Severe winter conditions call for studded tires. Let’s face it, nothing offers the same amount of grip and traction like studded tires, especially lateral traction. This is because studded snow tires with their metal studs embedded within their tread are designed to dig into ice and hardpacked snow. There are many areas in the United States that experience severe winter weather and in these areas studded tires make a lot of sense. Areas like Colorado actually have new traction laws that require drivers of 2-wheel drive cars to have snow chains or winter approved studded tires when driving on I-70 through the Rocky Mountains. This is because nothing outperforms studded tires on ice as they give the ultimate in grip and traction. One main advantage is that if your car or SUV is equipped with studded winter tires you do not need to put chains on your vehicle.
Areas where there are often sudden changing weather conditions that often require chains, is also an area where studded tires are a real advantage. Areas with mountain ranges often experience ice and hardpacked snow as the sun does not reach the road with the shading from the mountains. Chains are also not ideal as you will experience a significant level of vibrations that occur, in comparison to driving with studded tires which feel just like driving with normal tires but with the advantage of having full control of your vehicle even in heavy snow and ice.
If you are in the market for a good quality studded tire, then you should consider the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 studded tires. This tire offers extreme winter safety, adapting to all forms of winter in a skillful and balanced manner. It utilizes the new unique, patented Nokian Tyres Functional Stud Concept which maximizes grip under extreme conditions while remaining absolutely stable and balanced in any weather. With the many advances in studded tires technology the newer studs offer better fuel economy as well.
It is important to choose the right dimension tires so always follow the manufacturers recommended dimensions. If shopping for studded tires and your car manufacturer recommends the dimensions 265/70/17then you need to invest in 265/70/17 studded tires. This means that the tire is 265mm wide and the aspect ratio is 70 (this percentage compares the tire’s section height with the tire’s section width) and the final number is the diameter of the wheel rim in inches. These numbers are usually followed by the load index and speed rating.
Some of the other benefits of having invested in high quality winter tires is improved braking, traction and safety. The studded winter tires stop much faster than either all-season or all-weather tires. This is because of the extra grip which maximizes traction, with the studs even more so. Winter tires are made of a flexible rubber compound as well as a unique tread design that is meant to be used on ice, snow and slush.
For more information regarding studded tires, visit: nokiantires.com
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