It is a shame when most of the tread height of winter tires is still preserved and performs its functions perfectly, and half of the studs have already fallen out of their nests. Is it time to throw out the tires or can they be refurbished? Some motorists prefer to install new studs on winter tires with my own hands... Self-studding of tires allows you to use high-quality materials and reduces material costs for the purchase of new tires.
Metal spikes
Spikes are not of the same type. They are divided according to the following parameters:
- Material. Products are made from alloys: aluminum, steel or plastic.
- The form. There are basic shapes: round, oval, tetrahedral. In practice, there are a lot of different forms of these products.
- Core type. There are products with a solid insert in the form of a tube, a rod, and so on.
- Single and double flanged studs. The latter should be installed with an aggressive driving style.
When choosing studs, consider: riding speed, driving style, tire characteristics, tread height. When re-studding, pay attention to the size of the attachment points of the dropped out spikes, as a rule, the nests are slightly broken: it makes sense to use a larger diameter of the products. Native thorns will not stick to broken nests.
It is not difficult to put studding elements at home, you must adhere to the following rules:
- The cleat must not protrude more than 1.3 mm from the rubber. This criterion is taken into account when choosing the height of the studs.
- Tires should be studded 1-3 months before the onset winter season, the inserted spike elements during this period will be crimped more tightly with rubber and will last longer.
- A prerequisite for a long service life of studded rubber is tire run-in. It consists in driving a car (300 km. Run) without exceeding the speed (up to 80 km / h) and additional loads on the wheels.
Preparatory and repair work
To install studs on winter tires with your own hands, you must:
- Use tires suitable for studding:
- friction products or models with special holes for studding elements;
- the tread of the tires must meet permissible standards, it cannot be badly worn out;
- the age of tires should preferably not be more than four years.
Studded and non-studded product, respectively - Quality spikes.
You can spike tires in three ways:
- Manual method. Carried out using a hammer, screwdriver and soapy water. The advantage of such renovation works there is their cost, it is low due to the lack of the need to buy optional equipment.
- Semi-automatic method. Installation of studding elements into holes is performed using a drill that has low revs or a screwdriver using a special attachment. The speed of studding is greatly increased. The complexity of this method lies in the need to correctly hold the studding element so that it enters the rubber evenly.
- Auto. It involves the use of a pneumatic gun, with the help of which the studding elements are installed in the attachment points. Labor productivity when using the specified pistol is increased. The downside is the high cost of the equipment. For a single spike procedure, buying a pneumatic gun will certainly not be profitable.
Consider the process of studding tires without special holes for studs. It is quite time consuming, it is performed as follows:
- Make holes for the studs with a drill (use a special drill) or use an awl and hammer.
- Secure the tire.
- Mark the installation locations of the studding elements yourself, for this use the corrector.
- Apply soapy water to the surface of the tire - this will make it easier to install the studs into the mounting slots.
- Put the spike in the place of attachment, install it.
- Check the protrusion of the installed product above the tire surface using a caliper, if the height is more than 1.5 mm, set the stud a little deeper.
- If the spike does not enter the rubber evenly, remove it with pliers.
Installation of studding elements in tires with special holes for studs is carried out in a similar way, while labor productivity increases several times. There is no need to make special holes in the tire for fastening the studs.
Tire recovery
Re-pinning with the use of a pneumatic gun Do-it-yourself installation of studs on winter tires is used for re-studding and for studding tires. The studding process makes it possible to equip winter tires according to the individual operating conditions of the machine. Re-studding prolongs the life of tires, makes it possible to restore them.
Tires with worn out or fallen off spikes are suitable for carrying out these works. To replace missing or worn out spike elements, special products are used. They have an enlarged head, so they can be installed in the broken mounting slots. The sequence of repair work when re-studding tires does not differ much from the methods of primary studding of rubber. It has only one difference: before installing new studs, you need to clean the nests of dirt particles, dust, remnants of old stud elements.
Conclusion
Studding or studding of winter tires can be done at home because does not require special skills. When using high-quality accessories for studding, you can significantly increase the service life of tires. The implementation of these procedures provides the following advantages:
- the opportunity to choose quality products for studding;
- decrease in cash costs for new tires;
- equipping tires for the operating conditions of the machine;
- increasing the resource of tires.
