Anybody run studded tires in the winter?

[Stickman400]

Well I have a Ford Ranger regular cab short bed with a 2.5L and 31s on it and it is so damn light that it just spins the tires when there is any kind of snow or ice on the ground. The instant I let the clutch out and give it ANY gas it spins 'em. I have to put it in 2nd or 3rd and just let the clutch out to get it moving, and that's with 400+ pounds of sand bags in the bed. So does anybody on here run studs in the winter? And where do you buy them?

[400exrider707]

You can't just stud any tire. I have run them on 2x4 rangers before.

You need to buy studdable tires, and they have to be studded brand new from my understanding.

[Stickman400]

I forgot to put that in there, I have Maxxis Buckshot Mudders and they come with pre-drilled holes for studs.

[99_300ex]

Tire shops around here won't stud them unless their brand new with zero miles on them.

[CJM]

Never had to do so. Your problem is using mud tires which are to soft. You need to put the weight RIGHT over the axles to achieve good traction. Running an all terrain would work better tho.

[wilkin250r]

I live in studded tires. The mountain pass between my house and my work gets a total of about 20 feet of snow throughout the winter, so it's not uncommon for me to be driving in several inches of snow even when the plows are running.

An yes, everybody else is correct, they have to be studded from the beginning, I've never seen a tire shop that will stud tires that have any miles on them. Even a few miles can pack up dirt and garbage in the holes the studs go into, so the really do need to be studded brand new.

I order mine online from a place called tirerack.com and they'll ship anywhere. By the time you buy the tires, pay for shipping, and then pay a tire shop to install them, it's about the same price as just buying them directly from a tire shop (maybe save $50), but they do have a great selection and it's pretty easy. I mainly do it because they have a distribution center not too far from me, so I can go pick them up and skip the shipping costs, giving me substantial savings.

[Stickman400]

Ah, damn, guess I'm screwed. And I have all my sand tubes right over the rear axle CJM, and I usually air them down alittle (25psi or so) so it gets alittle bigger foot print, but it's still just so damn light. I think I just need to get a 4x4 Duramax, lol. Thanks anyway guys.

[CJM]

Airing down makes a wider footprint in snow, you want thinner footprint. The thinner tires cut thru snow WAY better. I run 10.5 tires in winter and 11.5 tires in the warmer months.

[Stickman400]

Yeah, but 10.50 tires aren't gunna get much skinnier if you air them up, so I'd rather have a bigger foot print.

[CJM]

You would be surprised. Trust me when i tell ya, all the smart guys who drive plow trucks often use the much skinnier 10.5 or 9.5 tires to cut thru the snow rather than the idiots who run 12.5s and such.

When you hit the gas with them aired down it also mushes the rubber a bit and makes it even wider. Kinda like a drag car hooks up-tires deform easier and flex easier. You dont want that. Try my advice.

What tires do you actually have on it now brand/model?

[Pipeless416]

^agreed. skinnier tires in rain and snow will always be better to an extent. the wider the tires the more they'll float. yes, tires will float in snow just like deep water. i don't mean you'll float away :p , just that they'll basically hydroplane in the snow.

[Stickman400]

I have 31x10.50x15 Maxxis Buckshot Mudders on it. Here is what they look like tread style/depth wise: http://forum.difflock.com/userpix/14515_Maxxis_Mudder_1_640_x_480_1.jpg And I'm mostly running on packed snow and ice. I hardly ever go through fresh powder.

[CJM]

The main issue as I stated before is your running to soft a tire for snow as well as what I mentioned about airing down. Mud tires do ok in fresh powder, HORRIBLE in packed and ice snow.

I drove a 2wd f150 for awhile, always ran AT tires and put 4 100lb sandbags in the bed with no issues.

[400exrider707]

Air them up to normal or near the max rating, don't air them down you're making your problems worse. You want them hard and narrow to cut down to the pavement, not float on top of the snow. This is the opposite of sand. In the sand you want it to float to stay on top because there is nothing under it. In the snow you want to go right to the bottom and to the pavement.

[wilkin250r]

Airing them down is bad. Your truck weighs the same whether your at max tire pressure, or minimum tire pressure. Airing down doesn't change the total weight, all you're doing is spreading that weight over a larger area so you actually have LESS weight per square inch.

Ideally, you want something that "digs" into the snow and ice, not something that sits on top. So you want MORE weight per square inch, not less.

A bigger footprint is good for mud, sand, and fresh powder snow. A bigger footprint is bad for packed snow and ice.