If you live in an area that experiences snowy or icy conditions in the winter months, hitting the road means paying close attention to conditions and adjusting your driving accordingly. Driving slower, braking easier, and allowing more distance between vehicles are all ways to stay safe, but possibly the most important thing to is to install winter or "snow" tires.
Winter tires are specifically designed to handle the challenges of driving in the most dangerous months of the year. From their tread patterns all the way down to the chemical compounds in the tread rubber, they are built specifically to provide better grip and more control in winter conditions.
Winter tires are made with tread rubber that maintains flexibility in low temperatures. All season and summer tires are made for warm climates and designed to withstand heat generated on the road. They are not designed for freezing temperatures tend stiffen in cold climates.
When a tire stiffens, it is unable to provide the optimal traction you'll need to accelerate and stop.
Tread patterns of winter tires are very different than all season and summer tires. They feaure deeper tread depths with increased slots and sipes. Sipes are tiny slits in the tire that act as biting edges on ice. Together, these unique tread elements allow the tire to dig deep into snow, grip harder on ice, and ultimately provide more control.
Many people refer to winter tires as "snow" tires, but it's important to note that "snow" tires aren't just for when it's snowing outside. Winter tires are simply the best when it comes to maintaining traction, accelerating, stopping, and cornering in ice, snow, and slushy conditions.
These features help winter tires maintain traction on unpredictable winter roads. The softer rubber compound helps the tire maintain grip on an otherwise slippery road, the deeper tread pattern helps dig deeper into snow, while unique tread designs help channel water and slush from under the tire.
In the end, your vehicle is less prone to skids or slides with snow tires than with all-season tires - and they can help you accelerate and stop faster, too.
Whether your vehicle is front or rear-wheel drive, winter tires are best applied to all wheel positions. While some drivers question the necessity of changing all four, there are good reasons why tire and vehicle makers recommend using a full set of winter tires.
For one thing, just mounting two means you lose some of the traction, stopping and cornering advantages a full set provides. No matter what kind of vehicle you drive, never mount two winter tires on the front axle without also mounting them on the rear axle. Only installing snow tires on the front wheels increases the risk of losing rear tire traction while braking or cornering on wintery roads. This is because the back wheels will have less grip than the front wheels, a scenario that can throw you into a rear-wheel skid.
But what about just mounting winter tires on the back wheels, especially if your vehicle is rear-wheel drive, shouldn't that be enough?
Remember that in a rear-wheel drive vehicle, the front wheels steer and the rear wheels provide the power. So if your rear tires can grip the road but the front tires can't, any effort to steer the vehicle in the direction you want to go on wintery roads will be more difficult.
Mounting a full set of winter tires is clearly a great option for driving in extreme cold, snow and ice, but how should you go about installing them? The answer to that question depends on where you live and when the winter weather arrives. Here's a good primer for when and how to install winter tires:
You should definitely have winter tires installed before the winter weather hits. A good rule of thumb is that if you're consistently able to see your breath, it's time to mount winter tires.
Want to reduce waiting time at the auto shop? Have a technician mount your winter tires on another set of wheels that meet vehicle specifications (don't forget about the sensors for a Tire Pressure Monitoring System if your vehicles is so-equipped). Then, just change out the tire/wheel assemblies for the season - it's much easier than mounting and un-mounting tires every year!
Winter tires are designed for optimum performance in winter conditions while summer and all-season tires are designed for summer performance. Driving on winter tires in the warmer months is not what they are designed for and can cause the tires to wear out faster.
No matter what kind of tires you drive on, be mindful of wintery road conditions and the possibility of encountering surfaces that are more slippery than others. It is always best to slow down and give yourself more time to get where you want to go.
Making snow tire installation a seasonal habit also helps improve safety on the road. If you encounter snowy, icy and slushy conditions each year, a full set of winter tires isn't just a matter of convenience - it's a precaution that could prevent an accident.
Even with the best snow tires on the market, changing temperatures affect their ability to grip the road's surface. Listen to the pros, and know what to expect when the thermometer drops.
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Get familiar with your tire pressure gauge – you’re going to need it through the winter months. Find out why from a Bridgestone Winter Driving School Pro.
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Here's an all-too familiar winter driving scene: the roads are dusted with slippery, powdery snow and the all-season tires that came with your car seem to be getting the job done.
Until your back wheels start to fishtail. Or you brake for a traffic light -- and your car keeps rolling (skating?) toward that icy intersection for several more seconds.
Opt out of those nerve-wracking moments this winter. Get snow tires. Get your brakes, your traction (and your confidence) back.
