Snow Driving

[bemax]

...And unlike the tyres, they were not forbidden.

because nobody would think about driving with snow chains (with or without studs) on black tarmac....

 

[emax]

Works fine on snow and may be ice. But no way on dry tar for more than (a few) hundred meters.

 

[Shaky]

I have a set of snow tyres for my BMW, which as suggested are on a set of spare steel wheels. They are really good and have saved me a number of times, not from an accident but just getting stuck !

However the last few winters the steel wheels would have been better fitted with paddles in the UK winter.

 

[painter]

I’ve never actually used studded tires. Are you suggesting they are inferior to non-studded winter tires on maintained roads?

Where I live in BC they don’t use salt, only sand so the road stays frozen over and sandy compact snow for most of the winter.

The concern I have with studs is they may interfere with tread contact on bare road surface. In the marine climate I live in winter has many days of rain, with some snow. Rainy days I'd want as much traction as possible but with a cool temperature rubber compound.

Ice is where I think studs are best. Black ice for example. Not sure about compact snow. Depends on the conditions, what do locals use in your area ?

 

[emax]

Studded tires are not all season tires. They're for the winter only.

 

[Mountain guy]

Hey Hurricane,
I have driven on the BFG AT KO and KO2 for 24 years. drove all over Alberta and BC. Great tire. I run them all year. I had them on many F150 trucks, GMC Jimmy and Ford Explorer. I have been in some very deep snow and they always got me out. You will like them.

M

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

The concern I have with studs is they may interfere with tread contact on bare road surface. In the marine climate I live in winter has many days of rain, with some snow. Rainy days I'd want as much traction as possible but with a cool temperature rubber compound.

Ice is where I think studs are best. Black ice for example. Not sure about compact snow. Depends on the conditions, what do locals use in your area ?

I had the same concern, but I got my first experience with studded tires a few years ago on my parent's SUV, and the studs they have appeared to be almost spring-loaded; on ice they would dig in, but on pavement they would be pressed into the tire more so the treads were gripping. I don't know a ton about them, I just remember my dad being quite pleased at how well they work both on the rural roads and in the city he was travelling to that had a budget for things like "Snow removal". Might be worth a look as it can assuage this risk you've identified a bit, and my folks swear by their set.

 

[DCPU]

the studs they have appeared to be almost spring-loaded; on ice they would dig in, but on pavement they would be pressed into the tire more so the treads were gripping.

I'd like to hear more about them if you can get any more details

I remember when Nokian did this and JLR had something similar in the spec for the then Defender replacement, DC100: