I run POWER KING traction lug 7.50X16 BIAS year round on the rear of my DRW F-350.

They outlast any radial that I have tried and outhold them as well, regardless of surface.

Just about any old half-wore-out BIAS traction tire will out-do ANY fancy traction steel-radial in snow or mud, PERIOD.


The POWER KINGs are getting nigh impossible to find, thanks to the present administrations sticking the tire industry with several import and manufacturing taxes, one of them being a 35% tariff.

So, my next set may end up being BIAS Hercules XDTs or TDRs or whatever they call them.

 

Contrary to popular belief, "airing down" tires does nothing to widen the tread/foot-print.

It may make the casing appear wider, but that width does not make it to the ground.


HOWEVER, airing down DOES LENGTHEN the foot-print; think "bull-dozer track".

The longer the foot-print = more tread on the ground, therefore immensely more traction.


There is one drawback to this airing down, though; radial tires have no cross-woven cords in the sidewall; therefore, a radial sidewall is about as tough as toilet-paper.

While airing down a radial tire will increase traction, it also spreads the vulnerable sidewall over the ground where every sharp rock, Indian arrowhead, and cigarette butt can damage it.

BIAS tires can better withstand such abuse and be little worse for the experience.

 

You really like Bias tires huh.

 

I have studded tens of thousands of snow tires in my short life.

I have stood over in the corner, stud-gun in hand, dipping the fingers in axle-grease and popping in the little studs, one at a time, all winter long, from opening time until quit time, and have more tires/wheels leaned up against the wall awaiting me than I got done that day.

I have even drilled my boot-heels and studded them.


So, I think I am somewhat qualified to speak on studding winter tires.


The reason tire businesses refuse to stud tires after they have been run is not because it does anything to the tires that would make them un-studdable.

What it does do is to fill all the little stud-holes with grit, sand, glass, and stones.

This junk embedded in the holes prevents the stud from seating to full depth and, at best, makes for a shoddy-looking job, with some studs being full depth and others barely in there, ready to just lay over and fly out as soon as the vehicle gets up to speed.

Also, any grit trapped underneath the stud will be pushed through the tire, causing millions of slow leaks.

Another reason for not studding tires that have been ran is that stud guns are very expensive.

The little needles/fingers that spread the hole open to permit the stud to pop in are expensive and time-consuming to replace.

Studding a dirty tire will usually result in one or two sets of fingers getting broken; not a profitable enterprise.



You can, however, buy yourself your own gun, from E-Bay, a swap-meet, yard-sale, or brand-new.

Once equipped with a decent gun and a box of #17 studs, you can take an ice-pick and a slim straight screw-driver and meticulously pick clean each hole, then pop a shiny new stud in there.



One other thing to mention :

Properly "pinned" tires actually have the shape of the stud's head molded into the bottom of each hole; the stud's head is much like a common nail-head.

Often, one runs into "pinned" tires that do not have this recess molded into the holes, they simply have straight holes, as if they had been drilled.

These tires can be studded, but it is nigh impossible to do a decent job; plus, in a few weeks, the studs will have laid over and many will be popping out.


That being said, if one is careful (and I myself have been guilty of doing this), a depth limiter can be attached to a drill-bit of the appropriate size, and stud holes be drilled, one at a time, with the drill of your choice.

I have done thus and it works fine for about half a winter; all winter if you don't go much.



Studs are VERY EXPENSIVE.

 

I will take a decent BIAS over the best radial anyday.

 

Bearkiller, i'm with you on this one...would love tofind some power traction tires, have been trying to find a set of the old coop spur grip tires (bias) but since denman tires went out of business i'm all out of luck.

 

arctic claw studded - 185-75r16

 

When did Denman go out; that is sure news to me ??


The last account I had, Denman built ALL of the BIG THREE off-road treads, plus countless others; GROUNDHAWG = the absolute best of the best, Gateway Gumbo Mudder, and all of the TSL Swampers, Boggers, etc.

Also, I believe that Dunlap & Kyle owns the molds and rights to all three.


The absolute best holding, longest wearing, toughest tires I have ever used were several sets of BIAS Denman Ground Hawgs; they will go in the snow where others fear to tread, crawl along on solid ice like a polar bear, wade through deep mud when everything else has given up, and wear like iron.

 

I will say from running Cat and John Deere graders, I always wanted bias tires on my blades.

Would go many more places, turn easier, tear up finished work less and bounced less.

The downside was they wear out a lot faster than radials.

I only bought these Toyos for deep snow.

If it were not for that I would had bought some BFG All Terrains or some Goodyear Duratracs.

 

I ran the biased STA Superlugs for a about a year and a half. Loved them for the most part however they did not wear all that well and I actually had one partially de-lam.... Very good value tire at $137 a piece. I really liked the 9.00x16 size too, nice and narrow but a full 36" tall. This said I am not totally sold on the life span of a biased ply tire. I am convinced our trucks due to all the added weight in the front simply eat tires.. I am now running some Treadwrights...

 

Denman went out of business this year, maybe last year....the rumor that i heard was that kelly springfield was supposed to run the line of bias tires, but that was just hearsay. I'm thinking pretty heavily on calling the "Specialty Tires of America" website. Still produce all the old bias tires, including your super traxion tires!

 

For the last twenty years or so, Kelly Springfield has been owned by Goodyear, along with Dunlop and several others.

 

Awwww....that makes since.....maybe it's dunlop who's gonna ressurect them then...who knows.....did you check out that specialty tires of america website?

 

Update from post #45.

Now have 2500 miles on my Toyo's.
Started at 19/32nds tread and now have 14/32nds on the rear and 16.5/32nds on the front.

The swaying from the rear is noticibly less now.

Pretty sure, at least I hope, the tread wear will not be as rapid now with the first 5/32nds gone.

Deepest snow so far is only about a foot but, is easy to drive through.

 

Got any pics??