Magical, Retractable Tire Studs Only Deploy When Needed

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
Joined
May 9, 2000
Messages
75,399
No we aren’t talking the studs from Chippendales, we’re talking snow tires here. :D New technology from Finland, which is close to being the snow capital of the world, would deploy the familiar metal studs on snow tires with a push of a button.

The tire is but a concept, and no matter how hard we pushed, Nokian wouldn’t say anything about how it works. “This is very unique technology what we use in that concept tire. We do not publish any details.”
Click to expand...
 
I would so want. Need those types of tires with the way the contractors up here in Northwestern Ontario are NOT plowing the roads properly. It's so bad that all 3 contractors have been fined by the government for not keeping the roads up to standard.
 
Ranma said:
I would so want. Need those types of tires with the way the contractors up here in Northwestern Ontario are NOT plowing the roads properly. It's so bad that all 3 contractors have been fined by the government for not keeping the roads up to standard.
Click to expand...

Thought you said OHIO at first glance and though, "yeah, its been terrible here!" :D
Probably will be specific to certain models of cars only, but its a step in the right direction.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Exactly what I thought of when I saw the title.

That said I don't even want to think about how much it'd cost those replace those specialty tires, most assuredly would be cheaper to have a separate pair of snow tires, or just have snow tires year round and damn the replacement.
Click to expand...

Everyone here in Finland have 2 sets of tires as it is. The problem with studded tires is that they erode the road surface heavily and cause air pollution in form of dust particles. So it would be a huge benefit if the studs would deploy only when needed i.e. in sharp turns or when braking.
 
If I recall properly, there was a U.S. startup company named "Q Tires" that tried to do this a couple of years ago, but I believe they folded during the financial crisis :(
 
B00nie said:
Everyone here in Finland have 2 sets of tires as it is. The problem with studded tires is that they erode the road surface heavily and cause air pollution in form of dust particles. So it would be a huge benefit if the studs would deploy only when needed i.e. in sharp turns or when braking.
Click to expand...

I hear you.

I grew up in Sweden, and there - too - you are legally required to have winter tires in the winter, and summers in the summer. The fines for not doing so can be pretty bad if you are caught.

Because it is a habit, I continued doing this once I moved to the U.S.

The problem with the Boston area is that our road conditions are nothing like what I was used to in Sweden. We don't get gradual increases in snow, and frozen icy roads that much as in Sweden. Most of the winter our roads are either clear and dry, or just slightly wet. Several times a winter though, we get ~ a half a meter of snow dumped on us all at once and when that happens, winter tires are a HUGE benefit.

The problem is that typical good snow tires are really noisy and handle terribly on dry and wet roads. Because of this, I have been using European style sporty "alpine" winter tires, that have less of the sacrifices on dry roads, but also aren't quite as good as real winters in the snow and ice.

For a long time I used Continentals ContiWinter Contact TS810's, but they discontinued these, and they never brought their replacements (the TS830 and 840) to the U.S. for some reason.

Currently I am using Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3's and they are pretty good, but I thought my old TS810's were better, and I am very disappointed I can't get them anymore.

Provided they aren't priced ridiculously, I would JUMP at the opportunity to get a set of tires like this with retractable studs.

I wonder what the rubber compound would be like though. Would they be like what we call an All Season tire here in the U.S. but with studs when needed, or maybe more like the Conti TS810 or Michelin Pilots, but with studs when needed (this would be perfect). Hopefully they wouldn't be like a more aggressive snow tire (Like the Hakkapeliitta RSI's I used to have) with retractable studs.

Those Hakka's were AMAZING during the 10-20 days in the winter there was actually snow on the roads, but the rest of the winter they were noisy, squishy and miserable.
 
Zarathustra[H];1040648454 said:
I hear you.

I grew up in Sweden, and there - too - you are legally required to have winter tires in the winter, and summers in the summer. The fines for not doing so can be pretty bad if you are caught.

Because it is a habit, I continued doing this once I moved to the U.S.

The problem with the Boston area is that our road conditions are nothing like what I was used to in Sweden. We don't get gradual increases in snow, and frozen icy roads that much as in Sweden. Most of the winter our roads are either clear and dry, or just slightly wet. Several times a winter though, we get ~ a half a meter of snow dumped on us all at once and when that happens, winter tires are a HUGE benefit.

