Anyone drive on studded tire?

[Tony C.]

There are much discussion on other threads about huge traffic jam on the interstate due to snow/ice around Atlanta last few day.

You can drive on icy road with a good set of winter tire, if the road surface was sanded and salted, so much better, of course one still need to be careful.

The best thing for icy condittion is studded tire, I use to have a pair of them on the rear axle of my 1970 Chevy, sold it with the car in 1978, for the last 25 yrs or so all my vehicles are either FWD or AWD, which handle much better in snow, I know some states outlaw studded tires, I can't even remember seeing them for ages, tire store use to charge about $30 per tire to install them, IIRC, don't recall seeing anyone driving with studded tire while I was out west a number of yrs ago.

 

[carpriver]

I used them in the early 70s but Michigan outlawed then as the tires damage the roads.

 

[arjay]

Used them for years before I bought my first 4x4 and they worked quite well.I think they became illegal in the 80s?
edit: Studded tires are still legal in CO.

 

[RobertJ.]

We have an '03 Nissan Pathfinder, we put studded tires (all 4) on every winter. Generally not needed here on the coast, but there are places we like to go that we feel better having them.

 

[sierra255]

I do the same as RobertJ. and put them on my 4 wheel drive p/u every Dec 1. With property in Central Oregon I must go over a high elevation pass that gets a lot of snow and ice, so they are needed to negotiate the hills. I also visit a daughter that lives in Southern Ore. and that trip also goes over a pass that at times is very icy. I just had them taken off today, as I plan no trips for a couple of months. They are still legal here in Oregon..

 

[Old 44 Guy]

Yes, I've used them & they work great in icy conditions. We have to take them off about Apr. 1st.

 

[feralmerril]

Yeah, I know this is a little OT, but give it a look. Maybe someday they may have a version for a car. Its already here for atv`s.

Polaris Sportsman WV850 H.O. First Look - Motorcycle USA

 

[jimmib]

I put them on every year for going up in the mountains in my Jeep...we have to remove them April 1st....I like them mostly for ice

 

[RonJ]

I used to have them on my old '66 Valiant. That old car thought it was a snowmobile! Noisy as heck on clear roads though.
Mo. has outlawed them too.

 

[LVSteve]

I used to have them on my old '66 Valiant.

That's what my Dad bought when I lived in Texas for a while as a kid. He got the 2-door with the slant-6 2.8 liter motor and the under dash A/C unit.

 

[BUFF]

There's a short article on winter tires in the new issue of CAR & DRIVER magazine (Mar 2014 issue, yellow Corvette Z06 on the cover) and discussing studs, stated that they are illegal in 10 states but doesn't say which ones.

I have only had studs in one set of snow tires, rears only mounted on a Ford LTD police car about 1985 or 1986. During the second shift they were on the car, I had to chase a guy down the freeway for a few miles at about 100 mph. Dry, daytime. There wasn't a single stud left by the time the guy stopped!

 

[chief38]

I had them back in the late 70's and early 80's and also had Tire Chains for the heavy stuff. I'll never forget putting those damned thins on every big snow storm - what a PITA!!. As soon as you would hit a nice clean section of the road, the chains made the car feel like you were at the amusement park on one of those rides. I do not miss them.

NY has now outlawed the studs and no one I know uses chains anymore either - BUT IIRC I still have a set or two in the garage somewhere.

 

[roundgunner]

I use them on all 4 tires all winter. We get a lot of ice here and I have to go regardless.

 

[islamoradamark]

when i lived in md i worked at a tire store last year in high school half day and got 3 credits. i had to put studs in a lot of tires at end of winter had to pull them out by hand and throw them away. it was heavy work when you got to do those big cars back then being a skinny 16 year old

 

[Marshwheeling]

If everybody ran studded tires in winter, I wonder if the damage to roads would be any worse than that caused by salt, which is considerable. Without salt, car bodies would sure not rust out as fast, always an issue in Minnesota.

Although technically illegal, many years I have run a motorbike all year round by using ice screws, not a full racing load of 1100 screws per tire, I need to have some rubber on the road. About 100 screws per tire, toward the edges of the tread, is enough to break the glaze while still allowing good contact between rubber and pavement. Studded motorcycle tires can be had as well, but are expensive, about $400/tire.

 

[David R]

They are still legal in NY. I run them every year, all 4 on my car. One work truck I had was about to be scrapped. I used it in the summer and got a ticket in JUNE. There was no arguing, I just paid the fine. The truck was replaced 2 weeks after I got the ticket.

I pay $15.00 per tire to have them installed. They can only put them in new tires because stones get in the holes.

When I got pulled over and asked "Do you know why I stopped you?" I was glad that was the only ticket I got. The truck was in sad shape.

This winter I really appreciate them. They help the most on Ice. I live in a rural area of western NY.

 

[RonS]

Had a set for my very first car, a 65 Chevy, a set of 4 bought at Sears. Stood me in good stead when I got stationed in Upper Michigan right out of tech school.

 

[KLYDE]

I used to have them on my old '66 Valiant. That old car thought it was a snowmobile! Noisy as heck on clear roads though.
Mo. has outlawed them too.

66 Valiant...Boy those were the days. Did it have the push button shift on the dash and the trusted slant six motor?

Back to the thread. Haven't used them in years as I now have a 4x4 truck. Still legal but have to be taken off by April.

 

[steelslaver]

Studs are good except for the hassle of taking them off and on. Sniping is a real good option. More traction, and longer tire life. I have a set of studs for my Ford Powerstroke, but never use em. I have 3 4 wheel drives, 2 with winches and all have a full set of chains. Mostly id its real icy I don't go far. But snow gets deep and I like to go out in the sticks.

 

[Shooter6br]

I took my Pa. driving test on my Mom's baby blue 1961 Valient station wagon. Push button dash. Slant six . All the floor boards rusted out. Body had lots of rust........................ 1972