Can You Stud ATV Tires? What You Need to Know Before Installing Studs
When winter hits and ice becomes a factor, one of the most common questions riders ask is: Can you stud ATV tires? The short answer is yes, studs can physically be installed in many ATV tires. The more important question, however, is whether the tire was engineered to support studs in the first place.
Understanding the difference between studdable ATV tires and standard off-road tires is critical before modifying your equipment.
What Makes a Tire Studdable?
Tires designed to be studded are engineered from the start to accept metal hardware. These tires include pre-molded stud pockets formed directly into the tread blocks during manufacturing. The lugs are reinforced at the base to support the concentrated force created when a metal, tungsten, or carbide stud penetrates ice or hard-packed snow.
Studded tires are built to handle repeated penetration loads and the additional stress placed on each tread block. Without this structural reinforcement, the lug can experience tearing, cracking, or reduced stud retention over time. Stud capability is primarily about tread block geometry, lug thickness, and reinforcement—not simply rubber softness.
Many winter automotive tires use flexible, silica-rich compounds to remain pliable in freezing temperatures. While compound flexibility improves cold-weather grip, it does not automatically make a tire stud-capable. Structural engineering determines whether a tire can reliably retain studs.
Can You Stud ATV Tires That Aren’t Designed for It?
In many cases, studs can physically be installed in ATV tires that were not manufactured with stud divots. However, these tires typically rely on aggressive tread patterns, deep lugs, and compound tuning for traction rather than stud retention engineering.
ATV tires not designed for studs generally do not include reinforced lug bases or molded stud pockets. Installing studs in these tires may increase the risk of:
Reduced stud retention
Lug damage or tearing
Accelerated tread wear
Because they were not engineered to carry metal hardware, long-term durability may be unpredictable.
Are Interco ATV Tires Studdable?
Interco ATV and UTV tires are engineered for off-road durability and traction across mud, rock, dirt, and mixed terrain. They are not manufactured with pre-molded stud pockets or reinforced stud divots and are not classified as factory studdable tires.
Interco ATV tires use a standard off-road compound designed for durability and terrain versatility rather than repeated ice penetration from metal studs. While studs may physically be installed at the owner’s discretion, these tires were not engineered specifically for stud retention.
How Deep Should ATV Tire Studs Be?
When considering studding ATV tires that were not originally manufactured as studdable, a commonly referenced rule of thumb is to limit stud length to approximately 75% of the tire’s measured remaining tread depth.
For example, if a tire has 32/32” of tread depth when new, 75% would equal approximately 24/32” (3/4”). However, this calculation should always be based on the tire’s actual remaining lug height at the time of installation—not just its original specification.
Stud selection and installation remain the responsibility of the owner, and measurements should be taken carefully to avoid excessive penetration beyond the lug base.
Does Studding an ATV Tire Void the Warranty?
Yes. Studding a tire that was not designed or manufactured to be studded voids any and all warranties associated with that tire.
Modifying a tire beyond its original engineering intent changes its structural loading and operating characteristics. Because this falls outside of manufacturer design specifications, warranty coverage no longer applies once studs are installed in a non-studdable tire.
Final Considerations Before Studding ATV Tires
Studded tires are engineered systems—not simply standard tires with metal added afterward. The ability to retain studs safely and consistently depends on tread design, lug reinforcement, and structural intent.
If you are considering studding ATV tires, it is important to:
Measure remaining tread depth accurately
Understand whether the tire was engineered for stud retention
Recognize potential durability tradeoffs
Accept that warranty coverage will be voided
Making an informed decision helps ensure performance expectations match the tire’s original design purpose.
This article was generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed for technical accuracy.