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I have just a set of summer tires in very poor condition and a huge heap of studded winter tires. Selling winter tires is very hard so I got an idea to use the winter tires as summer tires with removed studs.

  1. Is it a good idea and how should you remove studs without damaging the tire itself?
  2. Can you use the tire afterwards as winter tire or will the studs become too loose? Any experience?
  3. Should I fill the stud-positions with something if I remove the studs?

The winter tires are W106 Nokian tyres, Hakkapeliitta.

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    Winter tires are so expensive! Are they too worn for winter conditions? I would just drop $30 on a new summer tire and save your (expensive) winter tires for the future. (This is a comment because it does not really answer the question).
    – sixtyfootersdude
    Jan 17, 2011 at 2:44
  • Why must you sell the studded tires? Can't you just throw them in a closet during the summer, then remount them when winter rolls around?
    – whatsisname
    Jan 17, 2011 at 18:24
  • @whatsisname - It sounds like the poster has more than one set of studded tires.
    – Goodbye Stack Exchange
    Jan 17, 2011 at 18:35
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    sixtyfootersdude: for me, they costed 18EUR (from private seller that had bought them from a bankcrupted store) as new, 25EUR(from local store) and 3-13EUR (as used from auction sites). Haven't found yet summer tires as cheap.
    – user652
    Feb 5, 2011 at 23:57
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    Winter tires use a different compound than summer tires. Chances are that it will wear out quicker than if you used a summer tire. Plus you have to put the studs back in in winter.
    – Batman
    Dec 11, 2015 at 16:06

2 Answers 2

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While the tire itself might or might not be intact after removing the studs, the tube inside the tire would suffer. Studs are installed by piercing the tire itself, and you'd have to patch the hole left by each stud or you'd have blowouts.

I suggest selling the extra studded tires.

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    This is not true for all brands. Most quality brands manufacture a pocket in a knob that the stud sits in. In fact, some companies are now producing tires with no studs at all, just pockets in the tire. This allows the rider to install studs in a pattern of their choosing tailored to their riding conditions.
    – Deleted User
    Nov 13, 2014 at 0:22
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Most winter tires I know of have the ability to be run studded or studless. So choosing to have studs added to your tires is a personal choice. In all cases that I know of a stud is inserted in a spot on the tire that has a hole pocket cut for a stud.
I also have had ran many winter tires just by removing the studs for use during the summer. Does this vary the performance of a winter tire used during the summer. Probably, does, I just am trying to use the tire rather than letting the tire company keep the tire when I buy a new snow tire. However, I am getting my use out of the tire as long as I get a new tire before I have run the tire to a safe replacement time for the tire.

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