Why are the snow tires losing traction???

Hi Guys and Gals,
Have an unusual problem. My wife drives a 1997 Corolla. It has President Panthera snow tires (I know, I've never heard of them before this either) that have been sitting in storage for 2 years, the tires are maybe 4-6 years old. If the car is at a stop facing uphill on wet pavement and I push on accelerator just a little bit more than normal, the tires spin. When I brake harder than usual it skids. It does not do either of these things with summer tires. The snow tire treads are in excellent condition. According to the mark on the tires, they are mounted on the correct side. What has happened to cause this lack of traction? Any answers would be most appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Mark

 

Tires are made of rubber, rubber degrades (dries out) over time, degradation means loss of traction during cold temps because the rubber is less pliable.

And yes, ~2yrs of non-use coupled with ~5 y/o tires will produce these effects.

In a nut-shell...

 

Maybe the PSI? It's easier to get traction on a snow covered hill then it is on ice. How much you accelerate could be a problem too(possibly too much)? Is there gravel and dirt on the road? Where were the tires placed before you started to use them? Inside at room temps? Outside in the elements?

I just think that there is going to be a lot of variables that are going to come into play for us to give you a definite answer to your question.

 

Are they studded? Studs will slip and slide on wet pavement.

 

From what i remember studded tires are illegal in BC.

 

What he said.......

 

Only in the summer LOL. Legal October 1 and April 30.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I'm going to drop the psi and see if that gives more traction.
Mark

 

I apologize for the late reply on results. When the snow tires were installed, the temp was below freezing but they were still filled to 30 psi. When the temp got above freezing, the tire pressure increassed and that was too much for good traction in the rain. I dropped the pressure to 25 psi when the temp was just above freezing and that did the trick. Thanks for the input guys.
Mark