Goodyear Nordic Stud Size

[rpn453]

Anyone else have studded Goodyear Nordics? How do the studs look?

I bought a pair of Goodyear Nordics from Canadian Tire last fall in 195/65R15 for my mother's Sunfire. The studs seemed too deep when I picked them up but the salesman assured me that they needed to break in. I was skeptical, but didn't feel like arguing. They had also missed three stud holes but I noticed two before leaving.

In the spring I checked them again and very few stick out beyond the rubber. Only a couple are where they should be. Some are buried. I took them into CT today and suggested they had installed the wrong stud size. The guy at the counter claimed that they don't carry anything smaller than #12 (which the Nordic sidewall recommends) and wouldn't do anything about it.

So I'd recommend that a #13 stud be used on this tire. I also recommend not accepting studded tires if the stud is not in the proper position right from new.

Here's the TireRack tech article on the subject. The studs on these Nordics looked like the "Studs Inserted Too Deep" picture. Is it possible to simply insert the studs too far?

http://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=151

 

[CapriRacer]

First, it's not possible to insert a stud too deep. There's a bottom to the hole and the stud length is specified based on the depth of the hole. Even if the stud could be inserted too deep, the movement of the tire will eventually even everything out.

If I were a betting person, I'd bet CT had some problem with the sizing. Here's a bulletin from Cooper:

http://www.coopertire.com/html/pdf/ServiceBulletin103.pdf

Notice that the length of the studs is different than the size. I'll bet that is the source of the confusion.

But, of course, it is too late now. The tires have wear - and so do the studs, so whatever the situation is, you'll have to live with it.

 

[rpn453]

Thanks for the clarification and info, Capriracer. I can use that service bulletin if I ever have this problem again.

The side of the tire says: "Designed for #12 Tire Stud". I think that was carried over from its European roots as the Goodyear UG500, and indicates a European 9-12 stud rather than a TSMI #12 stud. I pulled out the most deeply recessed stud I could find on the tires - one that had never touched pavement - and measured it with calipers. It's 11 mm long, so it is a TSMI #12 stud.

I found another reference for stud properties when I was looking for information on the TSMI #11 size. I was hoping to identify it by color, but the #11 and #12 stud are both silver.

http://www.brunowessel.com/catalog/index.asp?display=item&itemid=12