in before that first snow fall.
According to the tire manufacturers, the best way to have your snow tires ready for winter is to run them on dry pavement for at least 100 miles before the first snow.
This “dry run” scrubs off silicone-based release compounds.
Release compound is like a lubricant and has a negative effect on overall tire performance if they are put on snow right off the rack.
Running the tires on dry roads also opens up the sipes that provide the grip on ice an snow. Sipes, those tiny cuts in the tread blocks that grip snow, require pavement scuffing to fully open them before hitting the snow.
