It's Africa hot? Ditch the snow tires

John Mahler

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Q: I live in Swaziland, Africa, and recently bought a Volkswagen Golf equipped with Yokohama Ice Guard IG20 tires. I realize that they are snow tires but wonder how they would perform here. It's hot here with temperatures that hit 38C and the tar can get really hot.

A: The Yokohama Ice Guard IG20 is a state-of-the-art winter ice tire – and is totally unsuitable for your climate. It is a multi-cell compound of rubber, meaning it has small air bubbles encased throughout the tread meant for ice grip. The rubber compound is also designed for temperatures in the below-freezing range. As the rubber gets hotter than the range it was designed for, it gets very greasy and slips and slides. The heat will make the rubber wear out faster as well. Change them as soon as possible.

Q: I have four Goodyear Ultragrip GW3 on my 2007 Camry but one blew up and can't be repaired. The dealer recommended installing a Michelin X-Ice 2 at the back as he cannot find the Goodyear tire. He said there's no problem with this as my other three Goodyear tires are in good condition. Is that true? The Michelin and Goodyear have different tread patterns.

A: It is a bad idea to mix tread patterns. The car's handling predictability is important and for that you need four tires that behave the same when driving gets tough. I don't know how hard your dealer tried to obtain a Goodyear GW3 but you should do an Internet search of Canadian tire shops to locate one. Should that fail, try the U.S. – specifically tirerack.com. And if that proves unsuccessful, get a Dunlop Winter Sport M3 – it's a virtual clone of the GW3. If you get the Dunlop (Goodyear and Dunlop are the same company), put the two matching tires on the rear – otherwise you may end up in trouble under panic braking situations.

Q: I have read that having tires underinflated uses about 1 per cent more fuel for each two pounds under recommended pressure. Is this a per-tire ratio or per-vehicle? In other words, will one tire underinflated cause a 1 per cent increase and therefore all four tires underinflated cause a 4 per cent increase?

A: According to engineers at Michelin, the answer is no, it is not an individual contribution, but a group of four tires underinflated that generate the increased rolling resistance effect.

Q: My cousin gave me his Firestone Winterforce tires and they are the size I need for my 2002 Saturn SL. However, he last used them in 2006 and they have been in his basement since. Is it okay to use tires that haven't been used for about two years?

A: There is nothing wrong with two-year-old winter tires if they have been stored correctly. Give the tires a good inspection before mounting them on your car. Look for small sidewall cracks and shine a flashlight into areas at the base of the tread blocks. Should you find any cracks, the tires are scrap.

Q: I have a set of Bridgestone Blizzaks, size P195/65R15 mounted on rims, that fit my 1998 Saab 900. I now have a 2006 Saab 93 with Pirelli P215/55R16 all seasons. Will the Blizzaks fit the 2006 93?

A: There is no problem with the tires fitting – the Blizzaks are just 0.3 inches smaller in diameter. However, you need to check with your Saab dealer and find out the wheel offset on both sets of wheels.

My concern is that the brake calipers have grown over the years and the wheel offset may have changed. The safest bet is to put the old tires on the newer rims. Before you attempt any of that, check the old tires for cracks as they are well past their prime.

Email tire questions to John Mahler at thetireguy_1@hotmail.com. Please include vehicle's make, model and year, tire brand and size, as well as your name, address and phone number. Volume of mail prevents us from answering all queries or providing personal replies.

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