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Goodyear Says Four Better than Two

12 December 2000

Goodyear Says Four Better than Two

    AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 12 While some motorists believe they can
save a bundle this season by buying two winter tires rather than four,
Goodyear officials recommend that four winter tires are preferable to two.
    Goodyear market research shows 60 percent of tire buyers opted for a full
set last year, up from 46 percent in 1992.  Still, tire marketers say nearly a
third still rely on just two new tires -- in the winter and otherwise.
    If winter tires are installed on the front, they also should be fitted on
the rear, said Bob Toth, marketing manager for Goodyear auto tires.
    "To optimize handling, stability and traction, four is definitely better
than two," Toth said.  "Winter tire tread designs, regardless of construction,
produce different handling characteristics than all-season tread patterns.
Those differences can affect the handling and traction of the vehicle."
    Winter tire buyers often purchase only two tires and install them on the
drive-wheel position to get the most traction; however, on a front-wheel-drive
vehicle, they transfer most of the traction capabilities from the rear to the
front and may make the vehicle susceptible to oversteer, Toth said.
    Motorists replace two tires rather than four usually because of a failure
to rotate their tires.  A 1999 AAA survey of 1,500 motorists reported that
67 percent failed to rotate their tires in the past year.  About 65 percent
said they thought their tires should be rotated at least every 10,000 miles.
    Goodyear recommends that tires be rotated every 6,000 miles.  Tire
rotation evens out tire wear in conventional tires in each position,
preserving overall balanced handling and traction.  Infrequent rotation
results in premature, uneven tire wear and eventual early tire replacement.
    Goodyear said a non-rotated tire could lose up to a third of its useful
life due to premature wear.
    "Tires play the single largest role in determining how your vehicle will
handle in an emergency situation," Toth said.  "It doesn't matter how many
electronic systems you have on your vehicle, such as traction control and
anti-lock braking.  The brakes stop the wheels; the tires stop the vehicle."
    To stop vehicles quicker in winter conditions, Goodyear introduced a new
line of winter tires last year for the family car (Ultra Grip Ice and Ultra
Grip), performance cars (Eagle Ultra Grip) and sport-utility vehicles
(Wrangler Ultra Grip).  The new tires are stamped with a mountain/snowflake
symbol to designate severe snow traction performance, a more stringent
requirement than an M+S (mud and snow) designation.
    In addition to a focus on tire rotation, tire inflation should be checked
more frequently in the winter.  Ambient temperatures affect tire inflation
pressures; cold air is denser than warm air, automatically reducing a tire's
pressure.
    For example, a tire inflated at 32 pounds per square inch at 70 degrees
will drop to 26 psi at freezing.  An underinflated tire reduces fuel economy,
tire life and snow traction.
    For more tire performance tips, see http://www.rma.org or
http://www.goodyear.com/us/tire_school .