Winter Traction Tips: 7 Things Your Car Needs

By Midwest Traction on November 2, 2017 in Tips & Advice

For those in the North, Northeast, and Midwest, winter is part of life. If you're in other parts of the country, powdery white flakes falling from the sky can ruin your week. No matter where you are, or how familiar you are with snow, make sure your vehicle is ready for whatever winter has in store. We've ranked 7 things as "must do" to prep your vehicle with our Winter Traction Tips. 

Tech Check

The easiest, albeit not the cheapest, way to prepare your car is to take it to a vehicle technician for a once over. The National Safety Council recommends they examine the following:

• Ignition
• Brakes
• Wiring
• Hoses and fan belts
• Spark plugs
• Air, fuel, and emissions filters
• PCV value
• Distributor
• Battery
• Tire wear and air pressure
• Antifreeze level and freeze line

Power of De-Icer

Fewer winter tasks are worse than standing in subzero temperatures trying to scrape a thick layer of ice off your windshield. De-icer speeds the process, but make sure to invest in a quality scraper, too. We recommend long-armed with a snow brush on the opposing end.

Swipe Those Wipers

Do you have winter wiper blades? Make the switch if you haven't. The difference is no joke, and trust us when we say you don’t want to get stuck behind a semi spraying snow slop all over your windshield and not be able to see. 

Get a Grip

Traction pads are useful for getting unstuck, but having a travel shovel in the car helps, too. You don’t want to rely on the shovel alone, though. We once spent 2 hours trying to dig our way out of a parking lot the snow removal guys forgot to clear. Unless you're looking for a killer workout, 10/10 would not recommend. You can also use sand or kitty litter to provide extra grip on ice. 

Long Jumper

Cables. that is. From experience, we’ve found it’s best to invest in longer ones. Some car kits (like the Justin Case) come with them included, but often these don’t have the juice to revive your car from the icy grips of winter weather. Speaking from experience here, too. Shout out to Chicago International Airport parking security for saving the day after coming home from a race trip and finding our car dead in one of their lots. 

Chains On

We have an awesome selection of chains for your car, truck, industrial vehicle, agricultural model, personal snow remover, and more. Unsure how to install them properly? Our YouTube channel has installation guides for you to follow. Check your local and state laws regarding chain use and give us a call for help with sizing. 1-855-681-8326

Winter Tires

There’s a vast difference between all-season and winter tires. Investing in the latter is wise if you live in an area of the country that experiences full winters. Why? They’ve got a special compound that allows them to be more flexible when the temps drop, increasing your traction with the surface. Autodeets.com put together this handy graphic along with an article detailing the pros and cons of each tire.