Happy New Year! The winter chaos is coming – guaranteed. When the first flakes fall, almost nothing works on our streets anymore. The ranks of those who don't like winter tires are unshakable: Used for years 50 Percent of drivers only one sentence (Summer-)tires.
For Jörg Ahlgrimm, Head of Dekra Accident Analysis, Danger by no means only lurks in mountain regions. “While main roads are usually gritted quickly,“Explains Ahlgrimm, "Because of the limited spreading services, secondary roads and especially streets in residential areas harbor the risk of typical ice accidents."
Even if the rule of thumb still applies, that even the best winter tires are not all-rounders, Thanks to increasingly complex constructions, its performance could be improved considerably. Even on ice, modern winter tires with what is known as lamella technology offer a plus in terms of safety. Because icy roads become particularly tricky at temperatures between -5 ° and -12 ° C. Then a wafer-thin film of water forms due to the pressure of the vehicle, on which the car can quickly get out of control when braking or accelerating. “Because of the self-sharpening, extrem hart-edged Lamella “, explains Holger Rehberg, Goodyear Technical Training Director, “Modern winter tires are almost as effective as spike tires used to be.” Of course, modern high-tech winter tires have their price. But how expensive the bottom line is, can be influenced by the rhythm of the change intervals. Because high temperatures accelerate the abrasion, everyone can, which doesn't change until late spring, with modern winter tires today 40000 km reach.
The effort, to achieve the highest possible mileage, however, should not be exaggerated. Because of their soft rubber compound, winter tires can be lifesavers even on cold autumn days. A rule of thumb: Even at temperatures below 7 ° C, pure summer tires can harden and – for example when braking on a wet road – become a security risk. If you don't want to buy a set of winter tires, should, when the next tire change is due, at least think about all-season tires. Their development has made great strides in recent years. ADAC spokesman Maximilian Maurer: “Depending on the purpose and region, all-season tires can be a real alternative. But if you have to be mobile even under extreme conditions, there is no way around real winter tires. "
Change wheels correctly
Because tire wear is not at the front of any vehicle- and rear axle is the same, the wheels should move from front to back as often as possible, but only on the respective side, change (Mercedes-Benz recommendation: all 7500 km), so that the running surface wears as evenly as possible. The transfer of the driver- on the passenger side, in which the direction of rotation of the tire changes, must be avoided at all costs. The tightening torque for the wheel bolts is usually a value of 110 to 120 nM. Torque wrench! Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations for alloy rims.