Ride into winter in style
We all love summer: warm sunrays, bathing weather, outdoor parties – and your car beams in all its glory in a mega cool summer outfit with top styled design rims. Unfortunately, that’s going to be over soon: The cold season, with its unsightly companions of road salt, fog, snow, and ice seems far away, but it's coming. However, the wise person prepares and doesn't wait to switch to winter tyres until the first snow falls. Because not only can that be dangerous, but it also means pure stress for you, as the general rule for the recommended winter tyre period for your lovingly chosen summer rims is between October and Easter.
Well protected thanks to SRC coating
Conventional light alloy rims struggle to withstand the elements without getting damaged and showing signs of aging: their beauty fades rapidly. But it doesn't have to be that way: DOTZ wheels receive the perfect anti-aging treatment through a special process – the SRC coating. With this, you can drive your DOTZ dream rim even during the cold season and remain stylish and trendy in snow and ice as well.
SRC stands for Salt & Sun Resistant Coating and is a special process that makes your favourite rim completely winter-ready. The key here: the coating consists of several layers that protect against UV radiation, road abrasives like salt or gravel, and oxidation. The first layer is a robust powder primer that is thermally fixed at 210 degrees Celsius. On top of that, a modern wet paint layer is applied which carries the colour. After a thorough drying phase of this layer, up to two additional layers of ultra-hard clear coat are applied – mission winter protection accomplished. All DOTZ wheels go through this process. Whether you opt for a darker rim variant or prefer a high-gloss finish, with the SRC treatment, your DOTZ rim not only looks strong, but it also withstands the harsh winter weather.
Emphasise a sporty winter outfit with the DOTZ Fuji gold
With the highly dynamic styling and the multi-level rim bed of the DOTZ Fuji gold you emphasize the dynamics of your car and provide an extroverted appearance. It is available in dimensions from 7.5x18" to 9x20" and is ideally suited for compact and mid-size vehicles. Thanks to ABE (General Operating License in Germany), it can be mounted on most vehicles free-of-registration. If the Spa dark doesn't suit your taste, you'll find plenty of exciting alternatives for every preference and vehicle class in the DOTZ rim configurator.
How do I store my summer rims correctly?
You've found your faithful and good-looking winter companion in the configurator? Not surprising with such a selection. But what's next? Here are some tips to ensure your summer wheels survive the winter and provide that extra oomph for your car come Easter. Before storage, the wheels should be thoroughly cleaned. You can learn how to do this effectively and correctly in our blog: https://www.dotz-wheels.com/magazine/blog/aenso-tipps.
Use the cleaning process to perform a detailed visual inspection of the rims and tyres: Is the tyre tread still sufficiently deep – in Germany and Austria, for instance, summer tyres must have a minimum tread depth of 1.6 mm. Are there screws or nails embedded in the rubber or signs of wear and tear? In such cases, you should consider getting new tyres. Auto magazines and automobile clubs offer valuable information for the right tyre choice through informative tyre tests.
You should also closely examine the rims: even using high-pressure cleaners with too little distance can cause damage. Are there noticeable major stone impacts or is the paint damaged from scraping against curbs? This can lead to aluminium corrosion, which in turn can cause dangerous leaks. In any case, you shouldn't wait until spring for repairs.
And where to store the wheels?
An easy way to store wheels over the winter is to use tyre hotels. If you have enough space in your basement or garage, you can also store them there. The key here is that the wheels should always be stacked horizontally on top of each other. A space-saving solution could be a rim stand, but the right wall hooks are also suitable for storing the precious wheels without causing damage over the winter. To protect the tyres themselves, it's recommended to increase the air pressure by 0.5 bar during the storage period.
Winter tyres? You bet.
Temperature and weather-related driving conditions in winter make it mandatory to switch from summer to winter tyres. In Austria, this is the case between November 1st and April 15th. Grip, handling and braking performance must stay intact also during low temperatures. The rubber mix in winter tyres is softer, helping your car to stay on track. Furthermore, higher tread depths offer improved grip, with the lamellar structure having a positive impact on the brake path.
Tyres qualify as winter tyres when they bear the symbols “M+S”, “M.S.” or “M&S”. An additional snowflake symbol or just a snowflake symbol are sufficient as well. However, we do not recommend waiting for the first snowfall. It’s best to make a tyre change appointment ahead of time..
