Optimal tread protrusion

The main element of a tire against ice is the anti-skid studs. How well the tire is studded will directly affect the traction and, as a consequence, your safety. But how to achieve a uniform stud protrusion and what protrusion can be considered optimal, considering that it is installed in elastic rubber? Manufacturers have standards that must be followed.

First of all, it should be noted that there is a golden standard for protrusion. It is regulated by GOST-33672-2015 and is considered the optimal compromise between retention in the rubber thickness and traction. This protrusion is 1.2 mm ± 0.3 mm for passenger tires and 1.7 mm ± 0.3 mm for light truck tires.

As can be seen, the standard gives the manufacturer a margin of 0.3 mm, because it is simply impossible to guarantee the same protrusion. Not only is the tire itself elastic, but the tread profile is not a flat surface and has a curvature. A special test for tire manufacturers has become the race to increase the number of studs in the tire, as they began to stud the central part of the tread, which was not done before. Manufacturers were simply not ready for these new realities, as the equipment did not provide for the installation of studs with the same protrusion in the central and side areas of the tread. Some manufacturers came out of this difficult situation very elegantly. This solution deserves a separate article, and we will definitely tell you about it.

So, the optimal stud protrusion, regardless of the area of the tread where the stud is installed, is 1.2 mm with a tolerance of 0.3 mm. A larger protrusion will lead to the loss of studs, and a smaller one will simply not allow them to work fully. But, however, we also participate in the process of proper tire installation, since the running-in of the studs is the final stage of the reliable installation process of the stud in the tread thickness. If the proper running-in is not done, it will directly affect the protrusion, namely its increase and premature loss.