Truck Winter Tires

[Cory1]

We've beat the all season tire discussion to death, but how about Winters?

Im in need of a new set this season and curious what everyone else is running.

[gmcmax05]

Studded Nokians on all 4 corners

[DiabeticKripple]

Can’t go wrong with Nokian.

[brokenbones4]

Studded Nokia hakkapeliitta lt2. Had them on my 2500. They would go farther in two wheel then my toyo mt's in four wheel. The only issue I had with them was balancing because I had the 35"x17" long story short it was an issue with kal tire not the tires themselves.

[Scott N]

I've had Yokohama Geolandar I-Ts for a couple of winters, I've been happy with their performance.

[powerbob]

Sigma Arctic claw . Studded

[Puma]

Studded 235 85 r16 Dura tracs on a Chevy K2500 HD

Tall and thin, just like I like em

[rusty99]

I agree that Nokian tires are amazing!

I've never ran studs before on any winter tires I've had. How long will the studs hold up before they wear down?

Do studs make a big difference for city driving?

[J0HN_R1]

For dedicated winter tires, you can't go wrong with either Nokian ___ or Bridgestone Blizzaks. Preferably studded.

I run General Grabber AT2 on my Tacoma though, year-round... Studded too !

[J0HN_R1]

Do studs make a big difference for city driving?

Does it make a big difference if you lose control in the city, versus somewhere else ? :scared:

Studs always provide more grip than without them... But there's always a threshold.

[rusty99]

Does it make a big difference if you lose control in the city, versus somewhere else ? :scared:



Studs always provide more grip than without them... But there's always a threshold.



I will clarify my question . City streets tend to be plowed and sanded better in my area than rural highways . My thought was that running studs if 90% of my driving is in city would wear them down quickly. I am sure they make a difference if a person travels less maintained roads.

I've hear of people wearing the studs completely down in one winter driving season.


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[CaberTosser]

Another vote for Nokian Hakkepelliitas LT's as dedicated winters. Studded or not they're stellar. Mine were not studded and except on sheer ice I doubt much difference exists. That being alsaid I've transitioned to the Cooper AT/W's and have had them 11 months now, they're a good tire in my experience so far. They won't match the Nokians for braking for instance but I have to account for the fact that I went from 225/75/16 Nokians to 245/75/16 Coopers, so there's a tread width difference at play as well. Not an apples to apples comparison.

[Badgerbadger]

I will clarify my question . City streets tend to be plowed and sanded better in my area than rural highways . My thought was that running studs if 90% of my driving is in city would wear them down quickly. I am sure they make a difference if a person travels less maintained roads.

I've hear of people wearing the studs completely down in one winter driving season.


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I have the studded Nokian Haka's. Used to run non-studded. It's a world of difference with the studs.

First, there's enough of an ice film or skiff of snow dust on city roads just from vehicle exhaust that even when they seem dry and clear, they're not. Studs cut through that, like sand on your icy sidewalk.

Second, seems to me studs wear down slower than tires. Maybe if you're tromping the gas and spinning every time you start from a stop, they'd wear down quicker, but I don't drive like that so I can't say for sure. I just know I've worn a couple of sets of tires out, and the studs still look great.

Go for studded winters. Probably any brand is good, but I'd recommend the Nokians.

[Twisted Canuck]

Studded Nokian Haks. All of vehicles have the Haks, 3 sets studded, 4 sets not. The studs help quite a bit, but even without they are spectacular. Wouldn't use anything else anymore. Tried Blizzaks and Michelin X Ice. OK, but not as good.

[scesfiremedic]

I had Nokia’s Hakkapelittas non-studded which were good. Friend who sells tires talked me into studded Firestone Winterforce which are really good.

[JB_AOL]

I used studded Firestone Winterforce LT on my truck, and it was great. Excellent winter tire, I found they had larger voids vs all other dedicated winter tires, so they would clear deeper snow better. I never had any issue with traction (except the self-inflicted kind), even through some of the worst storms over the passes.

I should say, that was a 2014 F150HD, that I didn't tow with in the winter, but I don't imagine that tire would have any issues at all.

[TraskDaddy1]

Duratracs are king


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[JB_AOL]

Duratracs are king


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it was inevitable that someone would bring up the "king"..lol.. Great summer tire.

[walker1]

Hankook I pike LT on my F350

Blizzack on my wives van and when I owned F 150

Both were very good and much better than stock AT and P rated .

