Running studded snow tires
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Running studded snow tires
I'm thinking of running studs on a set of General Altimax Artic winter tires this coming winter when I go plowing. I've never run a studded tire but I've been doing some reading on them. Just looking for user reports of how a truck handles with studs, any additional noise generated, etc, etc. Tire Rack says no high speeds with studs which really isn't a problem, but I wonder exactly what constitutes "high speeds". Any general feedback from those who do run them please.
Bleed Ford Blue
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 13,578
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From: Anchorage Alaska
i had my last BFGs double studded by a local tire shop. ran 100mph w/them(in spring dry roads) on my excursion and had no issues. over the whole winter i only lost 2 studs.
we run studs on every car/truck we own and love them. including my f-250 i use to plow snow with.
i'd stud them and drive normaly...except the one thing i try to watch out for is hard braking and cornering on dry/wet pavment and taking off trying not to spin them..that will eat them up rather quickly which is an issue for me as i drive pretty agressive.
handles pretty much the same as the tires would without studs...maybe alittle less traction on wet/dry pavment.
we run studs on every car/truck we own and love them. including my f-250 i use to plow snow with.
i'd stud them and drive normaly...except the one thing i try to watch out for is hard braking and cornering on dry/wet pavment and taking off trying not to spin them..that will eat them up rather quickly which is an issue for me as i drive pretty agressive.
handles pretty much the same as the tires would without studs...maybe alittle less traction on wet/dry pavment.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 169
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From: Anchorage, Alaska
Studs are great - for their intended purpose. What kind of winter conditions do you expect to encounter? Studs only help out on ice where they scuff up the surface and provide more traction. For driving in snow, they provide little benefit - it is the design of the snow tire tread that determines perfomance in snow. And studs increase noise, and actually decrease traction somewhat on dry or wet hard pavement.
You say you want to run studs for plowing. That is not what they are intended for. Plowing generally means operating in deep snow, so good snow tires with chains on all four wheels are optimal for that purpose.
Up here I run studded tires on all my vehicles during the winter. But we get lots of freeze/thaw cycles so roads often turn into flat sheets of ice. That's where the studs come in handy. But for times when the roads are clear, or just covered in regular snow, the studs are of little use.
As for speed, I always thought that was one of the reasons to stud your tires. You can run them at regular highway speeds, as opposed to chains which have significant speed limitations.
You say you want to run studs for plowing. That is not what they are intended for. Plowing generally means operating in deep snow, so good snow tires with chains on all four wheels are optimal for that purpose.
Up here I run studded tires on all my vehicles during the winter. But we get lots of freeze/thaw cycles so roads often turn into flat sheets of ice. That's where the studs come in handy. But for times when the roads are clear, or just covered in regular snow, the studs are of little use.
As for speed, I always thought that was one of the reasons to stud your tires. You can run them at regular highway speeds, as opposed to chains which have significant speed limitations.
FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: Stephensville WI
I may be the minority, but I dislike studs on pickups. In panic stops, the rear end tends to slide easier (even with ABS) on dry pavement.
Last winter my wife used Blizzaks on her Murano. Very impressed with those and am strongly considering a set for the F-250.
Last winter my wife used Blizzaks on her Murano. Very impressed with those and am strongly considering a set for the F-250.
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 169
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From: Anchorage, Alaska
The way I look at it, studs are a necessary evil. Like I said in my earlier post, the actual studs themselves are really only useful 5%-10% of the time during winter driving conditions. During the other 90%, studs are (at best) of no value, or at worst even a hinderance to good traction. But it's during that 5%-10% when they are an absolute life saver!
As for the newer studless snow/ice tires such as Blizzaks, many people up here who live and commute solely down in the flatlands of the city can get by just fine with them, even on ice. But where I live we have steep roads that frequently turn to chutes of pure ice. Whenever I have guests or other visitors (such as maintenance workers, delivery drivers, etc) over who insist on not running studs, those who don't chain up invariably end up sliding down my hill, regardless of how expensive a snow tire they have on. In such cases, they only way out for them is a wrecker with chains all the way round, and a hefty recovery bill!
Cargo Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 2,751
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From: So Oregon
Studs are cool. But they do decrease traction when you're not in a hard pack/ice condition over a regular snow tire. They are louder, but not that bad. I would think they'd get chewed up real quick plowing snow, but I could be wrong. I don't plow, but the trucks I've seen plowing spin their tires when the snow gets deep.
