"narrower is better" for snow is what I hear. What is a good size for an f250 w/ 16" rims? And what does 'pinned for studs' mean? I see web sites selling tires that are described that way. Do they have studs or not? Or do you somehow attatch them? And where do you buy them?
LLOYD

 

i would stay with your stock tire. they are pretty good in the snow for what they are "size wise that is". as for being pinned for studs im pretty sure they mean they have stud mounts already installed in the tire. all you would have to do is buy a bag of studs and screw them on. i think you can buy them anywhere you buy tires.

 

That "thinner is better" idea seems kind of counterintuitive to me... Wider tires = more surface area. More surface area = more weight distribution on the snow (as well as more tread to grab the snow). More weight distribution = better chance of sitting ON TOP of the snow pack, instead of sinking into it. The weight factor is one reason why Jeeps do so much better in deep snow than heavy trucks.

Studded tires are tires with spikes drilling into the tread... I've never heard of anyone screwing in their own spikes but I suppose it could be done, although I wouldn't trust it. Using studded tires on dry pavement is not suggested, they should be used as a secondary tire on a secondary set of rims that you can swap onto the truck when you plan on taking it into snow.

 

stock width or one size narrower for snow, has a better cutting ability through the snow to get traction. wider tires will pack up thus having to push more snow. studs in my opinion aren't really needed unless you run on alot of ice, plus when roads are clear you have to listen to anyoying sound from them. a good set of snow tires will work just fine.

 

actually the thinner the tire the better in the snow. the idea is to slice through the snow. when snow compacts it creates a sort of ice surface and when you have a wider tire you can't slice through the snow as easily thus sliding ontop of the snow. there are a lot of people with up here in new england with studded winter tires that run them through out the winter. it doesn't really do anything to the tire and nothing really happens to the pavement because they pave pretty regularly up here because of all the pot holes created during the winter.

 

Ahh I guess that makes sense... Kind of counterintuitive if you ask me...

 

One thing to check before you put pins in your tires is if it's legal in your state. In Texas it's a no no.

 

when you get new tires they have lil holes in them just for studs the tire place shouldhave the tool to insert them for you. they work pretty good on ice or hard packed snow butlike said some states have rules on them. i know here in virginia youhave to have them out by april 15 or you can get a ticket. my dad always ran studded tires and when it came time to take them off the road he would use a small flat screw driver and just flip them out of the tire. he always said they was to far worn to keep for another year he liked new tires for the winter as he drove about 100 miles a day back and forth to work.

 

Not hard to tell your live in California!!

Why don't you leave the winter driving questions to somebody from the "Great White North".

 

Narrower tire is better in the snow. My 33x12.50x15 suck in the snpw, they float and spin all over the place. A narrower footprint will be a more secure footprint, and a wider one more prone to sliping around. However, if your goal was to drive a jepp through 3 feet of snow a wide tire would be better, but thats not ever relly the case on roads.

 

ive never heard of states outlawing studded tires, but i guess they would down south where it doesn't snow as much. i know some people "for some odd reason" run studded snows all year round, most of the time they just forget about it, but some people buy them and run out of money by spring to buy new tires. thats what i get for living up in the GREAT WHITE NORTH

 

HA!

Touche Paul

 

Which state do you live in? Down south maybe studded tires would be better for the ice that they get in the mornings.
What I did in the northeast was get 4 used factory steel rims from the junk yard, i paid $20.00 each. Then added 4 used thinner size studded tires i paid 20.00 each also. After the studded wear out you can still use the tires durning the winter, they work fine. The factory tires are to wide to have when it snows, unless you use 4x4, which then cost more for gas.

 

Ok now i have to ad my .02, i just took physics class last year. Think of an ice skate vs. a sneaker on the ice. The blade of the skate has much less surface area, thus more pressure. Now that pressure causes the ice to melt, creating the slipery surface. Now when you skate along, the ice is melting and then refreezing once you pass.

If you were wearing sneakers, there is much more surface area thus LESS pressure. So when you slide along, you are not "melting" as much ice in a sense so you can not move as easily or as far.

Keeping physics in mind, the more surface you have on the snow, the better your vehicle will perform. In turn, you will want to get a stock width or more tire, never less. Also keep in mind tred, if you have performance tires on snow, your not going anywhere in a hurry!

I'm pretty sure i recalled this correctly from class. And as we all know, you can't challege physics!

Oh, and franken ford, studded tires arent legal all year round, at least in MA there not. I just thinks its much easier to pick an all season tire that has dual purpose and not need to dish out extra money for another set or rims and tires.

 

Ahhhhhhh who needs ya'