Studs or no studs?

[Beaver]

I bought a 2012 Taco yesterday and it came with crap all season tires so I'm buying a set of rims & tires (probably from tirerack). I've never driven studded tires but I imagine they'd fucking rock on icy roads. I've heard the rubber isn't as soft as a no stud snow tire so they last longer as well.

Anyone with any experience with both types on a truck?

[b dubya]

driven them with a few awd cars and they do indeed rock

[Skideuce]

I would recommend getting studs. I currently run them in goodyear duratracs and we have another bigger truck with studded haks. You can basically get any tire compound and pattern studdable, it's not limited to hard rubber with studs, soft without. I find that in the slush and deep snow I like the duratrac because it clears better. On icy roads without a doubt get the hakipellita's (sp). Basically a really high end snow tire that you can stud.

[dk_alaskan]

I have run both stud and non stud on trucks for years. if you are going to be on ice ALL the time, studs. If not, try a hakaapolita or hankook studless. Studs, unless they are on a surface that they can really dig into, create a small space between the road and the tread of your tires--you don't get as good traction on bare pavement. On my V-10, i run a set of Toyo MT's that are sipped after market. They do AWESOME on snow, ice, etc and i can run them year round. Since they are a mudder, they have a softer tread, which is much better for winter conditions than a No Terrain tire.

[rideit]

Search, JONG! (I think there is a 50 page thread on this)

I thought for sure this would have involved labial piercings

[dk_alaskan]

You can basically get any tire compound and pattern studdable, it's not limited to hard rubber with studs, soft without.

not true. Most soft tread compound "studless" snow tires cannot take a stud. They are too soft to properly hold the stud, thus they fall out right away and/or you run the risk of putting the stud right through the tire. Many tire shops will not stud "studless" tires.

[Alaskan Rover]

Depends on a BUNCH of factors.

You don't say whether your Tacoma is 4wd or 2wd...I'm presuming 4wd, because why would anyone get a 2wd tacoma?

Studs or not depends on a bunch of factors. There is NO question that studs will give you more traction going up icy nonsanded hills. They will also allow you to stop better on level ice. They also chew the shit out of paved roads....there are always assholes clicking their way around on studs when there hasn't been ice for a while. Most locales have a May 1st stud deadline....at which time all studs must be off the road. Not sure about your area in BC. Probably similar....maybe even April down there.

Are there a lot of hills in your area that remain unsanded? If there are, then YES, studs will come in handy. Many different tires are stud-able. You might find that those crappy tires are stud-able themselves.

Take them to a tire dealer and see if they are studable. If they ARE, then stud them and buy a decent set of tires for the rest of the year...that way you woin't have to take the studs out come may.

You CAN stud and unstud your own tires...I've done it loads of times. I used to stud my BF Goodrich Mud/Terrains every early winterand pull the studs back out in the spring. Just takes a drill and a pair of pliers. Takes about 30-40 minutes/tire DYI install and 20 minutes/tire to pull them all. It's easy.

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[Alaskan Rover]

Dk-Ak:

It's exactly true what you say about soft rubber vs. harder rubber. The goodrich M/T's are a softer the rubber and after two winter seasons the stud holes began to crack...losing studs periodically. Still worked...just had some hole deformation and lugs broke-down a little more. Next I studded some harder rubber snow tires (a tire similar to the no longer made Firestone Town&Country snow tires , but Chinese-made). Those stud holes stayed true for 5 seasons.

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[Skideuce]

DK-AK
I didn't know that. You learn something new every day. Regardless, for the type of driving I usually do, I like a studdable mud tire.

[doughboyshredder]

If you need studs on a 4wd to drive in the snow, you should just stay home.








Or, learn how to drive.

[Chainsaw_Willie]

I thought for sure this would have involved labial piercings

No shit. Given who the OP is, this is NOT what I expected to see.

[Alaskan Rover]

If you need studs on a 4wd to drive in the snow, you should just stay home.


Or, learn how to drive.

Come ON, DBS...use your noggin. Studding tires is NOT for snow. Studs are for when you have a lot of icing conditions combined with hills. 4wd, without either studs or chains, ON ICY hills will simply result in 4 tires spinning.


Have you ever driven in downtown Fairbanks in the winter when it's 48 below zero??? The snow on the road gets packed down so damn hard it TURNS INTO the worst, slipperiest ice you can imagine...because as a rule they can not use salt when that cold, as it creates instant ice.

Studs come in handy in lots of varying ice conditions. If, as you state, YOU had "learn(ed) to drive in winter" you'd realize that.

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[wicked_sick]

Everyone I know who drives a pickup and has a snowmobile or does a lot of winter driving runs studded tires.

[doughboyshredder]

I drive on snow/ice covered roads on average 60-70 days a year. I have never needed studs.


I admit, that there may be a benefit in places that are literally covered in ice and snow year round. My experience comes from the PNW, where the only people that have studs are the people that shouldn't be leaving their house if there's even a hint of ice or snow on the road.

IMO, they should be illegal here.

[Kai]

Some information here:

http://www.nokiantyres.com/studded-or-friction-tyres

[powpig]

I'm a fan of studded, bought a set for my Subi last fall off Craigslist and with the shit season we're having I haven't even bothered to put 'em on. I definitely recommend getting a set of beater rims to mount 'em on so you can swap 'em out real quick & easy. A floorjack from Harbor Freight & you're in biz.

[DasBlunt]

Kootenays, OP? Studded.

DPS, do more investigation before spouting off (Kootenays), and don't be such a prick. Some people can't drive in the snow/ice and I would want them on studded down here in the lower 48 if they suck that bad.