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FTE Leadership Emeritus
Joined: Sep 2000
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From: Stephensville WI
I don't think studs and panic stops go together on any type of vehicle!
The way I look at it, studs are a necessary evil. Like I said in my earlier post, the actual studs themselves are really only useful 5%-10% of the time during winter driving conditions. During the other 90%, studs are (at best) of no value, or at worst even a hinderance to good traction. But it's during that 5%-10% when they are an absolute life saver!
As for the newer studless snow/ice tires such as Blizzaks, many people up here who live and commute solely down in the flatlands of the city can get by just fine with them, even on ice. But where I live we have steep roads that frequently turn to chutes of pure ice. Whenever I have guests or other visitors (such as maintenance workers, delivery drivers, etc) over who insist on not running studs, those who don't chain up invariably end up sliding down my hill, regardless of how expensive a snow tire they have on. In such cases, they only way out for them is a wrecker with chains all the way round, and a hefty recovery bill!
The way I look at it, studs are a necessary evil. Like I said in my earlier post, the actual studs themselves are really only useful 5%-10% of the time during winter driving conditions. During the other 90%, studs are (at best) of no value, or at worst even a hinderance to good traction. But it's during that 5%-10% when they are an absolute life saver!
As for the newer studless snow/ice tires such as Blizzaks, many people up here who live and commute solely down in the flatlands of the city can get by just fine with them, even on ice. But where I live we have steep roads that frequently turn to chutes of pure ice. Whenever I have guests or other visitors (such as maintenance workers, delivery drivers, etc) over who insist on not running studs, those who don't chain up invariably end up sliding down my hill, regardless of how expensive a snow tire they have on. In such cases, they only way out for them is a wrecker with chains all the way round, and a hefty recovery bill!
Still, studs are cool if you want smoky sparks while doing a burnout.
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Senior User
Joined: Sep 2005
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From: Flagstaff
Love them. Run them on everything in the winter.
Had my WRX STi up to speed limiter on way to ski area running Pirelli Winter Carving, studded at 230kmph (143mph) and no studs thrown and worked fine.
I like Cooper ST studded for trucks. Blizzaks are for rich folk, waste of money for commoners.
Had my WRX STi up to speed limiter on way to ski area running Pirelli Winter Carving, studded at 230kmph (143mph) and no studs thrown and worked fine.
I like Cooper ST studded for trucks. Blizzaks are for rich folk, waste of money for commoners.
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2010
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I run studded tires on all my trucks in the winter, they are well worth the investment. I have no issues with driving at highway speeds. The speed limit on our interstate is 65 so this is just a what if but I'm betting that they do fine at 80 mph. 
I run Baja M/T Widetracks....alot of guys knock them but I've been running the same tread design tires with studs for a long time and I'm not switching, they work good and are E rated tires which isn't real easy to find in a studded mud tire. The ones going on the F250 this year spent the last 4 winters on my GMC and they still look great.
I run Baja M/T Widetracks....alot of guys knock them but I've been running the same tread design tires with studs for a long time and I'm not switching, they work good and are E rated tires which isn't real easy to find in a studded mud tire. The ones going on the F250 this year spent the last 4 winters on my GMC and they still look great.
More Turbo
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 561
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From: Indianapolis, IN
Not sure where in Ohio you are or what you plow, but you should carefully consider the potential damage to pavement. I know some folks in the northeast that got to pay to repair stud damage.
Bleed Ford Blue
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 13,578
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From: Anchorage Alaska
blizzaks are amazing tires, i plan on getting a set for my next DD. both my grandparents run them on there AWD chrysler 300c and 4x4 f-150 and they will never stop suprising you how they stick to the ice and snow. i'm talking hard packed snow/ice as we see on our roads all winter.
Lead Driver
Joined: May 2003
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From: Lyndonville, Vermont
I'm thinking of running studs on a set of General Altimax Artic winter tires this coming winter when I go plowing. I've never run a studded tire but I've been doing some reading on them. Just looking for user reports of how a truck handles with studs, any additional noise generated, etc, etc. Tire Rack says no high speeds with studs which really isn't a problem, but I wonder exactly what constitutes "high speeds". Any general feedback from those who do run them please.
Dick
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blizzaks are amazing tires, i plan on getting a set for my next DD. both my grandparents run them on there AWD chrysler 300c and 4x4 f-150 and they will never stop suprising you how they stick to the ice and snow. i'm talking hard packed snow/ice as we see on our roads all winter.