Snow tires (also called winter tires) provide better traction and braking on winter roads compared to all-season tires, summer tires, or performance tires. The main advantages of snow tires come from cold-friendly rubber composition and precipitation-friendly tread design:
Deeper Tread Depth: Snow tire treads can grip though surface snow and slush.
Groovy Tread Patterns: Snow tire tread patterns have more grooves, to increase the surface area for traction.
Wider Siping: Snow tire edges often feature more open channels called siping to evacuate water.
Softer Rubber: Snow tire rubber is formulated to stay flexible in temperatures below 45 °F / 7 °C (where other tires may develop cracks and premature wear).
Winter tires come in studded and studless types. (Technically, studdable tires are also on the market -- with holes in the tread to install your own studs.) Studded tires offer extreme traction, but give you a bumpy ride the rest of the time. Plus, studded tires damage roads. They’re only legal during winter in most of Canada and the U.S. -- and banned outright in some states. Studded snow tires were once the state of the art in snow tire design and many of us grew up with them. Studless snow tires are the standard winter tire choice today, thanks to decades of advances in tread design and rubber formulation.
All-season tires are not a substitute for snow tires. They’re designed to be a compromise between winter traction and warm-weather performance, comfort, and fuel efficiency. Both summer tires and winter tires outperform all-season tires in their areas of strength.
And depending on where you drive, snow tires may be a requirement:
Vehicles registered in the province of Quebec must have four snow tires from December 1 to March 15 -- and they must be either studded or marked with the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol. (Learn about 3PMSF tires.)
In several U.S. states, local officials have the power to mandate snow tires (or chains) during harsh weather or on snowy roads. New to an area with serious winters? Check with your state transportation department -- or your local Midas tire expert -- for current tire laws.
More and more off-road and all-terrain tires bear the 3PMSF “mountain snowflake” symbol indicating that they are snow-rated, but these tires aren’t a substitute for snow tires. They’re designed to include snow in the types of terrain they can handle, but most aren’t made of cold-tolerant rubber and they aren’t optimized for the full range of winter challenges -- such as icy streets when you aren’t driving off-road.
Off-road driving can complicate your snow tire options. Trust Midas to help you find your perfect winter tires.
Related:
Learn more about all-terrain tires.
If winter temperatures in your area regularly drop below 45 °F / 7 °C, snow tires are well worth the extra expense - no matter how much (or how little) snow falls.
1. Snow tires offer better cold-weather traction whether it’s snowing or not, because they’re made of more cold-tolerant rubber than other tires. So “snow” tires offer peace of mind all winter -- even when there’s not a cloud in the sky.
2. Snow tire treads really do outperform all-season tires on snow and ice. In a test of multiple tire brands, Consumer Reports found that winter tires reduced braking distance on ice by an average of six feet, and improved snow traction by an average of 34%1.
Here’s another reason snow tires are worth the money: Keeping your regular tires off the road and safely stored during the winter months will extend their life for another two or three years.
Four matching snow tires are recommended for all passenger vehicle types. Your vehicle’s brakes and traction control are designed for all its tires to have the same traction capability. If you only change your front tires to winter tires, the back of your vehicle may spin out as the back tires grip the road loosely compared to the front. If you only install winter tires on the back of your car, you may find it difficult to turn your vehicle as the front tires encounter resistance from the back tires.
Winter tires excel in temperatures below 45 °F / 7 °C, and summer tires rule the road in warmer weather. It’s not just about snow -- it’s the rubber, too. Summer tires can grow brittle in cold weather, risking premature cracks and wear. Winter tires can become too soft in warm weather, increasing rolling resistance, compromising fuel efficiency, and wearing down your tire edges prematurely.
Snow tires should not be used when the temperature regularly exceeds 45 °F / 7 °C.
Snow tires are made of softer rubber than other tires to counteract the brittleness that rubber takes on when cold. A winter tire used in warm weather becomes too soft, causing uneven tread wear and risking premature breakdown. The tread wear pattern on a snow tire used out of season looks much like the wear pattern on an under-inflated tire.
A set of snow tires that is properly used, maintained, and stored will provide most drivers with three to four seasons of superior winter traction. After that, the tires may be usable for several more winters, but without the full benefits of winter tires. Your tire manufacturer may offer guidelines, and the actual life of your snow tires will depend on your mileage, your driving conditions, and how you care for your tires. You can extend their life by using your winter tires in only cold weather, storing them properly in warm weather, maintaining proper tire pressure, and following a regular schedule of wheel alignment, tire rotation, and tire balancing.