You can do everything yourself, but of course, in most cases, it will be easier and faster to contact a tire workshop. Today, many services provide a spike restoration service. In any case, it doesn't matter if you spike yourself or in a tire changer - this is usually much cheaper than buying new winter tires.
If you look at the structure of this option, then it is not much different from the usual spike, which is installed at the factory.
1) This is the so-called cup, or a body in the form of a rivet, with which it actually keeps inside the rubber.
2) This is a steel core, which actually clings to the ice cover, as you can see in the usual structure.
However, these spikes also have slight differences. To begin with, I suggest you imagine a broken socket in a tire, from which a spike flew out. As a rule, it is slightly expanded, because of this, the loss occurred. You can, of course, try to return the "native", if you found it on time. However, it will not always hold on and can fall out almost immediately.
Why am I saying all this, if we consider the body of the repair option, then it is a little thicker than the usual one, this is done so that it does not fly out of the nest, which is broken and expanded. The body is made of either polymers or metal. It is worth noting that even the polymer version holds up very well.
Further, the core (metal needle) is also slightly recessed into its body and is several millimeters lower than a standard spike in rubber. This is done so that he does not stick out, but really sit firmly. This solution allows you to take into account.
Repair option, sits very firmly, many do not fly out before.
Cons of this option
There are also disadvantages, but they are not critical, I will try to list them point by point.
1) The universal steel spike is round, that is, there is no square, no triangular, or anything else - only round. Therefore, if you restore on a more advanced tire, it turns out that some will cling better to the coating, and universal ones a little worse. However, this is much better than empty nests.
2) Their height is slightly less. And therefore, the engagement will suffer, although not so critical! As a rule, the grip properties of universal studs on ice are deteriorated by 10 - 15%.
As you can see, any system is not without a flaw, but I want to emphasize again that such repair "plugs" are in any case better than empty holes in the tire. They restore the efficiency of the tires by almost 80%, thereby giving you the opportunity to drive an additional 2 - 3 seasons, and in the version with fresh tires, it can be even more.
How to install it yourself
To be honest, it is better to turn to professionals - now almost every tire service repairs winter tires. They already have various kits, which are said for any wheel.
Installation of 1 repair spike will cost about 15 - 20 rubles, depending on the size and complexity of the task. Many tire shops refuse to wear too much worn wheels.
Another snag is a special gun for installing repair spikes, without it, the process will be much more difficult.
The principle of operation of this pistol is simple - we install one piece inside, we lower the special spout into an empty slot. We pull the trigger and put the spike in place under pressure. The process is very fast. There will be a video below.
But we need to be able to do the work with our own hands, that is, without resorting to third-party services. This is not an easy task, although it is doable.
Let's think that we don't have a pistol, which means we only have a screwdriver and pliers:
1) We wash the attachment point, especially wash it inside. It is also advisable to sprinkle with soapy water.
2) We measure the depth, you need to choose a repair option just below the height of the hole.
3) Using a screwdriver - we expand the hole, and push the case by force, sometimes it is better to use pliers for this, otherwise you will not be able to push it through.
4) The thorn should sit tightly, and, as it were, in its place, it should not be skewed or extended to the surface.
This is the whole process, in fact, many can do it in their garage. After several attempts, everything will go on like clockwork.
Cost and where can you buy?
To be honest, I have not seen a wide sale in the city, but maybe this is our city. But through the Internet, you can find several dozen sellers, and many of them make them in Russia. So we are looking for and ordering exactly there, there will be delivery to the desired address.
They are often sold in bundles of the desired height and width. The smallest kit I've seen is 100 pieces, but basically it's a box of 500 pieces.
Studded rubber is rightfully considered the best choice the car owner, if it is required to guarantee the safety of traffic in winter in conditions of snow or ice on the road surface. However, during operation, steel elements, especially when the machine is moving on asphalt, experience heavy loads and fall out over time. It is required to restore studs on winter tires.
Studded tire problems
Almost all manufacturers of studded tires declare that it can be considered a normal situation when a tire loses up to 10% of its studs during a season of operation. In practice, this figure is higher. The actions of the following factors are superimposed:
- intensive tire operation at high speed, aggressive maneuvers;
- frequent movement on asphalt;
- poor-quality installation of thorns.
A genuine brand tire guarantees quality. But the unpleasant truth is that there are many tires on the market of the CIS countries, the spikes on which are installed by artisan workshops. It is not a factory tire that is sold, but a modified, cheaper tire.
