Last updated on September 22nd, 2023 at 07:59 am
When searching for winter tires, you must have heard about studded winter tires, so what are studded tires, and how different do they work from standard winter tires? And does it really make that much difference to spend more bucks on buying them?
We will discuss all that and many more points in this article to give you a complete guide about studded tires and whether you should buy it or not. So stick to the end to get the complete information about them before deciding between winter and studded winter tires.
When you go to buy winter tires, a shopkeeper might ask you if you want regular winter tires or studded winter tires. The studded tires have hundreds of holes on the tread where the studs sit; either you can install studs by yourself in the wintertime or ask the seller to put them for you. Because once the tire has studded, it has to drive on snow due to the laws and jurisdiction of a different town. So make sure it is allowed to drive with studded tires in your district.
The benefits of studded tires
Studded tires create a difference when driving on icy or wet snow roads; hundreds of studs fit into each tire’s rubber, improving winter tires’ performance. The metal part stays on top of the tire, and the rubber part gets inside the tire, so when the tire contact with the road stud provides better traction and cornering on icy roads. Also, it improves brakes sometimes and makes the tires less slippery. Still, there are several disadvantages of the studded tires that we will discuss later in the article.
How to apply stud on tires
Putting hundreds of metal studs into the tire is a time-consuming process, either if you do it manually or with the machine. Putting studs with the stud guns is relatively easy and less time-consuming. On the other hand, the manual process required soap water, or any liquid, and put stud on top of the stud area with the plier. If you want to save money and have extra time, buy a stud gun and stud your tires with it. If you don’t want to invest any money and have 1-2 hours, then do it by hand; it will require more time but save money, and also you will learn more about tires.
Is it legal to drive with studded tires?
There is no simple answer to that question because different states have different laws and restrictions that change time by time. Some states only allow drivers to drive with it in winter; some openly allow it, and some do not allow it at all. Because of the road noise, pollution, and asphalt damage, it is a complicated matter to resolve either studded tires should allow in all states or not. The reason that several states allow studded tires is that those states have a more extended winter season than other states, and they have more snow on top of the surface, which is hard to drive with non-studded tires.
How to remove tire studs
The easiest and most common way to remove studs from tires is using a flathead screwdriver, or plier put it into the block of stud and pull out the stud from the block. If you don’t want to hurt the tire’s tread or the studs that are stuck in the block, then use penetration oil or soap water to soften them up. It will easily pull out the studs from the tires. For safety measures, wear safety glasses and gloves to protect your eyes and hands from metal studs.
Disadvantages of studded tires
Stud tires can provide exceptional performance in the winter season, but studded tires also have downsides. You will get better speed on snow terrains, but studs also increase the noise and create more pollution. Using studded tires on a dry road is alarming and devastating for both your tires and road asphalt because of the metal studs; the tire gets hotter in dry terrains while also damaging the road by leaving scratch marks on the road.
which is better studded tires or non-studded tires
It totally depends on your town’s weather; if you face all year winter and snow in your area, then you can go with studded tires. Non-studded tires can also work all year winter season, but adding metal studs improves tires’ performance by improving grip and traction on the snow. If you have low to moderate winter conditions in your area, then we would recommend using non-studded winter tires because you can not drive with studded tires on dry roads, so it is better to use winter tires that will also perform in low snow conditions.
Final words
The studded winter tires are great resources when rushing into an icy road or frozen snow road because they improve the overall performance of your drive with better speed and brakes. Studded tires are more expensive than regular winter tires, but it worth extra pennies for extra performance.
That is it from our side, We hope you’ve learned something new by reading this article, and we would appreciate it if you would leave a comment and tell us about your experience and opinion about studded and non-studded winter tires. Also, if you like to read about the best-studded winter tires, then you can check it on our website.
