Russian Welds 3,000 Nails To Steel Wheels, Uses Them As Snow Tires

Studded snow tires are a good idea when one wants to drive safely on ice-covered roads.

They dig into the ice, thus allowing the driver to keep control of the car. However, in most countries studded tires are banned outside winter months, as the studs are so tough they can dig into the pavement. For this reason, some states (such as most counties in Massachusetts) have outlawed them completely.

Compared to these two wheels made of actual nails by a Russian handyman, studded tires are a joke, though. A very patient YouTuber replaced the ubiquitous tires with nails by welding 3,000 of them to two old steel rims. He then fitted the unusual wheels to the front axle of a Lada 110 (also known as the VAZ-2110) and set out to test drive the car.

Also watch: Steel Or Alloy Wheels? Hydraulic Press Decides Which One’s Stronger

Surprisingly, the nails managed to withstand the weight of the car and even provided decent traction at low speeds on a stretch of tarmac covered by snow and ice. Some problems started to arise when the driver wanted to go faster. As he stabbed the throttle, some of the nails began to bend under pressure, altering the front wheels’ round shape significantly. Much to the driver’s surprise, the nails didn’t fall off.

Interestingly, on the more damaged left wheel, the distance between the nails was about 15 millimeters (0.59 inches). The right wheel had the nails welded at around 10 mm (0.39 in) from one another, resulting in a stronger ensemble. In retrospect, the handyman said he should have used shorter nails as those would have made the wheels even stronger.