[Dean2]

I run Duratracs year round but if I switched to dedicated winter tires they would definitely be Nokia Hakipilattens. My wife runs them year round on her 4Runner, 90% city and a little country and they are awesome. I run Nokia WRG-2s on the car year round. Great high speed and winter performance so would make a good SUV option.

[bubba 96]

I have the cooper discoverer mud and snow studded, and they are awsome, drove from airdrie to pincher every week last winter and were awsome.

[fordtruckin]

I’ve run toyo observe studless, hankook studded general Altimax arctic studless and just got some studded duratracs for my work truck. For the price and performance I love the general Altima’s Arctic’s. I run them on my pick up and just bought some for my Jeep.

[CaberTosser]

These Generals look appealing, the ones I've seen on display seem to have slightly wider tread voids than what the pictures seem to show. The pattern reminds me somewhat of the previous generation Nokian Hakk LT's I had:

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=General&tireModel=Grabber+Arctic+LT&partnum=475R6GRALT&vehicleSearch=true&fromCompare1=yes&autoMake=GMC&autoYear=2012&autoModel=Savana&autoModClar=2500%208-Lug&cameFrom=WinterSection#RatingsReviews

[Smokinyotes]

Studded hakkas are all i would buy if you are looking for a true winter tire.

[Team Anzac]

A studded tire is just that, makes no sense if your studding a expensive tire. The tire is no longer doing its intended job once you stud it, the studs are doing the work. IMO, stud the cheapest tires possible.

[Badgerbadger]

A studded tire is just that, makes no sense if your studding a expensive tire. The tire is no longer doing its intended job once you stud it, the studs are doing the work. IMO, stud the cheapest tires possible.

Interesting theory.

How would cheapies work in a few inches of snow, though?

[tirebob]

A studded tire is just that, makes no sense if your studding a expensive tire. The tire is no longer doing its intended job once you stud it, the studs are doing the work. IMO, stud the cheapest tires possible.
Completely untrue... Whether or not your tire is studded, the sipes in the tread design are still sweeping the surface of the ice when your tire is slipping or spinning, and the enhanced complex rubber compounding of the more premium tires is still remaining softer than that of the cheaper tires also enhancing traction. The studs do for sure add another layer to the ice traction, but it does not negate the other features.

That said, cheaper studded tires can still be a good way to go for those looking to not spend as much money and still have real amounts of traction, but that does not take away from the fact that the other features built into a tire still have a purpose and effect...

[dfrobert]

I'm happy with my Bridgestone W965 winters on my 3/4 ton diesel. They have worn much better than I expected. Others mentioned the studded Hakkapellita and they are likely a step above from what I've heard, but the price is also way above the Bridgestones I'm running.

[graybeard]

I have the cooper discoverer mud and snow studded, and they are awesome,.

I like my Cooper's as well....

[fordtruckin]

Completely untrue... Whether or not your tire is studded, the sipes in the tread design are still sweeping the surface of the ice when your tire is slipping or spinning, and the enhanced complex rubber compounding of the more premium tires is still remaining softer than that of the cheaper tires also enhancing traction. The studs do for sure add another layer to the ice traction, but it does not negate the other features.

That said, cheaper studded tires can still be a good way to go for those looking to not spend as much money and still have real amounts of traction, but that does not take away from the fact that the other features built into a tire still have a purpose and effect...

So studs don't contribute to the loss of any dry traction?

[CaberTosser]

So studs don't contribute to the loss of any dry traction?

Why would they? They do not elevate the tread away from contacting the ground. The pockets they recess into also flex and conform to surfaces just like the rest of the tire. I think the only drawbacks are noise and pavement wear, but I could really give a hoot about pavement wear when safety is improved. Pavement is a wear item just like brake pads and tires.

[tirebob]

So studs don't contribute to the loss of any dry traction?
Not appreciably... They do change driving feel a bit for sure and people misinturpret that often, but all the rubber is still in contact with the asphalt. The studs do not support the weight of the vehicle and compress in the tire when on hard surfaces. The pin is is only ever so slightly protruding past the tread to begin with.

[tirebob]

Why would they? They do not elevate the tread away from contacting the ground. The pockets they recess into also flex and conform to surfaces just like the rest of the tire. I think the only drawbacks are noise and pavement wear, but I could really give a hoot about pavement wear when safety is improved. Pavement is a wear item just like brake pads and tires.Agreed. In places like Alberta we are replacing our road surfaces because of damage from frost heave etc long before the extra wear factor of studs ever becomes an issue...

