Winter tires with Studs vs No studs

[XC500mod]

I need opinions from guys that have had studded snow tires or Falken Wildpeak AT3W's. I have a '17 F350 SRW. I drive 2200 miles round trip to the mountains a few times each year. also drive highways around home. Currently have Nitto Ridge Grapplers which are great in snow, but awful in packed snow and ice. I want something with a 3 peak rating so i was going to get a set of Falken Wildpeak AT3w. I've also been kicking around the idea of studded snow tires, but know nothing about them. What are they like on dry interstate for a thousand miles? do they last 40k miles? I live in a state where they are illegal what is the fine if i'm caught with them?

the last few years the drives have been brutal, any time my truck down shifted it would cut loose. 16 hour drives turned in 26 hour drives white knuckled for most of it. i think studded tires would be a game changer, but like buying a new sled, i'm sure i'd get dry conditions for the next 8 trips so they gotta be ok on dry pavement. Falken wildpeak AT3Ws are not suddable so i would have to get something else.

 

[moab11]

Being that they are illegal in your state, then I wouldn't even bother looking at them. Just look for a good dedicated winter tire, having a heavy truck may limit your options a bit though.
They do perform great on ice and hardpack snow, but don't like lots of clear highway driving. They are also very noticeable on pavement, think of the sound of a bunch of rocks stuck in your tires in the summer. The cops will be all over you.

 

[North Dakota 322]

TLDR Do it! worth every penny.
No half decent cop is going to pull you over for studs, they would have to be on a huge power trip.
The amount of times my studded snows have saved my ass is worth any $50 ticket a cop will give you every couple years (personally never been bothered for it)

The best and cheapest (rare combo) is a firestone winterforce with studs.
little nosier than the wildpeaks, get about 2 good winters out of them (i put on 35k a year)
Remember, noise is traction.
It is nice to feel confident when you are pulling a overpass and your pickup down shifts and knowing it isn't going anywhere.
It isn't deep snow that will kill you it is the patch of ice in the shade of a mountain or the icy overpass you hit at 65 that will.

Anyone who says a falken, toyo, nitto, good year, ext.... All Terrain tire is good on snow is a straight up lying or has never rode in a vehicle with good snow tires on it.
Just because it has the 3 peak mountain symbol on it doesn't mean it is good in snow. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=125

A set of 1/4 tread studded snows will go more places than a brand new AT tire.

I run falken wildpeak at3w in the summer and when the first prediction of snow comes around the studded snows go on.
Every vehicle i own gets a set of studded snows in the winter.

I have been watching for a deal on a set of studded snows for my sled trailer even.

If i get hurt in a accident and am out of work for a couple months I could have bought 200x sets of good tires for the same cost.

 

[SLEDDR.]

I have run studded dura tracs for years in the mountains of CO for many years. Initially just had them on all our work trucks. Now I think they work so well in all conditions that I run them on my personal trucks as well.

We get 30-35k out of them driving a mix of interstate, state highways and gravel mountain roads. I have tried all the other brands, with a constant heavy load I get the best mileage and traction out of the dura tracs when it comes to the studded options for heavy trucks.

I buy 6 sets a year so I have a lot of experience/miles to back my opinion!

 

[XC500mod]

TLDR Do it! worth every penny.
No half decent cop is going to pull you over for studs, they would have to be on a huge power trip.
The amount of times my studded snows have saved my ass is worth any $50 ticket a cop will give you every couple years (personally never been bothered for it)

The best and cheapest (rare combo) is a firestone winterforce with studs.
little nosier than the wildpeaks, get about 2 good winters out of them (i put on 35k a year)
Remember, noise is traction.
It is nice to feel confident when you are pulling a overpass and your pickup down shifts and knowing it isn't going anywhere.
It isn't deep snow that will kill you it is the patch of ice in the shade of a mountain or the icy overpass you hit at 65 that will.

Anyone who says a falken, toyo, nitto, good year, ext.... All Terrain tire is good on snow is a straight up lying or has never rode in a vehicle with good snow tires on it.
Just because it has the 3 peak mountain symbol on it doesn't mean it is good in snow. https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=125

A set of 1/4 tread studded snows will go more places than a brand new AT tire.

I run falken wildpeak at3w in the summer and when the first prediction of snow comes around the studded snows go on.
Every vehicle i own gets a set of studded snows in the winter.

I have been watching for a deal on a set of studded snows for my sled trailer even.

If i get hurt in a accident and am out of work for a couple months I could have bought 200x sets of good tires for the same cost.

How is traction on the dry highways and interstates?

Do the big tire places in stud legal states stud the tires in house or are there local tire studding guys? I guess what I’m asking can I order up a set of wheels and studded tires, drive through town and have them put on?

