Studded tires in warm weather

[y_p_w]

I'm out for a ride today with my kid. Went all local tourist today and just saw a late year Forester (Oregon plates) with winter tires with studs parked next to my WRX.

I know they're legal anywhere in California between certain months, but this seemed really unusual. It's mid 60s and sunny. I've never seen studded tires on a street vehicle before, and didn't expect I'd see that around here. I'm wondering if they're really soft and loud. They were an off brand, but don't recall the brand.

 

[92saturnsl2]

I just sold four used studded General Altimax Arctics. I was pleasantly surprised I was able to sell them here in Kentucky (they came from my dad who moved from Vermont) and at a decent price too.

I asked the guy if he was moving somewhere with a lot of snow, and he says "no I just need cheap rubber to get me by."

Maybe he's never driven on studded tires before, but I wouldn't want to drive on them all summer long! They do make a racket on dry pavement, as far as handling goes, it's likely no worse than a non-studded winter tire, as only the very small tungsten bit is supposed to contact the road surface, so you're still getting the full effect from the rubber contact patch.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Up here, winter tires, with a Snowflake/ Mountain emblem or at least a M/S designation have to stay on until April 30. If you happen to have studs on them, you have no choice but to leave them on and then you need to get the studded tires off ASAP after April 30. However, different jurisdictions have different rules for when studded tires have to be off.

I believe Oregon has no winter tire rules and studded tires are legal between Nov 1 and March 31.

 

[Nickdfresh]

Stupid people driving on winter tires in warm weather...

 

[gathermewool]

Are there mountains within a few hours drive from you? Isn't that one of the benefits of living in certain areas of CA, that you can drive from your house, where it's in the 70's, to a ski slope on the weekends?

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted by gathermewool
Are there mountains within a few hours drive from you? Isn't that one of the benefits of living in certain areas of CA, that you can drive from your house, where it's in the 70's, to a ski slope on the weekends?

Well yeah. This morning I asked if my kid wanted to go see snow. Google Maps was estimating about 3 hours to get to South Lake Tahoe. Even less time if someone lives near Sacramento.

 

[bullwinkle]

KY is unusual in that studs are legal year-round, here in OH it's only Nov 1st-Apr 15th. Other than being noisy and somewhat hard on the pavement, they don't hurt anything-but extended high speed driving will soften the rubber enough that the studs will loosen & might come out.

 

[Lyman]

Probably came down from Tahoe. They have a ton of snow up there.

 

[eljefino]

IDK if it's the soft sidewalls or the low friction of the studs but they "float" wicked. Takes a lot of extra steering to get anything done. I like snows, but without the studs. Although, to counter, I had some studs that came with my Volvo 940 wagon that were necessary and awesome.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted by y_p_w
I'm out for a ride today with my kid. Went all local tourist today and just saw a late year Forester (Oregon plates) with winter tires with studs parked next to my WRX.

I know they're legal anywhere in California between certain months, but this seemed really unusual. It's mid 60s and sunny. I've never seen studded tires on a street vehicle before, and didn't expect I'd see that around here. I'm wondering if they're really soft and loud. They were an off brand, but don't recall the brand.


Well, keep in mind that if they're driving home, they well could be going through snow over Siskyou Pass on the way home... That said, this is why I hate studs--putting up withe noise and vibration on pavement (along with tearing up the roads and the sketchy dry handling). Studless snow tires have gotten so good, I just don't see the point.

I think in WA and Oregon, they have to come off on March 31. I've run into pretty bad snow in April going over the Southern Oregon/NorCal passes. You never know up there!

 

[bullwinkle]

Originally Posted by eljefino
IDK if it's the soft sidewalls or the low friction of the studs but they "float" wicked. Takes a lot of extra steering to get anything done. I like snows, but without the studs. Although, to counter, I had some studs that came with my Volvo 940 wagon that were necessary and awesome.

I think it's mainly tread squirm, myself-the 10 ply studded BFG Traction T/As that I use on my GMC were originally on one of my work E-350s-they worked well in snow, but the van was all over the road in dry. It was almost impossible to keep in a lane! They work fine on the GMC, but it never has the weight that the diesel E-350 did.

 

[dishdude]

It's still March, if it were July I'd pass judgement.

 

[Rand]

Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
Up here, winter tires, with a Snowflake/ Mountain emblem or at least a M/S designation have to stay on until April 30. If you happen to have studs on them, you have no choice but to leave them on and then you need to get the studded tires off ASAP after April 30. However, different jurisdictions have different rules for when studded tires have to be off.

I believe Oregon has no winter tire rules and studded tires are legal between Nov 1 and March 31.



NOTE: Important fact in BC ALL-SEASONS are considered winter tires if they have M+S rating which is almost all of them.

they need to upgrade that to at least mountain/snowflake.

 

[hemitruck]

Originally Posted by 92saturnsl2
I just sold four used studded General Altimax Arctics. I was pleasantly surprised I was able to sell them here in Kentucky (they came from my dad who moved from Vermont) and at a decent price too.

I asked the guy if he was moving somewhere with a lot of snow, and he says "no I just need cheap rubber to get me by."

Maybe he's never driven on studded tires before, but I wouldn't want to drive on them all summer long! They do make a racket on dry pavement, as far as handling goes, it's likely no worse than a non-studded winter tire, as only the very small tungsten bit is supposed to contact the road surface, so you're still getting the full effect from the rubber contact patch.