[JB_AOL]

Not appreciably... They do change driving feel a bit for sure and people misinturpret that often, but all the rubber is still in contact with the asphalt. The studs do not support the weight of the vehicle and compress in the tire when on hard surfaces. The pin is is only ever so slightly protruding past the tread to begin with.

Tirebob, do allseasons (like the BFG a/t/etc), that people get studded, do they have the same "give" below the studs? Just curious.

[tirebob]

Tirebob, do allseasons (like the BFG a/t/etc), that people get studded, do they have the same "give" below the studs? Just curious.
There will be no real difference that would be detectable to the driver when comparing winter vs all season casing structures when comparing the amount of stud compression. You have a vehicle weight multiple thousand of pounds spreading that entire weight across a small rubber surface over a cushion of air. The tiny tip of a tire stud is not going to support that kind weight without compressing the rubber and air cushion underneath period.

I am sure if you could measure the difference with a nuclearthingamabobweightmonitor blah blah there could potentially be a .0000000001 of a gram variance (my layman scientific term lol), but in application of real life, it just isn't so...

You will experience far greater losses of traction from rubber compound changes due to temperatures than you will ever experience from the studs in a tire...

[Justfishin73]

Duratracs suck in winter, no way, no need for studded if living city, rural, though, yes

[JB_AOL]

Duratracs suck in winter, no way, no need for studded if living city, rural, though, yes

IMHO, I would rather have the added traction of studs to move away from a dangerous situation, which usually happens more in the cities, even though they "plow/sand/etc".

But yes, ice is usually not dealt with in the country, so a must have for sure.

[smokedstew]

Nokian hakkapelittas and studded for me. This sets on a 3/4 ton diesel have tried a few of the other premium studded winters and for me these are still the best. I drive about 100kms a day hwy and this will be my 4th winter on this set so they wear very well, ran the last set on my gas job for 5 seasons

[Mayhem]

I used studded Firestone Winterforce LT on my truck, and it was great. Excellent winter tire, I found they had larger voids vs all other dedicated winter tires, so they would clear deeper snow better. I never had any issue with traction (except the self-inflicted kind), even through some of the worst storms over the passes.

I should say, that was a 2014 F150HD, that I didn't tow with in the winter, but I don't imagine that tire would have any issues at all.

I ran these as well (studded) on a 3/4 T GM Savanna, when I was in the field. Bit of weight in the back and they provided very good traction.

[fordtruckin]

Why would they? They do not elevate the tread away from contacting the ground. The pockets they recess into also flex and conform to surfaces just like the rest of the tire. I think the only drawbacks are noise and pavement wear, but I could really give a hoot about pavement wear when safety is improved. Pavement is a wear item just like brake pads and tires.

Not appreciably... They do change driving feel a bit for sure and people misinturpret that often, but all the rubber is still in contact with the asphalt. The studs do not support the weight of the vehicle and compress in the tire when on hard surfaces. The pin is is only ever so slightly protruding past the tread to begin with.



So how come law enforcement doesn’t run studs on their vehicles in the winter??l

[Unregistered user]

Because those guys know how to drive. Fleet taxis and buses run the same tires year round for the same reason. I haven't bothered with winter tires in years as everything I own is 4wd, even in the old rwd days, for city and main hiway driving all seasons were fine. I think tire companies have done a good job of creating a need, and making money on extra wheel sets, storage and change overs, very clever.:)

[gmcmax05]

Because those guys know how to drive. Fleet taxis and buses run the same tires year round for the same reason. I haven't bothered with winter tires in years as everything I own is 4wd, even in the old rwd days, for city and main hiway driving all seasons were fine. I think tire companies have done a good job of creating a need, and making money on extra wheel sets, storage and change overs, very clever.:)

I was going to post a reason as to how 1977 this thinking is, but it think I'll go talk to the wall instead.

[tirebob]

So how come law enforcement doesn’t run studs on their vehicles in the winter??l

Studded tires are not approved for high speed pursuit. They do not carry high enough speed ratings. I will note I have many police officers as clients who wish they were allowed to run studded tires, but that is neither here nor there if they are not allowed by their own regulations.

