Choosing studded tires for your SUV is a good idea if living in an area with lots of ice and hard packed snow. Many mountain regions in the United States are areas where studded tires are ideal. They have the exact conditions that call for studded tires, which are ice and hard packed snow. Basically, if you are going to be driving on very icy roads then nothing outperforms studded tires, especially for lateral traction. This is something that is very important when going around corners in the wintertime and with an SUV even more so. The fact of owning an SUV does not eliminate the need for good quality winter tires as the SUV, possibly even more so, relies on the tires to grip the road to allow for maximal traction This is because the SUV is a much larger and heavier vehicle than a passenger car and therefore depends even more on grip and traction so with studs you will be assured to have the ultimate grip. In fact, studded tires stop faster on icy roads than non-studded tires.
There have been many new innovations in studded tires to reduce road wear and noise. One of these new innovations is the “Eco Stud 9 Concept” found in the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 9 SUV studded tires. This new more modern stud reduces road wear as well as noise. With the Eco Stud cushion dampening the road contact as the air space in the middle of the lower flange reducing the stud’s impact. This along with the deep snow grooves on the shoulder provides maximal grip when moving onto deep snow. This will come in handy when driving up mountain slopes during the winter months. In general, when you are at high elevations with lots of snow your only option for traction is either chains or studded tires. If living in an area like this, it would be of great advantage to have studded tires. This tire also comes recommended for hybrid and electric SUVs. With the significant advances in studded tire technologies the newer studs also offer better fuel economy.
It is also important when buying tires for your SUV to follow the manufacturer’s recommended dimension for your make and model SUV. This is important as a too large tire can actually damage the transmission of your SUV by altering the vehicles effective gear ratio.
Some of the other benefits of having invested in high quality snow tires with the proper dimensions for your SUV, is improved braking, traction and safety. The studded winter tires stop 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