The problem is that typical good snow tires are really noisy and handle terribly on dry and wet roads. Because of this, I have been using European style sporty "alpine" winter tires, that have less of the sacrifices on dry roads, but also aren't quite as good as real winters in the snow and ice.

For a long time I used Continentals ContiWinter Contact TS810's, but they discontinued these, and they never brought their replacements (the TS830 and 840) to the U.S. for some reason.

Currently I am using Michelin Pilot Alpin PA3's and they are pretty good, but I thought my old TS810's were better, and I am very disappointed I can't get them anymore.

Provided they aren't priced ridiculously, I would JUMP at the opportunity to get a set of tires like this with retractable studs.

I wonder what the rubber compound would be like though. Would they be like what we call an All Season tire here in the U.S. but with studs when needed, or maybe more like the Conti TS810 or Michelin Pilots, but with studs when needed (this would be perfect). Hopefully they wouldn't be like a more aggressive snow tire (Like the Hakkapeliitta RSI's I used to have) with retractable studs.

Those Hakka's were AMAZING during the 10-20 days in the winter there was actually snow on the roads, but the rest of the winter they were noisy, squishy and miserable.
Click to expand...

To be clear, I wouldn't want something designed for year round use. I would still want separate summer tires if I got these.

What I want is something with a rubber compound for cold clear winter roads and then studs when I need them, and then I'd put on my dedicated larger rims with my performance summer tires during the summer.

Unfortunately I fear I am a very small market (at least here in the U.S. where most people would probably want an all year compromise tire.

This is why I am happy Nokian is doing this, as those guys really understand winter driving.
 
Been using Hakka's for well over a decade now. It's tough to beat Nokian for snow tires.

Gislaved out of Sweden are good as well, OEM on SAAB and Volvo.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Exactly what I thought of when I saw the title.

That said I don't even want to think about how much it'd cost those replace those specialty tires, most assuredly would be cheaper to have a separate pair of snow tires, or just have snow tires year round and damn the replacement.
Click to expand...

These are intended as winter tires anyway, just ones where you can retract the studs on. Often in the winter you drive on bare wet/dry asphalt anyway, and studs suck on asphalt.
 
B00nie said:
Everyone here in Finland have 2 sets of tires as it is. The problem with studded tires is that they erode the road surface heavily and cause air pollution in form of dust particles. So it would be a huge benefit if the studs would deploy only when needed i.e. in sharp turns or when braking.
Click to expand...

Road erosion is the reason that studded tires and tire chains are illegal in Minnesota.

I would imagine that retractable studs would still be illegal
 
sir-gold said:
Road erosion is the reason that studded tires and tire chains are illegal in Minnesota.

I would imagine that retractable studs would still be illegal
Click to expand...

Q tires had a lobbying effort to try to change that back when they were in business. Not sure how well it went.
 
I had a set of these tires when I was a kid.


the_animal_galoob.jpg
 
Saw this the other day and there is no way these would work after the first or second time you drove on them. The problem is, the studs get smashed / deformed / burred from driving and wouldn't retract. Anyone that has every used studded tires knows exactly what I'm talking about. The only way around this = indestructible metal ;)
 
Kinda of neat, I'm sure I'll see them on a raised 4x4 in the Bay area soon (the last time it snowed here was in the 80's, and I don't think it even registered in centimeters of snowfall).
 
Steve said:
Saw this the other day and there is no way these would work after the first or second time you drove on them. The problem is, the studs get smashed / deformed / burred from driving and wouldn't retract. Anyone that has every used studded tires knows exactly what I'm talking about. The only way around this = indestructible metal ;)
Click to expand...

Well, that depends. If they go with a metal on metal sheath type design, then yes, they would completely get jammed up and stop working.

As I recall - however - the Q tire design was a metal on rubber design, where the studs where forced to pop out using air pressure when deployed, and once that air pressure dissipated they returned to their natural internal state. Since they were inside rubber, there was nothing for the deformed studs to get stuck on.


This video sort of explains it.

As a mechanical/manufacturing/quality engineer myself, I see it as a tricky, but not unsolvable design.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top