When studded tires are a good idea
Studded tires are a good idea when you will be driving on ice and very hard packed snow. Nothing outperforms studded tires on ice as they give the ultimate in grip and traction, especially lateral traction. One main advantage is that if your car or SUV is equipped with studded winter tires you do not need to put chains on your vehicle. This is a great advantage – if you ever had to deal with placing chains on your car then you know what I am talking about. Usually conditions that require chains are the exact conditions where it’s not nice to leave your warm car to go outside in the snow and cold to place chains on your vehicle.
If living in an area like Colorado, you should be aware that the new traction laws require that if you are driving a 2-wheel drive vehicle on I-70 through the Rocky Mountains you will need either snow chains or winter-approved tires. In situations like this you will be well served with studded winter tires. They are also great in changing weather conditions that often require chains, then the studded tires are a real advantage. If you ever have driven with chains, then you have experienced the significant level of vibrations that occur, in comparison with driving with studded tires which feel just like driving with normal tires but with the advantage of having full control of your vehicle even in heavy snow and ice.
Studded tires are a real advantage when driving up mountain slopes during the winter months as they can really grip the road surface even if icy, making even steep slopes no problem. In general, when you are at high elevations with lots of snow your best options for traction is either chains or studded tires. If living in an area like this, it would be of great advantage to have studded tires. There have been significant advances in studded tire technologies and the newer studs offer a better fuel economy as well.
The Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 studded tires are adapted to handle all kinds of extreme weather and makes use of the new Eco Stud 9 Concept – a new more modern stud which reduces road wear as well as noise. With the Eco Stud cushion dampening the road contact as the air space in the middle of the lower flange reducing the stud’s impact. This along with the deep snow grooves on the shoulder provides maximal grip when moving onto deep snow.
Some of the other benefits of having invested in high quality winter tires is improved braking, traction and safety. Studded winter tires stop faster than either all season tires or all weather tires. This is because of the extra grip which maximizes traction, with the studs even more so. Winter tires are made of a flexible rubber compound as well as a unique tread design that is meant to be used on ice, snow and slush.