 

[North Dakota 322]

My advice is to use tire rack and buy pre-studded tires. 99% of tire shops will put them on. (never had a problem) If you do, go somewhere else.
If they give you a hard time tell them it is for a off road vehicle.
I don't know of anyone who studs tires local to me. Tire rack only charges $15 per tire and has free shipping, so I always go that route.

I run 2 sets of rims/ tires and swap out spring/fall as snow tires do burn off fast in 100F days and high loads.
Technically the traction is slightly less on a studded tire vs a non studded (you wont notice a difference)
The softer tread makes them very slightly more squishy/squirmy on the road (think a brand new set of AT tire feeling)

Expect to get 40k out of a set. (depending on how much snow and ice they see.)
I typically run them for 2-3 winters then pop the studs out of them and sell on FB
They claim once the tread gets to 40% the traction diminishes (still better than a AT tire)

Over all you can hardly tell the difference in handling, noise, and ride.
On a imaginary scale of 1-100, 1 or 2 points difference in every category, except traction that pegs the scale at 100

Couple more tips,
When you order a set look at all the sizes available and try get the narrowest one you can find. Narrow tire provides better grip than a wide one. 1/2" makes a difference.
I try order them in the spring and let them "cure" in my enclosed trailer over summer. Like to think they last a little longer if you do it. (best deal in the spring too)

 

[boondocker97]

On a dry road, if it's just wet, or has a layer of frost or really thin ice where there's not enough thickness for the stud to actually bite into anything the non-studded tires have better traction and will have a shorter stopping distance. If the packed snow/ice is 1/8" or deeper the studded set will outperform the non-studded. Once you get on some real ice the studs will stop (or at least get you slowed down), hold, and accelerate where non-studded tires won't. I run studs when I can and put some on the snowmobile trailer last year.

In Montana we can run them from October-April I think and then have to have them removed through the summer. This will be my 3rd winter on a set of studded all-terrains (General Grabber ATX) on my F-150 and come spring I'll dig them out and use them as the summer set going forward. Don't think I'd stud all-terrains again. Either go with a dedicated snow tire or studdable M/T if looking for deep snow performance. Being easy on the throttle and gentle on stops will help the studs last longer.

 

[christopher]

I have also run studded tires on my truck and LOVED THEM.
But our window to use them here in SE Idaho is pretty small.
Dec-Mar at most!
So I can get YEARS out of a set.

Strongly agree with the NARROW TIRE comment above.
The smaller the tire patch, the HIGHER the pounds per square inch of contact on the road.

They really shine while driving on the highway with HARD PACKED SNOW (ICE)

 

[North Dakota 322]

Sorry to keep blowing this thread up but tires are something I geek out about.
My new set of grips showed up today, firestone winterforce LT. Just over $1000 to my door step from tire rack.

I included a penny for tread depth.
Lots of siping and a directional tread are the most common characteristics of a snow tire.

These are a 265-70r18 narrow and tall.
This set is going on my 2017 half ton Chevy. I would have sprung for the P rated winterforce 2, but this pickup works harder than a half ton should.
The extra load capacity is nice instead of running close to the max weight rating.

For shopping/changing tire sizes I ran across this handy tool, it tells you everything you need to know about.
tacomaworld.com/tirecalc

 

[mt.sledder]

I’ve run several several different sets of studded tires on my 3/4 ton duramax pulling a 24’ wall sled trailer to the mountains from the prairies a 1500 mile round trip. I’ve used the following tires and will list them in the order of best traction. All tires were 10 ply and I will say the duratrac’s will give you the best life by a fair bit. The Hercules Avalanche Extremes are the best traction by a long ways, the runner up in traction isn’t even close, they are a game changer!!!
1) Hercules Avalanche Extreme
2) Dunlop Radial Rover RT
3) Goodyear Duratrac
4) Hankook IPike (terrible handling with a sled deck, weak sidewalks)
5) Firestone Winterforce.

 

[XC500mod]

Great info thanks!

 

[North Dakota 322]

I’ve run several several different sets of studded tires on my 3/4 ton duramax pulling a 24’ wall sled trailer to the mountains from the prairies a 1500 mile round trip. I’ve used the following tires and will list them in the order of best traction. All tires were 10 ply and I will say the duratrac’s will give you the best life by a fair bit. The Hercules Avalanche Extremes are the best traction by a long ways, the runner up in traction isn’t even close, they are a game changer!!!
1) Hercules Avalanche Extreme
2) Dunlop Radial Rover RT
3) Goodyear Duratrac
4) Hankook IPike (terrible handling with a sled deck, weak sidewalks)
5) Firestone Winterforce.

how does the winterforce rank worse than the duratrac?
My experience is the exact opposite.
Not bashing just wondering.

 

[chevy_man]

Toyo winter tire is what you want.

Studless, but amazing traction still. Only place studs are really killer is the polished ice.

I still run studs myself, but this would be my tire if I couldn't.

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