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Studded tire questions from a studless guy
Yes, I used to run a tire shop but that was in Southern California where we didn't do studs. And growing up in AZ didn't expose me to much in the way of snow or ice. Here in Oregon studs are allowed in the winter, so I've got some questions.
How long do studs last?
Can they be replaced when they wear out?
Anything else I should know about them?
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Studded tire questions from a studless guy
Ken if you only run them Mid Nov thru Mid March "IT DEPENDS ON YOUR WEATHER" you should get 4 winters out of them. Our roads are snow and ice free most of time running them on pavement does not hurt them. They like iced up roads better for wear. Like Alaska. I travel enough back roads that I wanted to try them again here. I drive 2000+ miles a month. I do make a few 200 mile runs on dry or wet interstates during the winter.
They do not like to be abused like spinning on pavement. But that really hard on tire also.
I chase Coyotes as much as possible all winter many back roads, not plowed, many fields often bumper and grill deep in drifts. The roads are packed snow and lots of ice.
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Studded tire questions from a studless guy
Thanks Harvey. So once the studs are worn out they can't be replaced? Maybe that's not important if the studs last for 30k miles of winter driving.
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Studded tire questions from a studless guy
Drawing on my experience helping in my Fathers gas station when studded tires were the new thing putting studs in used tires didn't work very well. The little holes where you shot the studs into would get packed full of dirt. The studs have a little flange on the end that holds them in the hole, and there is a grouve in the bottom of the hole to fit the flange on the stud. Getting the dirt out of the grouve in the bottom of this hole was all but impossible.
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Studded tire questions from a studless guy
I forgot! Usually the tire is pretty well worn out also.
I would expect 20,000+ winter miles if you do a lot of pavement driving many more miles if snow/ice packed roads.
You are right Frank I remember the gas stations trying to do it. It was ok if tires new but once used forget it. I think the early studs were not the best options.
The newer carbide studs are great for wear.
I'll try to remember to post again in March when these come off as to what I think about them.
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Studded tire questions from a studless guy
OK guys, thanks for the info. It sounds like the best thing to do is to delay mounting the winter tires until the first sign of snow or ice and then pull them off as early as possible. Wish I had a chassis lift in the garage 
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Studded tire questions from a studless guy
A couple of thoughts from a former Alaskan.
Up there I would run the studs 3-4 winters, then pick the studs out and turn them into summer tires.
The worst thing you can do to studs is to run them in the wrong direction. When you put them on the first time they establish a wear pattern.
If you put them on the other side of the car the next winter they will wear out faster than you can believe or just rip out of the tire. So mark the tires left or right and pay attention to it.
Another thing.... there are two types of studs. The center pins are a super-hard carbide or similar metal, but the outside sheath the pins are pressed into can be made of steel or a rust-free alloy.
The steel clad studs will usually rust out and throw the pins before the stud actually wears out. The alloy types last much longer.
Can they be replaced? Yes. I have done it but it is a lot of work. And because there are different length studs for different new tires, you generally end up with a re-stud job that has too much stud exposed or too little.
It is hard to match the stud to the amount of tire wear.
Are they worth the money? If you have a lot of ice, yes. If you just avoid one rear-end accident you have paid for the tires, the rims and the studs.
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Studded tire questions from a studless guy
Thanks, Mark, that's very useful information.
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12-18-2008, 18:59 
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