Thom's Four Wheel Drive

Shopping for tires in CHICAGO can be bewildering because there are many choices. Let's simplify. There are four main classifications of tires, each designed for different purposes.First off, there are summer tires. Those who buy summer tires in CHICAGO are looking for maximum summertime performance. The rubber is a little softer to help stick to the road on fast corners on Illinois roads. The tread has wide blocks at the shoulder to stiffen the tire in turns. The tread design can handle rain but really isn't set up for snow and ice. Next comes winter tires. CHICAGO people buy winter tires because they still like performance driving when it's cold and slippery on Illinois roads, so they need a tread design that'll really bite into ice and snow. The rubber compound is formulated to stay pliable when temperatures drop below 45 degrees F/7 degrees C so they get great traction even on dry roads. On the other end of the winter tire spectrum are tires d ... read more

Shopping for tires in CHICAGO can be bewildering because there are many choices. Let's simplify. There are four main classifications of tires, each designed for different purposes.First off, there are summer tires. Those who buy summer tires in CHICAGO are looking for maximum summertime performance. The rubber is a little softer to help stick to the road on fast corners on Illinois roads. The tread has wide blocks at the shoulder to stiffen the tire in turns. The tread design can handle rain but really isn't set up for snow and ice. Next comes winter tires. CHICAGO people buy winter tires because they still like performance driving when it's cold and slippery on Illinois roads, so they need a tread design that'll really bite into ice and snow. The rubber compound is formulated to stay pliable when temperatures drop below 45 degrees F/7 degrees C so they get great traction even on dry roads. On the other end of the winter tire spectrum are tires d ... read more