Taking delivery of my FL5! ...But it's really stinking cold, is it safe to drive home?

[JustAddBeer]

This thread is like an IQ test.

I'm not sure if that's a dig at me, I'm just trying to avoid paying several hundre to flat bed it a mere 20 miles to park it for 3 months.

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[Phenom3030]

I’d just ask the dealer if they could store it inside and drive it home when it’s at least 30* out.

Above 40*F, 5*C: This is the minimum temperature range for optimal performance. Once the ambient or road temperature drops below this point, the specialized summer rubber compound begins to harden significantly, leading to a noticeable reduction in grip, handling, and braking effectiveness.

I personally don’t drive mine unless it is at least 35* out and will warm up to at least 40. I’ve got the OEM PS4S’s and Extreme Contact Sport 02’s.

 

[TypeRD]

I'm not sure if that's a dig at me, I'm just trying to avoid paying several hundre to flat bed it a mere 20 miles to park it for 3 months.

I think it is a dig. You’re not being logical, dude. A few hundred bucks to safely flatbed a brand new Type R is trivial compared to the cost of a set of new PS4S tires or the cost of body damage because you slid off the road trying to drive it home. If the dealer can’t hold it for you until it is safe to drive, then I think you know your next best option…though you don’t seem willing to accept it.

 

[22Si]

I'm trying to determine whether I can drive home to store it for the winter... I don't want to invest in winter wheels and tires

You are risking totaling your car and you will definitely damage your tires as well.

You can spend a couple hundred dollars on getting it towed, rusk totaling your car or spend $1600 buying new tires.

Google Michelin Pilot Sport 4S winter damage. Look at all the pictures of destroyed cracked tires. They harden below 40 degrees...

Then Google the price of 4 tires in our size then lol.

 

[optronix]

I'm not sure if that's a dig at me, I'm just trying to avoid paying several hundre to flat bed it a mere 20 miles to park it for 3 months.

Take it at face value; i.e., "if the shoe fits". As the OP I can see how you think I was singling you out, but if it makes you feel any better, that wasn't my intent.

I think you know the answer to your own question, but I appreciate you at least attempting to validate your confirmation bias through an internet echo chamber. Happens all the time. Doesn't make it ok, but at least you can rest assured knowing there are many people that think the way you do. For many people, that's all that matters.

Let me be more clear- you're asking if something clearly labeled as "summer performance tires" are ok to be driven in extreme winter conditions. Just focus on that statement and let it sink in.

That may sound pretty severe and not very welcoming for a new member apparently just asking a simple question- but at its core this is a sensitive subject and honestly affects people other than yourself. Does that make me a dick to parade around on my high horse like this? I think I've demonstrated through my post history I can live with that.

Let's try a little more "kinder, gentler" approach- assuming you just "don't know what you don't know". All it takes to have a strong opinion on this is to just drive on summer tires in cold + wet/icy conditions. You will wish you hadn't, and it will shock you to your core knowing just how many people do this all the time and justify it to themselves. In that sense it's very much like drinking and driving. EVERYONE KNOWS they shouldn't do it. But some will KEEP doing it "because nothing bad has happened so far".

Until it does.

A great man once said “I can get a good look at a T-Bone by sticking my head up a bull’s ass, but I’d rather take the butcher’s word for it”.

 

[ILX6SPEED]

I was faced with this exact same scenario. Car randomly showed up in December on a -15C day. Drove her home super gently the 10 or so miles on a sunny clear day. Would never do that again but wasnt going to flatbed it for a short trip like that.

 

[JustAddBeer]

Take it at face value; i.e., "if the shoe fits". As the OP I can see how you think I was singling you out, but if it makes you feel any better, that wasn't my intent.

I think you know the answer to your own question, but I appreciate you at least attempting to validate your confirmation bias through an internet echo chamber. Happens all the time. Doesn't make it ok, but at least you can rest assured knowing there are many people that think the way you do. For many people, that's all that matters.

Let me be more clear- you're asking if something clearly labeled as "summer performance tires" are ok to be driven in extreme winter conditions. Just focus on that statement and let it sink in.