I drove a rear-wheel-drive 1992 Toyota truck all throughout Westchester county my first year EVER living with snow. I was not great, but no accidents.

I learned well, but still prefer AWD, and I am will to take the MPG hit for it.

[Alaskan Rover]

I drive on snow/ice covered roads on average 60-70 days a year. I have never needed studs.


I admit, that there may be a benefit in places that are literally covered in ice and snow year round. My experience comes from the PNW, where the only people that have studs are the people that shouldn't be leaving their house if there's even a hint of ice or snow on the road.

IMO, they should be illegal here.

I agree that studs DO cause damage to bare pavement surfaces...just take a look at any Ak road in the summer and you will see all the stud-caused damage.

In Homer, there was always some old nut clicking down Pioneer avenue on studs in JULY because he was too lazy to pull his studs. He just hadn't got the fine yet. When people get that first fine, thgey become very cognizant of the stud rules.

But in certain mountainous areas where the sand trucks can't always get to with any degree of quickness (if at all), studs are a safety factor, and society in places like Ak, yukon, Colo, Montana/Wyo, Maine, vermont stud damage has been deemed by whatever lacalities as the price society is willing to pay for the safety of lives.

I think a good way to redeem that cost of repairing stud-damaged roads is to charge people who use studs a slightly higher vehicle registration. If they get pulled over in the winter and they have studs on their truck/car but no stud 'endorsement' shows on their registration, they get a fine.

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[dk_alaskan]

I think a good way to redeem that cost of repairing stud-damaged roads is to charge people who use studs a slightly higher vehicle registration. If they get pulled over in the winter and they have studs on their truck/car but no stud 'endorsement' shows on their registration, they get a fine.

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In AK, there is already a fee associated with the damage studded tires partially cause--there is a studded tire tax when purchasing a new studded tire, a user fee if you will.

[Alaskan Rover]

In AK, there is already a fee associated with the damage studded tires partially cause--there is a studded tire tax when purchasing a new studded tire, a user fee if you will.

Yes...but there MANY people who put there own studs on their studable tires...studs are readily available online. Then there are just as many people that just swap from their studded tires/rims to their summer tires/rims every season. They might have paid that tax like seven years ago.

I think a slight addendum to the ak motor vehicle registration for sud users would be better. That truly WOULD be a 'user fee'. And then have these collected fees go DIRECTLY for highway maintenance.

The fee you're talking about most likely ends up in the ak general fund to be disbursed for whatever...not necessarily for highway maintenance. Chance in hell that would ever happen, people would balk....but the principle would work. Depends on the winter...some of those warming trends a few years back with little snow n bare roads...there was lots of stud damage in south central. Other years not so much damage.

But like I said...stud damage is a price that society is willing to pay for safety. For instance, look at the damage that tire-chained school busses cause on the roads...BUT we want our kids safe...not rolling down McNeil Canyon in an upside down school bus...so we gladly eat the cost of that road damage.

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[Danno]

Search, JONG! (I think there is a 50 page thread on this)

I thought for sure this would have involved labial piercings

or avalanche bacon.

[Flounder]

I ran studded Hakka's on my old Xterra and it was a beast. Got a 4runner a couple of years ago and I am running the Hakka R's which are a non-studded " ice" tire. They seem to work just as well but then again the 4r has full time awd while the X was a traditional 4wd setup. I like the trade off of less road noise and better mileage.

[XXX-er]

I drove my kids TDi with michelen ice radials and while the traction was fine the tires didn't feel as positive compared to the studded haks I always ran on a my old TDi's while changing lanes in ruts at highway speed

How does tire rack work for ya in the koots, do you get them delivered or sneak across the border ?

In BC the hak dealer is Kal tire a great chain IME, mount the tires on spare rims and they swap them/retork the wheel nuts free twice a year so no need to do any work or get dirty

I'm a dedicated Nokian user for >10yrs now,

[Meathelmet]

If you need studs on a 4wd to drive in the snow, you should just stay home.





Or, learn how to drive.

You..

I drive on snow/ice covered roads on average 60-70 days a year. I have never needed studs.

...fucking retard.

It is not only about getting-it-going, it is about stopping. The difference is enormous.
What,about 30-50% shorter braking distance?

Yes, I drive about 25-30k km a year,in the winter time ONLY so thats,what,6 months,almost daily,180 days of winter driving?

Have had my share of different 4wd cars, last 5 years with Vw van, 4motion.
1st van with studless and now this second with studs, about 20k of winter driving with that.
Talk about night and day difference...
With a 2k/kg van + and sometimes 1k of stuff in it, jeesus, you would have to pay me shitload to get me back to studless...

Acceleration ,cornering and breaking, everything is so fucking much better.
Yes,they eat the pavement more, but the saved expenses in lives,healthcare & insurance costs saves shitload.

Around here we have a semi maritime climate, snow and then spells of + grades with low temps after = a lot of ice. In the city,on the motorways,everywhere.
About 70% of peeps outside the capital uses studded tyres.
A pair of good (read,michelin or nokian) studless go a long way if you are driving around in the city but if you have to drive a lot or have a heavier car, no brainer.

Personally,running Nokian Hakkapelitta SUV 5s here and more than a happy campper.

I understand that you like to oppose something,but jeebus, studdless or studded?
It is like arguing if you should go to a fight with a knife or a semi-auto shotgun.

[DasBlunt]

^^^wow, DBS gets actually owned, not just a hate fest of fake facts.

becoming a rarity around here, with the adolescent rants that have no substance and poor grammar.

congrats!