I am not saying studded tires feel and handle identically to non studded tires. I am saying that for normal driving situtations they do not have an appreciable dry weather tration loss due to the tire studs, plain and simple. So much BS floats around from the days when studs were villified by governments (mostly south of the border) because of the extra costs associated to the wear and tear on highways etc, and they fell out of favour. Stud and tire technology has changed a lot and it not the issue as much as it once was, and thanks to northern countries all over the world recognizing the benefits vs the drawbacks, they have been making a resurgence and it helps.

By no means is it a magic bullet, but it is an added layer of ice control. It isn't for everyone, but it definitely is for others. I personally.do not NEED studs in my winter tires, but I sure do enjoy having them driving in on township roads in the dead of winter!

[Unregistered user]

I was going to post a reason as to how 1977 this thinking is, but it think I'll go talk to the wall instead.

Birds of a feather:).

[Jucebox]

Love the Haks, theyre a fantastic winter tire. I run Toyo Observes myself, a 2014 F150 4x4, and I ran them on my last chevy, especially since most of the new trucks are getting so much better performance and lighter as the years go by, its not a great recipe for traction. Ive been a huge advocate for winter tires on every vehicle that operates in winter conditions, and mostly for the ice, since most of our truck tires are M+S and will chew through snow, for the most part. Remember, 4x4 just makes you go forward better, not stop before the sudden stopping driver before you, or turn on that wind blown ice sheet we all know and love on the highways.
As for studs, I dont run them personally, but I never have, so I cant say anything about them, I just carry a set of chains for the really ugly moments.

Cheers.

[.257Weatherby]

For dedicated winter tires, you can't go wrong with either Nokian ___ or Bridgestone Blizzaks. Preferably studded.

I run General Grabber AT2 on my Tacoma though, year-round... Studded too !

Running studded Snow tires year round?
Really....
Rob

[Jay Kyle]

Been happy with my All Terrain T/A KO/2's on my diesel Chevy..

[CaberTosser]

So how come law enforcement doesn’t run studs on their vehicles in the winter??l

Because I'm not the quartermaster? I was just thinking of LE tires recently, especially those on rural RCMP vehicles and how much more important premium traction is when other emergency services are far away. They should be getting the best winter tires available, cost be damned. I'd sooner see them on Nokian's than some budget winter tires form China. When they have to be out in the worst weather to help those who probably should have stayed home (the perpetually unprepared in both equipment and driving skill) they should have excellent tires.

As for what LE chooses I know you're in Montana, but what do Alaska Statey's run on their buggies? One might rationalize that they might opt for something a bit better.

[fordtruckin]

Studded tires are not approved for high speed pursuit. They do not carry high enough speed ratings. I will note I have many police officers as clients who wish they were allowed to run studded tires, but that is neither here nor there if they are not allowed by their own regulations.



I see way more people running studs here in Montana then I’ve ever seen growing up and going to high school in Alberta.



I am not saying studded tires feel and handle identically to non studded tires. I am saying that for normal driving situtations they do not have an appreciable dry weather tration loss due to the tire studs, plain and simple. So much BS floats around from the days when studs were villified by governments (mostly south of the border) because of the extra costs associated to the wear and tear on highways etc, and they fell out of favour. Stud and tire technology has changed a lot and it not the issue as much as it once was, and thanks to northern countries all over the world recognizing the benefits vs the drawbacks, they have been making a resurgence and it helps.

By no means is it a magic bullet, but it is an added layer of ice control. It isn't for everyone, but it definitely is for others. I personally.do not NEED studs in my winter tires, but I sure do enjoy having them driving in on township roads in the dead of winter!

Because I'm not the quartermaster? I was just thinking of LE tires recently, especially those on rural RCMP vehicles and how much more important premium traction is when other emergency services are far away. They should be getting the best winter tires available, cost be damned. I'd sooner see them on Nokian's than some budget winter tires form China. When they have to be out in the worst weather to help those who probably should have stayed home (the perpetually unprepared in both equipment and driving skill) they should have excellent tires.

As for what LE chooses I know you're in Montana, but what do Alaska Statey's run on their buggies? One might rationalize that they might opt for something a bit better.

I just know out of all the local agencies including mhp here in Montana’s snow belt, mine is the only one that runs studs and it’s on a 3/4 ton truck. I also am the only one that is fully decked out with recovery equipment chains all around and a 12k winch. When I showed up with studs everyone looked at me odd. I just always figured except on ice you lose traction with studs ... dry pavement etc... personally I’m not a fan but hey I won’t turn down new tires for a work truck when it’s not coming from my budget.