Winter tires. Should I stud them or not???

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

gonefishing

Joined
Oct 28, 2011
Messages
417
Location
ND
With fall setting in, I'm starting to do my homework on winter tires. I have a 2005 Honda Accord with 205/60R16's. This car is my daily driver and my job requires a fair amount of travel between ND, SD, and MN occasionally. I would like a dedicated set of 4 winter tires. Living in ND, we are allowed studded tires from October 15 to April 15. I have never ran a set of winter tires before so I've never done much research on them. I've found mixed reviews about whether studs on modern winter tires really help that much. I know they are noisier than non-studded tires but I usually have the stereo cranked anyway so road noise isn't my biggest concern. I've been looking at the General Altimax Arctic which are studdable. Most of the reviews are positive on this tire and they are priced a little lower than other brands in this size/category.

Thanks
 
Do you drive through a lot if icy conditions? Studs mainly help with ice. If not, I wouldn't bother and just run the Arctics unstudded.
 
If you frequently encounter ice, and don't mind the noise, then get them studded. They are definitely a help on ice, especially when temperatures are around 15-30 degF. And the research shows that studded tires are no worse at braking on wet pavement than their non-studdable counterparts like the WS70, X-Ice, etc.
 
MN does not allow the use of studded tires on pavement

I seem to do all right with just all seasons and careful driving around town.

If I wasn't working with a college budget I would get a set of winter tires.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If your state doesn't allow studding, make sure you get tires that are rated for ice. Not all winter tires are.
 
Originally Posted By: dparm
If your state doesn't allow studding, make sure you get tires that are rated for ice. Not all winter tires are.


Rated for ice? Exactly what does that mean? Is there an organization out there rating winter tires as ice ready?
 
I've got a set of winter force tires that are stud-able but are NOT. If the ice here on the passes are so bad I have to chain up anyway and studs on dry pavement are not my cup of tea.

No set of studs or winter tires are going to replace chains but are much better than all seasons. (Though the set of Goodyear Triple treads for the first 20k sure did well in snow and light ice)

Bill
 
Thanks for the information everyone. Ice is pretty much hit/miss here in ND. Last winter was an easy one but I've lived here my entire life and seen plenty of icy conditions. What usually happens in town is we get this layer of compacted snow/ice built up. When we get fresh snow, snow plows won't get under it to remove it. Since ND doesn't use much if any salt, this can last most of the winter (until we get a warm spell). The main reason I'm looking into dedicated winter tires now is because of my new job I started in April. Before this job, my commute was always in town and maybe a couple miles. I'm now in outside sales so there really isn't a predicable daily commute. I might be 200 miles from home and leave when the weather is fine and have to come back when it's [censored]. This is why I want better traction in the winter. Both ND and SD allow studs and MN does for non-residents for under 30 days so laws aren't a problem.
 
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: dparm
If your state doesn't allow studding, make sure you get tires that are rated for ice. Not all winter tires are.


Rated for ice? Exactly what does that mean? Is there an organization out there rating winter tires as ice ready?


The manufacturer will typically advertise them as being ice-capable.

The Michelin X-Ice line and the Blizzak WS70s are, for example.

The treads have very tiny "suction cups" that help them stick to ice. Very helpful when the roads ice over.
 
Not a real fan of studs, they have been outlawed here since the 70's, back then they may have been an improvement because snow tires were not what they are today. I have been more than happy with the michelin x ice series and the toyo observes.
 
I run winter tires without studs. They don't really help much on ice: nothing does, really.
laugh.gif
Just imagine a dog slamming on the "brakes" and scratching across a wood floor on his toenails. Not much help.

They make the car obnoxiously squirmy on dry/wet pavement. IMO "stud holes" exist because of tradition and people seeing improvements with long-ago junkier tires.

If you're driving between a few states the interstates should be kept plowed and salted clear enough. One common thing is that briny slush you get with "some salt" down, and winter tires sans studs handle this pretty well.
 
If the roads by you are pure ice 100% of the time during the winter, I'd get studded tires for the extra grip. If they're not that icy, studless tires are the way to go. By me, we deal with snow and slush, not ice. The only ice is in the parking lots where the plows can't get to before cars compact the snow into ice.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I run winter tires without studs. They don't really help much on ice: nothing does, really.
laugh.gif
Just imagine a dog slamming on the "brakes" and scratching across a wood floor on his toenails. Not much help.



That's actually a poor analogy. Studs actually dig into the ice. The newer studded tire technology from say... Nokian, are more diamond shaped, with the sharp corner in the rotation of the tire so it grips better.

The dog analogy works better for when the road isn't snowy or icy.
 
Originally Posted By: dparm
If your state doesn't allow studding, make sure you get tires that are rated for ice. Not all winter tires are.


There is no specific standard that categorizes them. There a tale of 2 snow tires though... the Blizzak WS60 & LM60. On the surface, they are identical. Same exact tread pattern.

What makes the WS60 a studless snow & ice tire is the multicell tube compound (on the first 55% of the tread). What makes the LM60 a performance snow is the tread compound is H or V rated, as the multi-cell tube compound cannot sustain the heat of the higher speeds.

Studdable snow & ice tires without studs do work on ice, just hot has good as studded or studless snow & ice. That's why european tire companies make both, as certain regions call for different requirements in Europe
 
Originally Posted By: SubLGT
Originally Posted By: dparm
If your state doesn't allow studding, make sure you get tires that are rated for ice. Not all winter tires are.


Rated for ice? Exactly what does that mean? Is there an organization out there rating winter tires as ice ready?


The winter-tire-traction standard (the "mountain/snowflake" symbol) is only a packed-snow traction test. This is why some all-terrain truck tires can be marked as a "winter" tire. I recall reading that some think the winter rating is becoming diluted in meaning because it is being applied outside the intention of the standard (just like the original M&S rating lost any real meaning in terms of winter traction over time).
 
Thanks for the info everyone. I think I'll stay away from studded tires. I'm looking at the Michelin X-Ice3, Brigestone Blizzak WS-70, and General Altimax Artic. Gonna start shopping around and see what the prices are locally first.
 
the generals should be the most affordable...and a proven tire, including its previous life as the Gislaved Nord Frost 3 with swedish car owners
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

K
Best studded snow tires?
Replies
13
Views
6K
Vercingetorix
Kantaro
General RT43 replacement?
2
Replies
29
Views
2K
Kantaro
O
Pickup Truck Winter Tires - Considering Michelin X-Ice Snow SUV
Replies
14
Views
3K
mdocod
O
Winter Tires or All Weather Tires
2 3 4
Replies
70
Views
6K
oilmaven
supton
Dunlop Wintermaxx tires
Replies
9
Views
520
Rand
Back
Top