Winter Tires in Hillsboro, KS
The short answer
Winter tires grip noticeably better than ordinary tires on ice, packed snow and cold pavement, because their rubber stays soft in the cold and their tread is full of small slits that bite.
In Kansas the trouble is rarely deep snow. It is a glaze of ice at six in the morning and snow blowing sideways across US-56 between Hillsboro and Marion with nothing out there to stop it. If you have to be on the road whatever the weather, winter tires can make that drive a lot calmer, so bring it in, or we will come and get it, and we will help you decide.
Call or text (620) 416-0008. Describe the noise. We'll do the rest.
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Signs winter tires are worth it for you
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Text us which onesWhat makes winter tires different
The biggest difference is the rubber. Once temperatures drop toward freezing, the rubber in most all-season and summer tires stiffens and grips less. Winter tire rubber is made to stay soft in the cold, so it keeps hold of the road on a bitter morning when other tires have gone hard.
The tread does the biting. Winter tires have deeper grooves to pack and throw off snow, plus hundreds of small slits, called sipes, that act like tiny edges gripping the ice. Look for the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol on the sidewall, which shows a tire passed a standard snow traction test.
They help a lot, but they are not magic. Kansas winters bring ice storms, freezing drizzle and wind that blows snow across US-56 and the county roads long after it stops falling. Winter tires shorten stopping distances and help you keep steering when it counts, and because the soft rubber wears quickly in warm weather, most people take them off again in spring.
We start with whether you need them at all. For some drivers a healthy set of all-season or all-weather tires is enough, and we will say so. When winter tires make sense, we fit them, balance them and check the alignment for drivers across Marion, Harvey, McPherson, Chase and Lyon Counties.
Why Hillsboro buys its winter tires from Moxie
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Honest advice
If a good set of all-season tires will do the job for how you drive, we will tell you so.
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Hunter alignment equipment
We check and set the alignment on every make so your winter set wears evenly.
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An ASE-certified technician
Our technician is ASE certified in engine repair, automatic transmissions and drivetrains, and Moxie pays for ASE testing for the whole team.
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Free pickup and delivery
Within 40 road miles of the shop, so you do not have to drive in on a bad day.
Call or text (620) 416-0008. Describe the noise. We'll do the rest.
Winter tire myths we hear at the counter
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What we check when we fit winter tires
- Tread depth on your current tires, since worn tires are the usual winter problem
- The size and load rating your vehicle calls for
- Tire pressure, which drops as the temperature falls
- Tire pressure sensors, so the warning light behaves after a swap
- Wheel alignment, so the winter set wears evenly
- Battery, wipers and heater, which winter finds out first
Winter tires across five Kansas counties
We look after drivers across Marion County, Harvey County, McPherson County, Chase County and Lyon County, with free pickup and delivery within 40 road miles of 611 Orchard Dr, Hillsboro.
Winter tire questions we hear every week
Do I really need winter tires in Kansas?
Many Kansas drivers get by on good all-season tires, especially if they can stay home on the worst mornings. Winter tires earn their keep if you must drive early on untreated roads, travel open stretches where snow drifts, or have a light or rear-wheel-drive vehicle. Text us about your drive and we will give you an honest answer.
When should I put winter tires on and take them off?
A common rule of thumb is to put them on once daytime temperatures stay around 45 degrees or colder, and take them off when spring warms up for good. Leaving winter tires on through a Kansas summer wears the soft rubber down fast. Call the shop in the fall and we can get them fitted before the first ice. We handle the swap each spring and fall, can mount your winter tires on a second set of wheels so the change is quick, and can store the off-season set for you. We sell studded tires too.
Can I put winter tires on just the front or just the back?
Tire makers and safety experts recommend fitting winter tires on all four wheels. Putting them on only two leaves one end of the vehicle gripping and the other sliding, which can make a spin more likely on ice. A full set keeps the vehicle balanced, whether it is front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.