# studded snow tires



## simon kenton (Dec 28, 2003)

I live in the mountains of North Carolina. A heavy snowfall up here is ten inches. My problem is ice. I have a steep 1/2 mile long driveway that is shaded in the winter. We get three inches of snow, you drive up and down a few times, that snow is packed into ice, which lasts for a few days.
I ran it in my two wheel drive '95 Pickup for 9 years. I put 12 concrete blocks in the back, and put on chains in the ice. Of course, I owned the road with the chains.
I got sick of using chains. I got a little four wheel drive Subaru with studded snow tires. They were hard to tell from chains. I could hit the brakes on the steepest icy part of that driveway, and it would stop like on asphalt.
Now I have two Nissans. I got a 4WD '96 pickup. I got studded snow tires. I got my first chance to try them out today, and I am disappointed. I hit the brakes on the steep part, and I started sliding around, in fact, I nearly crashed. Going up the driveway, I was slipping a little.
I had thought that all studded snow tires were the same, but they are not.
My neighbor was going up in his big Dodge 4WD truck. He did about as well as I did, and he doesn't have studded snow tires.
The tires for the Subaru had four rows of studs on each tire, one near the edge of the tire, and another row about an inch in from that.
These truck tires have only two rows of studs, which are about an inch in from the edge.
Given, the Subaru is 2,000 pounds lighter than the Nissan. Perhaps that accounts for the entire braking problem. But slipping while going uphill? No, I think the Subaru tires gripped better.
The tires I now have are, as best I can tell, M+S Pacemark tires. 235 75 R15

Who makes an aggressive grip studded snow tire?


----------



## 88pathoffroad (Jun 6, 2004)

Why don't you inquire at a tire shop? People on the internet are likely to recommend brands you can't find where you live or just plain state personal preference. Like you said, the two vehicles are not comparable, weight-wise.


----------



## simon kenton (Dec 28, 2003)

*tire shop*

The big local tire shop sells a heck of a lot of pickup tires, probably half of their business.
I bought my Subaru tires from this store. I also got my truck tires there. They showed me the difference between the two tires. When I complained that I was not getting nearly as good performance from the Nissan tires, they just said, "Well, that is the way it is. This is how our truck tires are done. Your truck is heavier and so won't perform as well."
Well, on braking, fine. But on acceleration, I don't buy it. In fact, the extra weight would make the truck do better.
Guess I need to try a different tire store. But I would like to get a recommendation from an impartial source first. After all, the other tire stores will bs me in order to make a sale.
Plus, if there is a brand that is highly recommended, I can buy it online.


----------



## pdxfj (Apr 7, 2006)

About how much to the concrete blocks weigh? Too much weight and you'll run into problems, not enough and you'll still have problems. I have a 100lb sand bag I put over the rear axle. You don't want the weight any farther back than the rear axle as it will cause the front end to lighten and that'll give you all kinds of funky problems. My experience 100lbs is a good weight, and just remember to be really smooth.

If your driveway is really that steep then use 4-low and allow the gearing to do the work for you. It'll take you longer but you should be able to get down and up with out having to use the brakes or much (if any) gas. If you're driving a stick don't shift as using the clutch will disrupt everything, if it an A/T then put the tranny in 1st or 2nd and leave it there. 

Remember that with a car the weight is more evenly distributed (fully body), where in a truck it isn't (open bed), plus the car usually has a lower center of gravity.

I live in a very hilly city, and when we get snow and ice it's fun to go for a drive and see just how many people with 4wd/awd get stuck because they have no idea what they are doing. I have never been stuck or lost control. Even with my first pickup which was only 2wd.


----------



## simon kenton (Dec 28, 2003)

Even with my first pickup which was only 2wd.
======================================================

On my driveway, you would get stuck with 2wd if you didn't have chains on.
I don't use concrete blocks in the 4wd, I used them with the 2wd truck.


----------



## simon kenton (Dec 28, 2003)

*tires*

Well I have been doing quite a bit of research on this. All the info on studded tires comes from Scandanavia, where these tires are in widespread use. On the other hand, they are verboten in Germany. Michelin and Uniroyal both make top rated studded snow tires, and they are sold only in Scandanavia and are not available in the U.S.
But, the best studded snow tires are made in Finland. They are the Nokian Hakkepeliitta. Thank God, these tires are available in the U.S.
I talked to a guy in New York who did tests comparing these tires against the Cooper studded snow tire. He said the Coopers were slipping on an icy hill, but the Nokians did not slip at all. He called the performance of the Finnish tires "unbelievable." They do pretty well on asphalt, too.
Next winter, I will have a set of Nokian Hakkepeliitta studded snow tires on my Nissan.


----------