Replace your snow tires if they sustain sidewall damage, or when they’ve worn down below acceptable tread depth. In the U.S., 2/32” is the legal minimum tire tread depth, and some manufacturers encourage drivers to keep their tires until that point. (Tip: When your tire wear bars show visible wear, you’re there. Replace those tires as soon as possible.) But 4/32” to 6/32” may be a better tread depth for snow tires. In a test of multiple winter tire brands at 5/32”-6/32” tread depth, Consumer Reports saw a 14.5% decline in snow traction during acceleration, and a 7% increase in wet stopping distance2.
Related:
How to measure tire tread depth with a U.S. or Canadian coin.
Your local Midas technician can inspect your snow tires during the season switch, or whenever you have your tires serviced. You’ll get objective advice on when it’s time for replacement tires.
In warmer weather (temperatures regularly above 45 °F / 7 °C) store snow tires away from heat, light, air, and moisture to protect them from rubber breakdown and dry rot.
What are spikes and why are they needed?
Purpose of studs on winter tires
How many studs are on winter tires from different manufacturers?
How many studs are on winter tires of different sizes?
Conclusion
When choosing winter tires for the next year, drivers actively study ratings, expert reviews, reviews of other motorists.
In each of these materials, you can find divisions into studded and non-studded tires. In the first case, special attention is paid to the wear resistance of metal inserts. To make it easier to choose the right tires and control the level of durability, attentive drivers sometimes ask themselves the question: “How many studs are on winter tires, and what does this parameter affect?”. In this article we will try to understand the features of modern studding, but it is worth mentioning right away that the exact number of inserts depends on the manufacturer and the specific model.
Studs are found exclusively on winter tires and are not allowed for use in every region. Metal inserts can spoil the road surface, and therefore in countries with warm winters they are completely banned.
The spike is a two-piece metal element.
The core of the inclusion or the so-called body. This is the part of the stud that is visible when visually inspecting the tires.
The rod is responsible for holding the metal structure in winter tires. This part of the stud is made of light alloy and may have additional serrations that reduce the risk of flying out.
The core of the spike. This bulging part is of the greatest importance, as it provides traction on ice and packed snow.
Winter tire manufacturers are redesigning the carbide insert and body to provide better wear and grip. However, the weight of the spike is limited. In Russia, this parameter should not exceed 1.6 g. For tires manufactured in Finland, there is a stricter limit - 1.1 g.
The tasks of tires used in winter are reduced to the need to cope with snow porridge and mud, provide cross-country ability in deep snow and efficient braking, fast acceleration on ice. To perform the latter function, spikes are used. They work on ice and packed snow, literally biting into the surface.
Obviously, the greater the number of metal inserts in studded tires, the more effective braking and acceleration.
However, with the use of new technologies, some manufacturers have managed to achieve good performance with a small number of studs. The car is confidently controlled on a slippery road due to sipes and grip blocks on tires, an improved rubber compound.
As mentioned above, the number of metal inserts is regulated in different countries in their own way. The inclusion of studs in the design of the tire is only allowed in the Scandinavian and European countries. Asian regions do not welcome the use of metal hooks, but some manufacturers from Japan, Korea and China make similar models for import to countries with a cold climate. A striking example of such brands is Bridgestone, Yokohama. In various models from Asian plants, a large number of spikes cannot be seen. As a rule, the number of metal inserts does not exceed 130 pieces per tire.
In the Scandinavian countries since 2009 there has been a regulation prohibiting the installation of spikes in quantities of more than 50 pieces per linear meter.
However, this regulation has a caveat. A manufacturer can make more studs on their tires if they can prove that it does not harm asphalt and other road surfaces. Finnish brands hold the record for the number of holds. In some models, their number can reach 180 units.
Domestic manufacturers have no restrictions on the number of studs on tires produced. Therefore, in the models of Russian brands, you can find from 130 to 160 metal inserts.
The number of metal inserts ranges from 90 to 190 pieces. The exact quantity is an individual parameter, which is influenced by the design features and the technologies used.
This size is very common among budget cars. On winter tires Nokian Nordman 5 size R13, 110 studs were counted. It is worth noting here that according to generally accepted standards, the number of metal inserts on rubber of this diameter should be up to 90 pieces per wheel, but some manufacturers exceed this figure if it does not harm the road surface.
New cars of domestic production (Grant, Priora and others) are already equipped with R14 wheels, so this size is gradually replacing the 13th diameter. On winter tires Nokian Nordman 4 and 5 also managed to count 110 studs. Cordiant Polar has similar figures. Fewer studs for Gislaved Nord Frost rubber - 90, as it should be by established standards. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 - 165 tires became the leader in the number of metal inserts.
