Down to what temp have you safely used the OEM ITS tires?

[Blek le Roc]

I mean for semi-normal driving, not racing and dry roads.

Most resources out there say 40* F. We're having a brief cold spell, and I have not yet put the winter tires on.

TIA

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[Tw1stedlog1k]

I've driven the precusor to the factory tires (PSS) down to 44 degrees once because I had to move the car to another city. My biggest concern was less about grip and performance (though there was certainly lack of it) but more sidewall cracking.

I drove gently and had no issues because I was able to keep the tires mostly warm at about 50 degrees (my previous car had tire temp sensors) but I probably wouldn't drive them in sustained cold temps REPEATEDLY (key word) for too long. If you're just waiting on tires to be delivered or something then I think you'll be fine if you don't have to move the car on those colder days. A couple of times just to get to the shop would probably be fine.

 

[bvanlieu]

Yes keep it above freezing in terms of storing however many of the cars were delivered in winter in the norther part of the company. Driving (gently) at 35d as needed if you garage the car is not too bad in that the tires have some heat in them. None of those cars exploded (mine included: took delivery during a warm spell in Feb but still was not over 45d f

The biggest issue I have seen with summer compounds isn't just temp, but wet performance coupled with sub 50d temps show them getting far more squirrely.

If storing outside with repeated overnight temps at 40 or below, get A/S compounds or winter compounds.

 

[Underdog]

Yesterday morning was 36F when I left for work and I noticed no adverse effects. My commute is ~10 minutes of backroads, followed by 10 minutes of highway. The car is garage-kept overnight.

My new wheels and A/S tires are due the first week of November.

 

[chopsuey34]

40-50 degrees is the usual recommended switchover point to winters.

I owned a FRS and put Michelin Super Sports on it. Because of work scheduling and weather surprises in Michigan one winter, I drove them in freezing conditions (25-28 degrees F) for a few days, but only in the dry. I was very gentle when driving to prevent cracking and excess wear and to avoid conpromised performance.

I wouldn't recommend this long term, but I didn't notice any cracking or wear after those few days. One of the reasons I'd rather just stick with high performance all-weather tires these days.

 

[StingertimeNC]

I've driven them on days in the high 20'sF to the track, then actually drove on the track in the low 30's with no issue. took an extra warm up lap but literally was just above freezing.

 

[SomethingSomething]

I can't fathom how you live in Massachusetts and never went below 44 degrees. Do you mount winters in September and leave them on until May? Or is this a second car and you have something else for cold/bad weather?

I luve in Ohio and fall and spring are all over the place temperature-wise, and assume MA is the same.

I've driven the summers down to 30ish degrees. That's air temp, not ground temp, and my car is garaged so it's not prolonged exposure to those temps. I take it easy as it gets colder but I never had a problem. Last year I put winters on in late November. I may do earlier this year, but I'd only had the car 2 weeks at that point last year.

I've driven the precusor to the factory tires (PSS) down to 44 degrees once because I had to move the car to another city. My biggest concern was less about grip and performance (though there was certainly lack of it) but more sidewall cracking.

I drove gently and had no issues because I was able to keep the tires mostly warm at about 50 degrees (my previous car had tire temp sensors) but I probably wouldn't drive them in sustained cold temps REPEATEDLY (key word) for too long. If you're just waiting on tires to be delivered or something then I think you'll be fine if you don't have to move the car on those colder days. A couple of times just to get to the shop would probably be fine.

 

[Tw1stedlog1k]

I can't fathom how you live in Massachusetts and never went below 44 degrees. Do you mount winters in September and leave them on until May? Or is this a second car and you have something else for cold/bad weather?

I luve in Ohio and fall and spring are all over the place temperature-wise, and assume MA is the same.

I've driven the summers down to 30ish degrees. That's air temp, not ground temp, and my car is garaged so it's not prolonged exposure to those temps. I take it easy as it gets colder but I never had a problem. Last year I put winters on in late November. I may do earlier this year, but I'd only had the car 2 weeks at that point last year.

Yes our weather is similar so it definitely gets colder here. My experience was with my previous car which I put away for the winter. For the ITS I put the winters on early, I've been driving around on 255/35 Nexen Winguards since early October. The Nexens have been...tolerable.

