How to Stud Winter Tires
- 1). Lubricate the entire tread surface of the tire using a spray bottle with 2 percent soap to 98 percent water. Spray the tread surface with a copious amount of the solution.
- 2). Inspect the label or sidewall of the tire to obtain the stud size information and then load the stud gun basket chamber with as many studs as possible. The basket chamber needs to turn freely to load the studs into the gun chamber, so do not overfill the basket. Put the basket cover back onto the stud gun and bend the small retaining pin into place to lock the basket cover and studs to the gun.
- 3). Connect the pneumatic hose from the compressor to the air fitting at the base of the stud gun.
- 4). Turn the basket several times while watching the chamber load. Many guns will only fit 18 or 20 studs per chamber load before they require reloading.
- 5). Place the tire onto a tire stand so that the base of the stand is placed flat against the bladder of the tire. Since the base of the stand is universal to fit all size tires, it may require pushing wider tires over to one side of the base so it sits flat against the inner bladder and supports the tire while studding.
- 6). Insert the three-pronged tip of the stud gun into a pre-drilled hole in the tire. Align the gun as straight as possible and do not press down too hard. Press the trigger of the gun until the stud is seated in the hole and then move on to the next hole. Work around the tire until all the holes are filled. Any studs that go in crooked or are not seated properly into the holes should be extracted and reinserted properly. A pair of needle-nose pliers and a set of cutting dikes work well for extracting improperly seated studs.