Chicago Tire Schedule

[Bebop]

For those who live in the Chicago/Suburbs. What is your schedule for changing tires? When do you swap to Winter Tires and until when do you keep them on for?

This will be my first time ever I will have a set of winter tires. I usually have all seasons. However, with a Model S, I'm not going to mess around.

And do you use all season for summer or do you stick with "summer" tires for summer time?

 

[William13]

I live in South Bend IN. We have more snow than Chicago due to lake effect. Summer tires are dangerous below 35 degrees and especially in the snow. Winter tires wear very quickly when it is warm. I never want to see my car in the body shop. Thus I error on the side of wearing the winter tires too much. I try to put them on October 15 and off April 15. Usually on a weekend near those dates as I have seen plenty of snow falls before Halloween until near tax day.

 

[Nicoletta]

I swapped to my winter tires in November 2016 but we had no snow this past winter so it was useless. In a 'normal' winter I'd say swap to winter tires end of November and back to normal tires end of March.

 

[ahkahn]

If you have D motors, I'd think you could get away with all seasons and call it a day.

 

[PJFW8]

For those who live in the Chicago/Suburbs. What is your schedule for changing tires? When do you swap to Winter Tires and until when do you keep them on for?

This will be my first time ever I will have a set of winter tires. I usually have all seasons. However, with a Model S, I'm not going to mess around.

And do you use all season for summer or do you stick with "summer" tires for summer time?

I travel to Chicago, Milwaukee and the Detroit area for several weeks each winter and worked in Milwaukee until my recent retirement to NC. Northern Indiana has caught me numerous times. Michelin Ice3's are outstanding and change the trip from white-knuckled to confident. All-season tires are marginal. In deciding your level of risk tolerance consider the net cost of a second set of tires. Winter tires will greatly extend the life of your other set. The real cost is the wheels and change over. You can make it with AWD and all season tires. On the other hand, real winter tires are a "luxury" that I will not be without. Tire Rack is a good source of information regardless of where you buy. I would get summer tires, but my original all season tires will outlast my lease with a great margin.

 

[thefortunes]

To directly answer your questions (I am in southern Wisconsin, by the way):

1) I typically swap to winter tires on wife's S and my Roadster around November 15th, but that is highly dependent on weather. As William13 mentioned above, summer tires should NOT be run below 35 deg so that or snow determines when I swap them.

2) I keep them on typically until mid-April. Again, this is temperature and snow dependent.

3) As I have told others, all-season tires in our climate really aren't good for anything. My analogy is to shoes: running shoes, snow boots and casual shoes. Which would you wear to run a couple miles? Which would you wear to hike through 6" of freshly fallen snow?

If you can afford a second set of rims (watch for someone selling theirs or buy aftermarket for the winter rims) I highly recommend getting the winter tires mounted on a second set. That way you can change them yourself which is cheaper and easier do in a pinch when weather turns.

 

[cmd_keen]

To directly answer your questions (I am in southern Wisconsin, by the way):

1) I typically swap to winter tires on wife's S and my Roadster around November 15th, but that is highly dependent on weather. As William13 mentioned above, summer tires should NOT be run below 35 deg so that or snow determines when I swap them.

2) I keep them on typically until mid-April. Again, this is temperature and snow dependent.

3) As I have told others, all-season tires in our climate really aren't good for anything. My analogy is to shoes: running shoes, snow boots and casual shoes. Which would you wear to run a couple miles? Which would you wear to hike through 6" of freshly fallen snow?

If you can afford a second set of rims (watch for someone selling theirs or buy aftermarket for the winter rims) I highly recommend getting the winter tires mounted on a second set. That way you can change them yourself which is cheaper and easier do in a pinch when weather turns.

Agree with thefortunes on all counts, and real snow tires make a huge difference. For as long as I have owned my own vehicles, I pretty much budget in a set of winter wheels and tires when making a purchase. For the Tesla, the stock 19's are the winter rims and snow tires will be on the both cars when this winter season rolls around... at the rate of tire wear on the stock 19's, I think by the end of summer they will be due for a change anyway.

 

[Bebop]

Awesome. Thanks a bunch everyone.

Any recommendations for winter tires? Any particular brand or certain tire you folks use or are fond of?

Same question with Summer Tires.

 

[PJFW8]

Awesome. Thanks a bunch everyone.

Any recommendations for winter tires? Any particular brand or certain tire you folks use or are fond of?

Same question with Summer Tires.

Michelin Ice 3

 

[thefortunes]

Awesome. Thanks a bunch everyone.

Any recommendations for winter tires? Any particular brand or certain tire you folks use or are fond of?

Same question with Summer Tires.

Michelin X-Ice XI3
Michelin Pilot Super Sport