 

[mopar_man]

I put my DWS06+ on about 10 days ago. Once the lows drop into the lower 40’s I notice the stock tires get firm. Anything in the 30’s and the PS4S are like hockey pucks. You really need to be gentle and cautious.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

The greatest sidewall load you'll see (and greatest likelihood for the sidewall cracking) is under braking. You can drive the summer compounds at low temps, as long as you get the tire to proper temp in a reasonable time. Reasonable would be the same amount of time for your turbo/oil to get to proper temp, which is really freakin hard to know in this car... I would assume 15 mins of easy cold weather driving. Until they're warm, use the brake gently and brake a lot further back.

Outside temp isn't as important as road temp also... So 30F outside is not so bad in the morning if the day prior the high was 80F. If you're SUSTAINED in the 30s and 40s the it's time to swap away.

Living in the Midwest, I've seen temps dip into -30s for windchill. I've also seen quite a few all season tires with unsafe/cracked sidewalls because below 15F or so, all season are out of their range too.

 

[E~Dogg]

Dirty Jerz entering the chat. Being my daily, parked on the street, and driven to NYC for work, my tires have definitely seen below 40, and easily 20’s (overall last winter wasn’t that bad).

My only concern ever with these tires is snowfall. I’ve pushed it and learned I can drive on top of 1/4 inch of snow at best but anymore than that, I’m riding ice skates (which is its own separate fun). I was worried sick about the tires and pinching bricks the entire time driving as the car was only 4-5 months old.

Never got around to putting Conti’s on as the weather was never severe enough, just cold. If a more substantial snowfall is forecasted, I will pull the trigger and buy some.

 

[reinstated]

Warming up the car helps a bit, but still gotta be careful on cold roads.

 

[SilverRocket]

Yesterday morning was 36F when I left for work and I noticed no adverse effects. My commute is ~10 minutes of backroads, followed by 10 minutes of highway. The car is garage-kept overnight.

My new wheels and A/S tires are due the first week of November.

I think this is the most important part. 35F with the car sitting outside all night at that temp is not the same as 35F outside, pulling out of a heated garage (60-70F).

In the second case unless you idle outside for 10+ minutes, the rubber is supple and driving causes the tires to at least stay somewhat warm even on cold pavement.

Michelin is quite clear that below freezing you must let the tires warm up naturally before driving so below I think it's 45F (7C), you drive at your own risk because there are too many factors to consider a general rule to be okay based on temp alone.

 

[optronix]

The biggest issue I have seen with summer compounds isn't just temp, but wet performance coupled with sub 50d temps show them getting far more squirrely.

^This right here. Maybe not as much to worry about on a front-drive car, but I just flat out WON'T DRIVE on these tires if it's below 55 and raining/damp on a rear-drive car.

Other than that I think Michelin's formal guidance is pretty much below 45 be careful, below ~30 you risk damaging the tires. My rule of thumb recently has been ~2 weeks or so of consistent lows in the 30s, which for me in Maryland is about early-mid November it's time to switch to all seasons.

As someone else pointed out, in CRAZY cold spells, all seasons aren't even safe.

edit- I thought I saw somewhere some verbiage of what Michelin's guidance was. Don't take this as gospel as my source was also quoting from an uncited source, but I think it's pretty accurate:

Michelin Ultra-High Performance (UHP) Sport Summer tires use tread compounds that are optimized for maximum dry and damp grip in temperate conditions. As the temperature of the compound nears freezing, the grip level of the tire begins to degrade. Michelin does not recommend using UHP Sport Summer tires when tire temperatures drop below 40°F (5°C) or on snow and ice.

At tire temperatures below 20°F (-7°C) Michelin UHP Sport Summer tires may develop surface cracks in the upper sidewall and tread area if flexed. Do not use, roll, or drop MICHELIN UHP Sport Summer tires with temperatures below 20°F (-7°C). If the tires have been cooled to 20°F (-7°C) or less, let them warm up in a heated space to at least 40°F (5°C) before being installed or moving a vehicle on which they are installed. Do not apply heat or blow heated air directly on the tires. Always inspect tires before use. Never use a tire with freeze cracks, breaks, or damage to the sidewall or tread.

 

[TXWayne]

So I live in the Dallas area and have a short drive to work, like 10 miles or so. Contemplating whether I want to drop ~$1400 for some all season tires or just keep the summers and be careful. I have the option of any given day to simply work from home if it is too cold. We are already in mornings below 40 degrees and my car is garaged. I was looking at some Toyo Proxes Sport A/S that would be just under $1400. I don’t expect I would need to use the but about Nov to early Mar. What kind of all season tires are folks getting?

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