Are Studded Snow Tires Actually Better? Ice Testing!

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Well, I'll disagree with this one too. I wear cork boots (metal studs used in forestry) when doing roofing and siding in the winter. When walking on smooth concrete its like walking on wet ice. There needs to be some thing for the studs to grab onto. Natural stone or rough concrete is great traction. Those particular boots the studs are 1/2" long. I have another set of boots where the studs protrude maybe 1/16". Those ones are a good compromise when walking on smooth surfaces as the rubber can get traction too.

I wear metal studded boots when fishing rocky jetties. Metal studs grip hard surfaces way better than any rubber known to man...

 

[8thTon]

I had studded snows on my '90 Ranger. They worked well on real hard ice, and as snow tires they worked OK on deeper snow. Still, there are a very limited conditions for which studs work, and the rest of the time they reduce traction. Even in snow if there isn't ice under it you want your tires to cut through to the pavement, and studs don't help. We just don't get enough hard packed ice here any more to make studs a benefit.

Modern full snow tires are very impressive, and the rubber compounds can grip on ice very well. We put a set of Pirelli snows on my wife's Fiesta ST and the thing is amazing in the snow or ice. Of course it has no clearance but modern snow tires on something with more clearance would be great.

 

[acsnowrider]

After 30 years of driving in Alaska, I can confidently tell you, there is NO SUBSTITUTE, for "steel" on the ground/in your tires!!!! Drilled, and studded my tires, upping the number of studs in each tire, from the typical 100, to 400--The "scratch" obtained for ice driving,by doing this, was quite beneficial!!!

No real extra noise generally either, due to snow pack/ice on the roads. Tire change over twice a year, (May/Oct), and all four tires changed. Had extra rims, so changeover was just a tire rotation.

As Robert Duvall said in "Days of Thunder"--- "Tires, are what wins the race!!!"

 

[sgtsandman]

Your response con

I disagree. The stud isn't backed into a rim, it will deflect up when it hits pavement. It doesn't deflect up as much on ice. But a test would be best....

Your response confuses me. Backed into a rim???

 

[sgtsandman]

Well, I'll disagree with this one too. I wear cork boots (metal studs used in forestry) when doing roofing and siding in the winter. When walking on smooth concrete its like walking on wet ice. There needs to be some thing for the studs to grab onto. Natural stone or rough concrete is great traction. Those particular boots the studs are 1/2" long. I have another set of boots where the studs protrude maybe 1/16". Those ones are a good compromise when walking on smooth surfaces as the rubber can get traction too.

Agreed. Stabilicers and Yaktrax are horrible on smooth surfaces like floor tile and smooth concrete. We have them for working on the flight line since it doesn’t get salted. Salt and aircraft are not friendly to each other. So there is a lot of ice on the ramp. Actually, there are a lot of things slip on ice traction devices aren’t friendly for. Often times unless we are spending a long time on the line, we’ll just “penguin walk” and be real careful like instead of constantly taking the stablicers or Yaktrax on and off.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Your response con


Your response confuses me. Backed into a rim???

Not a great description on my part. I meant there was nothing solid behind the stud to prevent movement, such as a metal backing plate (rim).

 

[sgtsandman]

Not a great description on my part. I meant there was nothing solid behind the stud to prevent movement, such as a metal backing plate (rim).

Ok. I just wasn't sure where you were going with that. The stud does push against the belts, which causes some resistance and partially lifts the tread from the road surface. Enough to make a difference? Probably not since there will still be give in the belts as well. At least the way I see it, which could be wrong (It wouldn't be the first time and it won't be the last).

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I never thought about the belt. Your premise makes sense, but I don't think it would make a appreciable difference with traction on pavement

 

[acsnowrider]

I never thought about the belt. Your premise makes sense, but I don't think it would make a appreciable difference with traction on pavement

It doesn't!!! Pavement, and concrete road surfaces are far from "flat". This is why I never experienced any loss of traction, after increasing the number of studs, in each tire, from 100 to 400. Prior to jt roads "freezing down", there was additional noise from the change, at highway speeds, but no other issues found, other than vastly superior stopping/vehicle control, in show/ice conditions. In fact, when many of my customers discovered what the difference was, they paid my outfit, to modify their own vehicles!!!


Only the small top hardened end, makes contact with the road surface--actually is very hard on the roads/asphalt--

 

[JohnnyO]

Studded tires work great on ice if you can stand the noise they make. On dry pavement I think they lengthen stopping distance.

I met my first wife when I lived briefly in the upstate NY snow belt. When she moved here she brought her car and studded snow tires. Winter here is more wet than anything else, and one night I wasn't going real fast, this was in town, and slid right through a red light. Luckily no one was coming the other way. Tossed the studded tires in the spring and never got them again. For the last 15 years I've put studless Bridgestone Blizzaks on wife #2's cars and now she won't roll on anything else. Her minivan goes as good in snow as my truck and probably stops and turns better. Point being that studs are better in some places but they're not for everyone.

 

[airbourneranger]

They are great on hard packed snow and ice, but like roller skates on dry pavement.

 

[19Walt93]

It's June friggin' 2nd, what are you guys talking about studded tires for?