That may sound pretty severe and not very welcoming for a new member apparently just asking a simple question- but at its core this is a sensitive subject and honestly affects people other than yourself. Does that make me a dick to parade around on my high horse like this? I think I've demonstrated through my post history I can live with that.

Let's try a little more "kinder, gentler" approach- assuming you just "don't know what you don't know". All it takes to have a strong opinion on this is to just drive on summer tires in cold + wet/icy conditions. You will wish you hadn't, and it will shock you to your core knowing just how many people do this all the time and justify it to themselves. In that sense it's very much like drinking and driving. EVERYONE KNOWS they shouldn't do it. But some will KEEP doing it "because nothing bad has happened so far".

Until it does.

A great man once said “I can get a good look at a T-Bone by sticking my head up a bull’s ass, but I’d rather take the butcher’s word for it”.

Should I utilize the echo chamber to validate my confirmation bias that you're an ass? It's probably just as unnecessary. Cheers.

 

[optronix]

Should I utilize the echo chamber to validate my confirmation bias that you're an ass? It's probably just as unnecessary. Cheers.

 

[s219]

I mentioned in another thread that if the tires start out warm -- i.e., car stored indoors in a heated shop bay for example -- then they will stay warm as you drive home, as long as you don't make any extended stops. I have plenty of data on this from my other cars that measure tire temperature as well as pressure with their TPMS systems. I keep my car barn at 55F. If it's above 30F, the tires generally heat up above 55F while driving. When it's colder outside, they will drop a little, but not much from what I have seen. The other morning the outside temp was 22F. The tire temps never dropped below 50F during the 45 minute round trip drive to drop my daughter off at school. There will be diminished grip due to the summer rubber compound and cold road surfaces, but the big concern about damaging the tires in cold temps is really not going to be an issue if the tires stay warm. Just drive sensibly and it will be fine.

 

[TypeRbuilder]

I picked mine up New Year Eve....and it was snowing on the way down to the dealer, 52 miles away! LOL...I was panicking! But...highway was just wet and mostly fine, so just took my time getting back and SLOWLY drove it through the snow covered driveway into the garage til the new tires came

 

[Cueyo]

You can make it home, just don't depend on those tires being good when you use them next. In my experience. My stock PS4S's started getting not so great around 45F, I swapped them for winter tires Alpin 5s woon after

 

[Major Ram]

OP, you've heard lot of suggestions, great comments, some very encouraging and may be not so much.
Now is your time to go out there and make the drive!
Let us know how it goes.

 

[Spart]

I mentioned in another thread that if the tires start out warm -- i.e., car stored indoors in a heated shop bay for example -- then they will stay warm as you drive home, as long as you don't make any extended stops. I have plenty of data on this from my other cars that measure tire temperature as well as pressure with their TPMS systems. I keep my car barn at 55F. If it's above 30F, the tires generally heat up above 55F while driving. When it's colder outside, they will drop a little, but not much from what I have seen. The other morning the outside temp was 22F. The tire temps never dropped below 50F during the 45 minute round trip drive to drop my daughter off at school. There will be diminished grip due to the summer rubber compound and cold road surfaces, but the big concern about damaging the tires in cold temps is really not going to be an issue if the tires stay warm. Just drive sensibly and it will be fine.

Yup! But you have to trust that the dealer let the tires come up to temp in a heated space rather than just throwing it in there an hour before you arrived.

Honestly the whole thing sucks all around, dealers just should not be moving these cars when the temps are hanging around 0°F. Just a bad strategy. Ford is smarter about this.

 

[sich_withit]

This thread is bizarre to me. I baby my car and its in the garage for winter but....... 30 miles? Even if they only lasted 10k miles that would be 0.3% of total driving time.

If the roads and weather are clear just drive the speed limit and you'll be fine. The brand new tires wont crack or explode. You wont lose grip and fly off the road. If the tires spin once or twice in 1st you wont need to buy new tires.....They will warm up as you drive.

Just dont make a habit of it. I learned that lesson with my wrx years ago. The tires dont like cold and they dont last long

 

[SKINNIE]

Do you really think you're gonna fly off a cliff or go straight into a ditch right when you leave the dealership parking lot on summer tires in the winter? If the roads are clear. Take it easy and slow. You'll get to your destination.

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