When I was a kid, in the early sixties, my father would pull the studs out of his worn winter tires and run them for the summer on my mother's car. She drove maybe a thousand miles a year. Maybe this guy is going to do the same.

 

[spk2000]

Sometimes it's a money driven event to drive on snows in summer. Can't afford to change them out but was glad to have them in the snow. Sometimes situations / jobs change and plans change too. Sometimes people just don't know better.

There are some snow tires that aren't too bad in summer. I had some Cooper Weathermaster that were great in rain and held up decent in summer so sometimes I ran them anyways. Had a set of Firestones that were great in snow but really sucked on dry pavement squirming everywhere with very poor handling.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted by Rand
Originally Posted by Snagglefoot
Up here, winter tires, with a Snowflake/ Mountain emblem or at least a M/S designation have to stay on until April 30. If you happen to have studs on them, you have no choice but to leave them on and then you need to get the studded tires off ASAP after April 30. However, different jurisdictions have different rules for when studded tires have to be off.

I believe Oregon has no winter tire rules and studded tires are legal between Nov 1 and March 31.



NOTE: Important fact in BC ALL-SEASONS are considered winter tires if they have M+S rating which is almost all of them.

they need to upgrade that to at least mountain/snowflake.

That's the rule in California.

Quote
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist3/departments/mtce/tireschains.htm
SNOW TIRES
The California Vehicle Code, Section 558 defines a snow-tread tire as follows:
"A 'snow-tread tire' is a tire which has a relatively deep and aggressive tread pattern compared with conventional passenger tread pattern". Snow-tread tires can be identified by examining the sidewall of the tire where the letters MS, M/S, M+S or the words MUD AND SNOW have been stamped into the sidewalls.

And studded tires have to come off by the end of April.

Quote
http://www.dot.ca.gov/trafficops/trucks/chains.html
What are the dates for studded snow tires?

Studded snow tires are permitted in California from November 1 until April 30 each year. During this time, studded tires are permitted in any location within the state. Studded snow tires are not considered tire traction devices and may not be used in lieu of chains.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted by spk2000
Sometimes it's a money driven event to drive on snows in summer. Can't afford to change them out but was glad to have them in the snow. Sometimes situations / jobs change and plans change too. Sometimes people just don't know better.

There are some snow tires that aren't too bad in summer. I had some Cooper Weathermaster that were great in rain and held up decent in summer so sometimes I ran them anyways. Had a set of Firestones that were great in snow but really sucked on dry pavement squirming everywhere with very poor handling.

I had another look at them. They were Federal Himalaya WS2 - made in Taiwan. I noticed them because they looked like a winter tire, then I noticed the studs.

I figure it was probably a car that the owner took on ski trips, and then came down to California for the weekend. I've heard of performance winters being used between ski trips, but I'd never seen studs before.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Originally Posted by y_p_w
I'm out for a ride today with my kid. Went all local tourist today and just saw a late year Forester (Oregon plates) with winter tires with studs parked next to my WRX.

I know they're legal anywhere in California between certain months, but this seemed really unusual. It's mid 60s and sunny. I've never seen studded tires on a street vehicle before, and didn't expect I'd see that around here. I'm wondering if they're really soft and loud. They were an off brand, but don't recall the brand.


People in Oregon love their snow and studded tires. If you head over the passes often, they're great. However, if most of your driving is not through the mountains, it rarely freezes or snows. I grew up in the upper Midwest and hardly anyone had snow tires. In Oregon I laugh at how many do. I think it's April 1st they need to be removed. And temps above 40 are horrible for winter tires, I've read.

 

[HowAboutThis]

Originally Posted by y_p_w
Originally Posted by spk2000
Sometimes it's a money driven event to drive on snows in summer. Can't afford to change them out but was glad to have them in the snow. Sometimes situations / jobs change and plans change too. Sometimes people just don't know better.

There are some snow tires that aren't too bad in summer. I had some Cooper Weathermaster that were great in rain and held up decent in summer so sometimes I ran them anyways. Had a set of Firestones that were great in snow but really sucked on dry pavement squirming everywhere with very poor handling.

I had another look at them. They were Federal Himalaya WS2 - made in Taiwan. I noticed them because they looked like a winter tire, then I noticed the studs.

I figure it was probably a car that the owner took on ski trips, and then came down to California for the weekend. I've heard of performance winters being used between ski trips, but I'd never seen studs before.


Every day I walk here and there for groceries and such and half the cars going by with a "clickety clack" of studs. And there really isn't even "winter" in most of Oregon!

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted by HowAboutThis
People in Oregon love their snow and studded tires. If you head over the passes often, they're great. However, if most of your driving is not through the mountains, it rarely freezes or snows. I grew up in the upper Midwest and hardly anyone had snow tires. In Oregon I laugh at how many do. I think it's April 1st they need to be removed. And temps above 40 are horrible for winter tires, I've read.

Might have been helpful with one of those once in a decade ice storms in Portland.



Strangely enough, hard ice is probably the only condition where studs help.

https://www.outsideonline.com/2359001/studded-tires-winter-car-prep

I said I haven't seen studs on a street car before. The only place I'd seen studs before was on an ice rink. I saw Disney on Ice where they were driving various cars on the ice, and of course ice resurfacing machines.