In order not to have to do the restoration of studs on a winter tire before the end of the first season, check at the time of purchase and its compliance with the company catalog.
What do you need to know before proceeding with tire retreading?
Stud repair kits can be purchased at auto dealerships or ordered online. There may be several options here:
- It is best to purchase a repair kit recommended by the tire manufacturer.
- For those who drive quietly, in urban conditions, do not impose increased requirements in the form of solid thick ice under the wheels - single-flanged studs are suitable.
- In conditions extreme driving(ice, high speed, intense maneuvers, braking) will require multiple flanged cleats.
Before buying a repair kit, the tread height is measured, it should not be less than 7 mm... This is the minimum value at which studs are restored on winter tires. According to the height of the tread, one or another repair kit is selected, the studs in it must be of a suitable length.
Installing studs on tires with holes
If the tire already has holes in the rubber, installing the cleats on winter tire is done in the places provided by the manufacturer. Repair kits contain elements, the diameter of which is slightly larger than the "standard" ones, so they usually fit into the existing holes quite tightly.
Often the rubber around the fallen out studs is badly broken. In this case, you can grab new part with good adhesive to ensure a snug fit. Some tires with regular holes have enough clearance on the tread to fit the stud in a new location. If there is a chance to do so, then it is better to use it.
How is re-studding done?
If the studs from the repair kit are not installed in the finished holes, preliminary work must be carried out. Ideally, the tire should be frozen. After that, holes are made with a drill, clearly perpendicular to the tread surface. In practice, you can drill holes without freezing or make them with an awl. However, such operations require more care and effort.
The general scheme of work, according to which the installation of new studs on winter tires is carried out, is as follows:
- The tire in the place where the studs are installed is scrupulously cleaned.
- The mounting points are marked with chalk.
- The rubber is thoroughly wetted with soapy foam.
- Spikes are installed.
The last stage of work can be performed in two ways, while general principle installation does not change.
Using a pneumatic gun
You can ask your friends for a specialized pneumatic pistol, rent it, including in auto repair shops. It is not worth buying such a device for the sake of one tire restoration procedure. Working with such a tool is simple:
- the wheel is inflated;
- a spike is installed in a special socket on the pistol;
- the working end of the tool is pressed against the hole;
- after pressing the trigger, the thin rods of the pistol head are extended, expanding the hole in the rubber, the spike is set in place by blowing the pneumatic actuator.
The main thing is to comply with the requirement for a clear vertical direction of the stud entering the rubber. If the gun has not been aligned perpendicular to the tread surface, it is best to remove the installed cleat and repeat the procedure.
Manual installation of tenons
Installation of studs on winter tires can also be done manually. For this you will need:
- a mandrel into which the cleat will be placed prior to installation. A thin-walled tube with an inner diameter slightly larger than the body of the thorn will do;
- support for the tire. A piece of wood with a rounded upper part clamped in a vice is ideal;
- hammer and patience.
Installation is simple. The spike is placed in a mandrel, installed in the landing site, hammered in with a hammer. In this case, the tire is put on a support, which serves as a limiter for the stud bottom.
A holder is needed to make it more convenient to hammer in the spikes, not to hit your fingers, in particular. It is ideal to hammer in the cleat in one stroke, while controlling the verticality of its entry into the rubber. With the proper skill, the work is not difficult.
When re-studding by hand, you can moisten the seat of the stud with a small amount of machine oil for easier insertion of the part into the rubber.
Precautionary measures
The first thing to remember is that until the soap solution is completely dry, you should not ride the tire. The absorption process will take several days. After installing the tire, in order to normalize the position of the new studs, it is best to drive about 300–350 km, moving at a speed of no more than 60 km / h. Thus, it is guaranteed that the studs will not fall out in the very first days of operation.
Self-repairing studs on winter tires is one of the most discussed topics among experienced drivers. Some car owners are sure that this type of work cannot be done by hand. Others, on the contrary, argue that there is nothing difficult about studding. Which of them is right - let's figure it out together.
1 What are the advantages of self-studding rubber?
Wise people always say: "Prepare your sled in summer", and this popular phrase speaks perfectly to the importance of having quality winter tires. Not having "at hand" ready-to-use car tires, the driver finds himself a huge headache. After all, many of us begin to think about the need to re-shoe the car even when ice appears on the roads, and there are huge queues of the same motorists at the service station.
