Why buy studded tires

When a tire with wide grooves and biting edges travels over packed snow, it cuts through and scoops some of the snow into the voids on the tire surface, allowing the tread to stay in closer contact with the road.

Then the velocity of the tire ejects this snow from the grooves. This is how winter tires provide more aggressive traction than all-season tires. Most snow tires are already siped , with small patterned slits on the lugs that create extra edges for better road grip. Additional safety siping can be done for a fee on new or used tires. Second, measure the tread depth by using a tire tread depth gauge. You can pick one up at any auto parts store for under five bucks. Or have a tire store tech do it; it should be free.

Take measurements in multiple places in the grooves on each tire. Did your tread gauge measurements show any tread depth difference between the four tires? Hard rubber studs are also available. Think of studs as hammering and clawing into frozen precipitation under wheel rotation.

Alternatively, some off-road truck studs have a screw design that lodges them into the tire tread. The stud holes are clearly visible on studdable winter tires like the General AltiMax Arctic The TSMI chart above outlines the various stud sizes. Proper stud size for the tire is necessary, and is indicated on the tire sidewall by many manufacturers. Tire shops will do stud installation work and professional installation is recommended by TireBuyer. Only studdable winter tires can have studs installed.

These tires have been engineered with preset locations holes for the studs. Attempting to stud studless winter tires could cause structural integrity issues, and compromise the performance and safety of the tire. Studded winter tires have one proven performance advantage over studless: Studded tires provide superior grip on icy and hard-packed snowy roads.

The traction characteristics of modern studless winter tires like the Michelin X-Ice Xi3 on icy roads are excellent; substantially better than the traction offered by any all season tires. A studless winter tire provides its traction benefits primarily due to the enhanced wintertime grip of the unique, specially-designed tire tread compound, and its road surface interaction. But in the case of ice, the coefficient of traction can only be so strong.

When the driver accelerates, brakes, or turns on ice with studded winter tires, he or she has the combined advantage of both the winter tire compound and studs clawing into the ice, which improves grip and vehicle handling responsiveness.

Studs are really only advantageous in icy and hard-packed snow conditions. When winter roads are dry or wet, studs actually decrease traction potential. In these conditions the tire tread compound is the foundation of tire grip. To a small but noteworthy degree, studs interrupt the crucial interaction between the tire tread and the road surface, which can have a negative effect on stopping distances.

Conversely, if you mostly drive in a city where paved roads are rarely covered with ice or snow, traditional winter tires are certainly a better option for you.

If you choose to install studded tires on your car, you have the legal obligation to change all four of them. Moreover, you should know that studded tires are forbidden in several parking garages and underground parking lots. Factory- or retailer-studded? Both types of studded tires have pros and cons, but what really matters are things like road noise, performance and durability.

Tires that are studded by the manufacturer are undoubtedly of better quality. They provide superior performance, increased durability and a quieter ride. Because of their particular shape that optimizes contact with the road, the studs in those tires offer a smoother ride and enhanced traction.

This technology was developed by European manufacturers to contribute to a more efficient and versatile tire. Some people prefer tires that are studded by the retailer because they are cheaper. However, they are also louder and less durable.

The main advantage of tires studded by the retailer is that you can purchase an average-quality tire and have studs installed afterwards at a much cheaper cost.

Manufacturers use a kind of cushion to dull the sound of studded tires on pavement, and the sound is much less audible. Nokian Hakkapeliitta studded winter tires , for example, use a soft layer of rubber eco stud cushion between the tire and the stud base that acts like a spring to reduce road noise.

That eco-friendly stud cushion on Nokian studded tires also dampens the impact of the studs on pavement. And it might seem surprising, but some manufacturers have actually doubled the number of studs on their tires up to nearly on one tire model —and yet many studded winter tires have less wear on roads. This site uses cookies.

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