Just got back from Iceland and have been driving on roads that were solid ice and compacted snow. The 4x4 I had was a ford kuga which was no match for my panda 4x4 back home but I did notice that the car had metal studded snow tyres. Next December I am taking my panda 4x4 on a winter Scandinavian road trip all the way to Lapland and I'm thinking some of those studded tyres would be pretty awesome on the panda. Has anyone ever tried studded tyres? I know there are lots of posts in winter/mud tyres but can't find anything on studded snow tyres.

There are two types of studs, the short and the long ones (the latter usually used in scandinavian countries).

Studded tyres are illegal in Germany as they "eat" the tarmac.

We've used them in my dad's Delta when going skiing; the car was on 4 winter tyres and when we hit ice/snow we swapped the fronts for studded versions (had them in the boot). It only took 30 mins or so and was much less hassle than fitting snow chains.

The look on peoples faces when you could stop uphill and start without wheelspin was great

We used them on dry roads up to 130km/h but on the wet they are slippery.

I did a trackday in Norway (with normal winter tyres) on a frozen lake and was the most fun I've ever had in a car.

The fastest car overall was a 65yo chap with a classic Mini on studded tyres (and there were a few AWD cars -Evos/Subarus- with studded tyres in the team). It shows what a good driver can achieve with a lightweight car.

euroben said:

Just got back from Iceland and have been driving on roads that were solid ice and compacted snow. The 4x4 I had was a ford kuga which was no match for my panda 4x4 back home but I did notice that the car had metal studded snow tyres. Next December I am taking my panda 4x4 on a winter Scandinavian road trip all the way to Lapland and I'm thinking some of those studded tyres would be pretty awesome on the panda. Has anyone ever tried studded tyres? I know there are lots of posts in winter/mud tyres but can't find anything on studded snow tyres.

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when you get there punch them in the face for saying farther xmas lives there when he still lives at the north pole

euroben said:

Has anyone ever tried studded tyres? I know there are lots of posts in winter/mud tyres but can't find anything on studded snow tyres.

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They are illegal on UK roads, which is probably why you'll never see a thread about them, best stick to snow tyres for now.
You can buy snow tyres with the stud holes already in place, so that when you get to Scandinavia you can put the studs in the tyres, there are special tools to put the studs in and take them out without damaging the tyres

You probably have way more experience of studded tyres than the majority of the forum just from your trip to Iceland

Used to live in Oslo in the early 1980's and studded tyres were a blessing there.
Without them it would have been very difficult to get about but with them you could drive almost as quickly as you would have on a dry road with normal tyres.
Think the period for fitting them was something like Oct to March.

The law did not require you to have studded tyres but we were advised that if you were involved in an accident and the other guy had studded tyres and you didn't, the blame for the accident automatically fell on you.

On dry roads you could hear the studs ripping up the tarmac as the cars went by.

Interested to see if you get anywhere with this.

Correct, studded tyres are illegal in the UK (even for car rallies!) as they damage the roads too much, even in Scandinavia there are plans to reduce the number of studs allowed due to not having as much snow, as often, as they have in the past (climate change etc).

I've been over to Karlstad a few times for the Swedish Rally, amazing experience! One year we met some guys who had driven their car up from Germany, and had winter tyres but no studs. They said it was fine for getting around but the problem was that everyone else who had studs could stop relatively quickly.... They said there was more than a few times they had to go into the snow banks to avoid hitting the car in front!

So, in short, I think it'd be doable but wouldn't advise it!!

I'm sure I read somewhere that you can rent studded tyres, but how you'd arrange it I've really no idea.

Would winter tyres and snow chains be just as effective? I'm sure I read somewhere that you can't put snow chains on the panda 4x4...

Careful
As others have said studded tyres are illegal in a lot of countries.

When I was in Norway on/off between 1996-2001 a local then told me that studded tyres I think he said were illegal to use or just about to. That was a while ago so I do not know what the status is now. Best to check.

Further more everyone then seemed to state for grip that modern snow tyres (without studs) were much better for grip than studs. Rubber technology/compounds and tread patterns. Only it seems (from what they were saying) that studs were only better on total sheet ice.
As soon as you get a dusting of snow on the ice then non studded tyres apparently are better.

I have to admit I was amazed at just how fast I was driven as a passenger on the snow and ice ...on snow tyres (without studs).

So from what I have experienced I would not choose to buy a studded snow tyre anyway (unless some particular conditions seemed to make it necessary).

I too have driven across the top of Iceland from one side to the other It was September and before the snow proper.
Fuel was one of my biggest concerns. In the barren wilderness up there it was hard to know exactly where I was (I do not use/have satnav). Fortunately I managed to identify my exact positions and way points, with the fuel on the right side of my cut off/turning back line.

Big hidden boulders under water in rivers was my other concern. One or two got me!

Incidentally entering Finland via a back road from the Russian border in the far north, I was hijacked by a Subaru Imprezza. Turned out it was the Finnish Border guards.I have photographs showing them opening up the inside of my Citroen 2CV doors; looking for whatever.

Obviously a British Citroen 2CV in the tundra; entering Finland from the Norwegian Russian border in 1996 was too much for them to leave alone.
It was not so long after the Berlin wall had come down after all. I then later in the Baltic republics had to get the car out of those countries on British Embassy "diplomatic" papers following an incident on the Latvian/Russian border.

I took four spare tyres for the Citroen 2CV; and never got a puncture
I just took normal tyres on the 2CV.

Times have changed; Europe is more a walk in the park now. I also saw and witnessed the "fake?" road blocks in Lithuania then. I was warned about them. I just used the 2CV's off road ability to get around them. But just be aware you can potentially have your car partially stripped like I did; if you venture to the east of the tundra!

euroben said:

Would winter tyres and snow chains be just as effective? I'm sure I read somewhere that you can't put snow chains on the panda 4x4...

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what about socks instead of chains

Thanks for your reply HighTide. It sounds like you have had some serious adventures out there! I have decided to take everyone's advice and just get normal snow tyres without the studs. I have found quite a few options online for the panda 4x4 and surprisingly not too expensive.

Normal snow tyres are good enough. You should do a search for the 2009 fiat forum panda adventure. Jim Magill took Sylvia his classic Panda to the top of Norway and back in horrific blizzard conditions with just Continental WinterContacts on. It was that bad that the roads were closing behind him. He made it through without the need for snow chains despite the conditions and Sylvia only being a normal 2 wheel drive car.

Just looked through all the videos and photos. Looks brilliant!

you want proper winters not just snow tyres any tyre can be marked mud and snow (M+S) you need to made sure it has snow flake symbol and/or the manufacture tech info states its a winter use tyre.

Yeah I know it has to have the snowflake symbol. I have already got some on the car at the moment but I will get a really good brand new set before I go.

If you're worried, make sure you get some Nordic winter tyres, they're extra soft and studless for Nordic conditions.

306maxi said:

If you're worried, make sure you get some Nordic winter tyres, they're extra soft and studless for Nordic conditions.

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+1 on this.

We swapped cars (both of them identical) with a friend of mine on a frozen lake, his on some Nordic Nokians (not the ones you can buy in central Europe), mine on Michelin Alpin PA3, my car had a lot less traction and was less predictable compared with his.

Ok thanks I have not heard of Nordic tyres before. I will look at those.

Continental Viking Contact's are a popular Nordic winter tyre. The clue is usually in the name of the tyres as they will sometimes have a reference to Scandinavia in the name

I had a look but haven't been able to find any Nordic tyres in the right size for the panda 4x4.....

Nokian do the Hakkepaliitta r2 in the right size