As a result, the possibility of getting into an unpleasant situation on the road increases significantly. That is why the principles and implementation of rubber studding with their own hands must be known to every motorist. In addition to saving time, a person who knows how to perform spike wins also by saving a decent amount of money. Judge for yourself - with the growing demand for studding, the cost of this service at the service station increases significantly. The driver has no choice but to overpay. And if you calculate how much you will have to pay for additional studding in subsequent seasons, then the savings are 6-9 thousand rubles. becomes more than obvious.
Do-it-yourself rubber studding It is worth noting that many drivers are categorically against wheel re-studding, as they are sure that along with it they will have to modify the arch: make it a little larger and install universal arch extensions, which cost a lot of money. This position of some motorists is not entirely clear. The fact is that if you insert a wheel stud, then it will stick out above the tread, but its height will be very small. It will not affect the operation in any way. winter tires after posting.
As you can see, do-it-yourself rubber studding gives us obvious advantages. Therefore, we will consider the features of the installation of wheel studs in more detail.
2 Features of mounting studs
As practice shows, tires are considered the most suitable for studding, in which there are already ready-made holes for installing wheel studs. The presence of these holes can be found on the tire markings. passenger cars... In addition, the holes are clearly visible visually, they are large, so that beginners will not be able to damage the rubber.
For studding and studding of wheels, you will need to stock up on a pneumatic pistol. With its help, wheel studding will be quick and efficient. In the process of studding, it is worth paying attention to how far the stud itself protrudes from the surface of the wheel. It is best if the tip of the latter does not stick out higher than 1.5 mm from the tread. Otherwise, the spike will fly out of the hole very quickly. After you have found the pistol, you need to decide on the terrain in which you drive.
Pneumatic re-pin gun
If most of your time you drive on a relatively flat road, then single-flange type cleats are suitable for replacement. If you use a car in mountainous areas, then the best option will be the installation of double flanged wheel studs.
Regardless of whether you are studding your wheels for the first time or doing it again, you will need a solution of water and soap. The water must always be warm - this will greatly facilitate the passage of the spike into the rubber. The principle is as follows: before studding, the outer side of the tire is wetted with a solution, after which the studs must be inserted into the holes of the tire. Particular attention should be paid to working with a pistol. Before the studding, the cage of the pneumatic device is filled with studs. After that, we get to work. In this case, the position of the pistol itself is very important - it must be held strictly vertically in relation to the surface of the tire.
When installing spikes, you need to be extremely careful. After they enter the tire, they must be measured. If the spike has entered the wheel, but more than 1.5 mm of the entire spike body remains above the tread, then you need to take a small piece of aluminum sheet, put it on a self-tapping screw and hit the metal with a hammer. If after that the spike does not enter the tire, then it will be necessary to perform a re-studding, that is, to install new item again. In this case, the old thorn must be thrown away, since it will no longer be suitable for work.
3 Studying in-house - tools and algorithm
Before proceeding to do-it-yourself wheel studding, you will need to prepare inventory. In addition to the air gun and soap solution, we also need:
- a set of identical self-tapping screws;
- sandpaper # 2 or # 3;
- several medical plasters;
- awl;
- proofreader or chalk.
Studding of wheels After preparing the tools, the wheels can be hissed. First, with a corrector or chalk, mark on the tire the places where it is necessary to insert the wheel studs. Then we put the spikes into the separator of the pistol, and we mount a self-tapping screw into its barrel. After that, we clean the marked place on the rubber with sandpaper. With an awl we make a hole in the tread, after which we need to wet the rubber. After that, we proceed to the main stage of studding - the installation of studs. Be very vigilant and try to check the height of the stud protruding above the tread as often as possible.
It is worth being extremely careful even after wheel studding. It is strongly not recommended to use treated rubber immediately! It is best to wait a few days for the tires to dry completely. The first week of operation should not be driven at a speed exceeding 60 km / h. During this time, the spikes should finally fit into the holes allocated for them. We advise you to avoid sudden jerks - it is at these moments that the risk of the stud flying out of the wheel is greatest.
As you can see, re-studding car wheels with your own hands is not a difficult job and almost everyone can do it. The main thing is to be careful and not to rush, otherwise you will not be able to hiss the wheels.