If we take the same Nokian Nordman 5, you can see that the number of spikes on the rubber does not change with increasing diameter. On the R15, in which budget foreign cars and domestic cars of a complete set are “shoeed”, there are still the same 110 pieces. The tendency to keep the same number of studs is also seen in Cordiant, Bridgestone, Gislaved, KAMA.
This diameter is common among foreign cars of class C.
On the Chinese Nexen with a diameter of R16, 108 studs are installed. Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 has a record number of 172, while Nokian Nordman 4 and Pirelli Ice Zero have 130 each.
This tire is suitable for luxury cars and crossovers. Goodyear has 130 studded 17-inch tires with its UltraGrip Ice Arctic model.
This large size winter tire is used on SUVs and some SUVs. The number of spikes often exceeds 130 pieces. However, there are also models with a limited number. For example, Toyo Tires managed to count 100 spikes.
The average number of studs for rubber of different diameters can be found in this table.
| Wheel size | Number of spikes (pcs) |
| R13 | 90-110 |
| R14 | 90-110 |
| R15 | 110 |
| R16 | 100-180 |
| R17 | 130 |
| R18 | 100-160 |
As can be seen from the review of some popular models, tire size has little to no effect on the number of studs.
During operation, winter tires may lose their studs. The rate of wear of rubber depends on the quality of the chosen model and the characteristics of the road surface. According to current standards, studded winter tires can be used even if 40% of the metal inserts are retained. When buying tires for the winter, you should pay attention not only to how many studs are in a particular model and what is the level of wear, but also to other important features:
patency;
exchange rate stability;
rubber softness;
stability of characteristics in different weather conditions;
hydroplaning resistance and rapid water drainage.
At the same time, it is worth remembering that studded winter tires are noisier and require running in, which will help extend their life. At the same time, spikes are not always needed for a comfortable and safe ride in winter.
If you spend most of your time in a city where the roads are regularly cleaned and sprinkled with reagents, it is more advisable to purchase the so-called Velcro or friction tires. The following video will help you understand the intricacies of choosing between studded and non-studded tires:
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How do you know when tires are completely worn out and it's time to change them? Everything is simple. For summer tires, the limit is 1.6 mm of residual tread depth, and for winter (or all-season tires used in winter) - 4 mm. Modern summer tires can cover from 40,000 to 70,000 km, depending on driving style and vehicle characteristics. An average motorist rolls such a mileage on summer tires in 2-3 seasons. Moreover, wear implies not only a decrease in tread depth. For millions of cycles of deformation, the strength of the carcass and its adhesion to the layers of the rubber compound are violated.
In short, every 2-3 years you should buy a new set of tires.
If one of the tires is permanently damaged and the total mileage of the kit is relatively high, it is also worth considering replacing it. Well, or about buying at least a pair of new tires, which, for any type of drive, should be installed on the front axle. We put two tires back - the most decent of the remaining ones.
Many motorists drive only a few thousand kilometers a year. This does not mean that the tires will serve you for several decades. According to Russian requirements (GOST 4754-97), the service life of passenger car tires is 5 years from the date of manufacture. And for example, Continental recommends that all car tires (including the spare tire) older than 10 years old should be replaced with new ones. Therefore, with small runs, you can navigate for ten years. The date of manufacture of the tire is indicated on the sidewall. Usually it is an oval with four numbers.
The first two are the ordinal number of the week in the year, the last two indicate the year.
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Tires should be rotated periodically in accordance with the vehicle manufacturer's recommendations - information on this can be found in the owner's manual.
We can advise you to carefully use the tires and, most importantly, to store them correctly in the off-season. First of all, during storage, it is important to exclude direct sunlight from hitting the tires, which greatly age the rubber. Tires without rims should be placed vertically, and stacked on rims.
And before installing tires on a car at the beginning of the season, evaluate their condition. There should be no cracks in the tread and sidewalls. The tire should not be dry, it should remain rubbery and not look like baked plastic.
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Winter tires have a much shorter "life". They almost always fail due to the wear of the treadmill, because the tread of a new tire is 7–8 mm, and only 3–4 mm remain working height. If the tires are studded, then with such wear there are very few metal elements left, and the tire will not provide adequate safety when driving on a winter road. However, not only spikes, but also Velcro, with such a degree of wear, also lose most of their capabilities.
The real life of winter tires rarely exceeds 30,000 km. "Bald" winter tires without studs can be re-rolled in summer, but their grip on hot road surfaces will be very poor. This must be taken into account, especially when braking.
***
So: tires that have not yet worn out along the tread (that is, up to 1.6 mm tread depth for summer tires, 4 mm for winter tires) are changed either ten years after the date of issue, or when the rubber layer cracks tires or damage.
