Preparing a car for summer: when to change winter tires to summer ones
Kyiv • UNN
In Ukraine, a warming up to +13 degrees is expected, but experts advise against rushing to change tires. The optimal time for replacement is mid-April, when the temperature stabilizes above +10°C.
In the coming days, an increase in the average air temperature to +13 degrees is forecasted in Ukraine. Over the weekend, March 8-9, Ukraine will experience a meteorological "rahat-lukum", so drivers are faced with the question of when to change winter tires to summer ones on their vehicles, reports UNN.
Ukrainian legislation does not regulate when to change summer tires to winter ones, so each driver decides when to do it. According to traffic rules, the operation of vehicles with a tread depth of less than 1.6 mm is prohibited. For vehicles weighing over 3.5 tons - 1.0 mm, for buses - 2.0 mm, for motorcycles and mopeds - 0.8 mm.
In January 2023, MPs submitted a draft law to the Verkhovna Rada that would impose fines for driving a vehicle not equipped with winter and/or all-season tires from November 1 to March 31.
The proposed fine for such a violation was set at 340 hryvnias. Currently, the draft law is still under consideration in the Rada.
All drivers want to switch to summer tires as soon as possible, but there is no need to rush, as the weather in Ukraine is very unpredictable. There is no single rule for when to change tires on your vehicle, but experts recommend doing it when the temperature outside is consistently +10°C or higher.
Another factor why one should not rush to change tires is the long queues at tire fitting services that start every season.
Experts also emphasize that it is possible to drive on winter tires in summer, but the tire's lifespan will wear out faster, and in winter it will not provide its effect, which will "hit the pockets" of car owners.
A great time to change tires is around mid-April, when the air temperature will be stable, and there will be fewer queues at tire fitting services.
How to change tires on a car by yourself:
- put the car on the handbrake and preferably in gear if you have a manual transmission;
- loosen the wheel bolts by half a turn while the car is still on the ground;
- lift the car (for greater assurance that the car does not fall from the jack, you can place something under the car, such as a spare wheel, pallets, etc.);
- loosen the wheels and completely unscrew the wheel bolts;
- after changing the wheels, check the bolts with a torque wrench.
An important rule: bolts or nuts should be tightened alternately, not one after the other.
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