Well, here goes....Studded Tires
I have seen this done before, and people have reported very good results. Among the results are unrivaled (even by commercially available studs) traction, and unparalleled rolling resistance. Regular studded tires just do not bite like these will, but they will roll better.
I decided to give this a go, so here goes....
Start out with a big pile of screws. I bought 200 of the shortest screws I could find (honestly, I think these are a bit longer than I like). Select a studding pattern. I choose a fairly open spacing with studs off center (make the studs go through a knob for stability). I wanted the studs to touch the ground/ice, but not head on (the way they would if I put them in the center for the tread). I spaced them off center so that the same stud would provide traction weather turning (as the tire leans over) or going straight.
That is pretty much it...get out your drill and screw bit, and start driving screws through your tire. Here is what you will likely end up with:
A view of the inside of the tire:
And the outside of the tires:
As I said the screws are a bit longer than my ideal, but I have seen others use longer screws and they reported great results...it has a lot with what you plan to ride on. Short studs are best for pavement and glare ice. Longer studs are better for hard snow.
The finishing is a little tricky. I used industrial bead sealer (a lot like silicone caulk, but designed for use in tires) to coat the inside of the tire with a thick viscous layer of cushion between the screws and the tire liner. Before it dried, I installed a tube and mounted it on a rim. Then I aired it up to 35 p.s.i. and left it over night. After a couple days, I will dismount it and cut the portion of the tube that contacted the rim strip out, leaving the remainder as a layer of protection.
No snow yet, but we may see some later this week. I will report back with the results.
Preliminary results are: A set of tires that causes fear (and laughter) from onlookers, a tire that weighs about 3 pounds, and one hell of an insurance policy to ward off snow and ice...I am ready baby, bring it on!
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Nicely done.
I can't wait to hear how this goes. Are you afraid of flats? I ocassionally find myself in the middle of nowhere in the cold and flats terrify me a bit this timer of year.
Good Luck and remember to share you first snow ride.
No, I fear no flats..
Being afraid of flats for me is like being afraid of hitting bumps on a MTB (it is a sure thing). I get flats about as often as a lot of guys lube their chains.
This is a big reason why I have gone to reinforcing my tires. Since I started doing that, my casualty rate for tires has dropped significantly.
In the freezing temps, flats do suck much harder, but I come prepared with spare tubes....and my local trails rarely have me more than a couple miles from my vehicle.
I find that when I ride conditions where studs will really help, I rarely move significantly faster than a running pace...so a tire disaster would not slow me down that much in the grand scheme. We shall see...it is going to be a learning experience for certain.
Did you see my pics from last winter?
No, studs would not have helped on that day...
Here is one from the year before...also may not be the greatest day for studs...but it would not have hurt to try them (there were lots of slick icy spots...
dude
what are you going to do when you hit rocks? that's gonna blow, specially in the spot on the bottom pic. Rainbow will be interesting. I hope this works, but I have a feeling it's gonna make a hella racket when you hit the rocky sections...
Sparks will fly
I'm interested in seeing the sparks fly when you roll over those rocks. They should also be helpful on slippery root days and nights.
I would say...
G-wiz, I would say, "you will see what happens when I hit rocks", but I won't....because you won't be able to see...you will be sitting back at the truck, completely unable to ride with your non-studded tires.
Seriously though, I have seen this done many times before and it works. The studs will cause sparks, but there is so much rubber in between the studs that it will still grip the rocks. As for tire failure...I do not fear that so much either (the tires have a lot of built-in protection between the screw heads and my tubes).
Make no mistake, these are not an every day tire. They will hopefully not even come out this year...but if they do, I will bring a camera! You are welcome to come along and serve as a control in this study of what set up works best.
Definently
I'll be there, rolling non studded tires, and showing you how its done!! Ha ha, as I say that I'm sure I'll eat shit with no studs. That will be a good test, studded vs non-studded. I have a feeling those studs will come out on top...
Either way
It will be fun to find out.
Good job on the tires,
Good job on the tires, you'll be amazed at the difference in traction. Hard packed snow and ice are a blast with the screws, but bare pavement is another matter. The screws will not pop through the lug as some mentioned, nor do they make a huge racket. They will however wear quite quickly if you travel bare pavement or concrete too often. Living in Boulder, CO and having put over 400 miles on my homemade tires, I can attest to their ability to conquer snow or ice without faltering. The method I used to prevent puncture was Grace ice and water shield. This is an adhesive backed product used in the roofing industry. I've tried tire liners and slime tubes but neither proved their worth. Have fun on your new tires!!!
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