What snow tires?

[Greatgrandad]

If they aren't planning any off road adventures, then your tires, if in good shape, should be fine. I do advise adding a set of tire chains or cables to the truck for those unexpected or just-in-case moments we experience in these mountains.

Chains and cables have saved my bacon more than a few times.

 

[tail_hunter]

I've run General Grabber Arctic on my Tacoma for the past three winters and they have performed well for me. They handle snow and ice very well and I haven't seen major wear from driving on dry service roads. I switch to another set of wheels/tires for warm weather months.

 

[TimLee]

Weight will improve the traction of any rear tires. Start with 250+ lbs of weight in the bed, over the axle. Bags of play sand, gravel, etc are ideal for this.

 

[bluedog69]

I want to thank all of you for the info. Many things I wouldn't have thought of. I now feel a little better about my babies going on the trip.
It is a 4x4. My oldest daughter is 31 and she runs chains on an Amish milk route if she needs them. Which is usually quite a few times a year. She pulls a 7x14 cargo trailer they load the old time milk cans in so 7000 lbs of trailer and milk has taught her to be a pretty good snow, ice, and drift driver. Same style of Chevy 2500 HD so handling will be about the same for her.
Chains and kitty litter and lime are things I wouldn't have thought of.
Thanks again to everyone and feel free to add more tips if you have them.

 

[cornstalker]

With the advent of "All Weather" tires, rubber compound technology has improved to solve some of the cold hardening issues present in older "All Season" tires. The durometer stays supple and "grippy" at a lower temp, yet doesn't wear down like warm crayons on a hot, dry highway. Silica compounds add an element of grip as well. Look for the 3PMS symbol on the tires you select. These have met a far more meaningful standard for winter performance than the old M+S stamp, which is now as worthless as associating a mileage expectancy with the UTQG number.

My understanding is that when the snow tire restrictions are in effect on State highways, these are counted as snow-rated by CDOT.

I use BFG AT KO2's on all of my trucks and SUV's. Most reputable manufacturers have tires that meet the standard. A moderately aggressive tread design with good biting edges, siping and the ability to evacuate water, mud, and slush will get you where you need to be. Have some chains for deep snow.

All weather tires will never do the job of a dedicated winter tire, but for my use case, they do well enough and I don't have to swap or store extra tires.

Here is an "insider" article on the 3PMS rating.

https://www.tirebusiness.com/editorial/should-you-trust-3pms-winter-tire-symbol

 

[skippertwo]

Another vote for the KO2

 

[cornstalker]

One more thing. Practice putting the chains on in a controlled environment. I use twisted link V-bar chains, and carry small pieces of 2x4 that fit inside the squares of the outstretched chain. I can pull the truck up on the 2x4's and install and tension the chains without having to re-tension after rolling forward.

 

[HRM Johnny]

Yes I know this is somewhat off topic. 4 if my kids are planning on driving a 2500 HD Chevy crew cab out to Colorado in early February. We usually run a M+S combo tire here in MO. They won't be back roading any but I am nervous about winter driving in the Mountains.
Would it be better to get a pure street snow tire of some sort? Studded snow tires? Will studs last the trip across KS?
Any tips will be appreciated.

Thanks for starting this thread. There has been a lot of good information here.

 

[Trappernewt]

Ive spent the majority of my adult life in the tire business working for large manufacturers. With the last 13 year being for Michelin. With that being said the absolute best all terrain tire that is exceptional in snow are the Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac. I get 2 sets of free Michelins per year and still have duratracs on my personal truck.

 

[sp6x6]

Those are duratract on my T4R.The Ko2 on my JP are actually my summer tires, they are ok in snow.The Iroks at 8 psi are snow eaters, can get further than I can with chains, spent my life running around in snow.Also been stuck for ,days..

 

[FEENIX]

Yes I know this is somewhat off topic. 4 if my kids are planning on driving a 2500 HD Chevy crew cab out to Colorado in early February. We usually run a M+S combo tire here in MO. They won't be back roading any but I am nervous about winter driving in the Mountains.
Would it be better to get a pure street snow tire of some sort? Studded snow tires? Will studs last the trip across KS?
Any tips will be appreciated.

Sometimes, as parents, we cannot help but worry about our kids regardless of their age. For snow and ice driving, it is hard to beat studded tires. However, I hate the noise they make on clear roads. I have always used Blizzak on my wife's vehicle. And yes, they will last longer than the trip, and for your peace of mind. Regardless of your action, make sure they plan their trip, avoid those summits/passes prone to snow and ice, and have emergency essentials if possible.

Once, we were coming from WA, and there was a checkpoint before the Snoqualmie Pass. Despite having Blizzak snow tires in my wife's Honda Odyssey, HP did not allow us to go through. The road condition was slushy but not bad. In MT, we might slow down to 65 MPH. LOL! They only allowed AWD/4X4 vehicles, some of which are not in the greatest shape, and CA license plates.

We had to drive back 20 miles and get a tire chain. I installed it 5 miles before the checkpoint, but by the time I got there, they had opened the road back up. It took me longer to take it off. Needless to say, I was ****ed off.

I use Falkens on a Toyota Tundra. The main mistake people make is going to fast, they have 4wd but that doesn't mean you can stop faster.

I agree! I have the AT3 on one of my Tundras. It is an excellent tire; it's too bad they discontinued it—reviews on the AT3 are more favorable than the AT4.

 

[cohunt]

Legally----4wd plus any 6/32" tread depth tires are legal in CO for passenger vehicles when the traction/chain laws go into effect--- m&s rated are better, and snowflake 3 mountain peak rated tires are even better than just m&s---- just remember that minimum tread depth in colorado is 3/32" for dry roads, BUT 6/32" is minimum for snow when traction laws are in effect --- screen shot from cdot web page

 

[Sasman]

Yes I know this is somewhat off topic. 4 if my kids are planning on driving a 2500 HD Chevy crew cab out to Colorado in early February. We usually run a M+S combo tire here in MO. They won't be back roading any but I am nervous about winter driving in the Mountains.
Would it be better to get a pure street snow tire of some sort? Studded snow tires? Will studs last the trip across KS?
Any tips will be appreciated.

I live in Timmins ,Northern Ontario Canada . We have lots of snow and extremely cold temps . Night time this weekend is going down to the -40 degree range . We use studded tires here with soft compound . I have my daily vehicles fitted with Kumho winter tires . The studs hold up pretty good as long as the temps stay cold and theres snow . If you drive on pavement and the temps are above 0 , i think the tires and studs wear fast .

 

[dgoco40]

My take, living in southern colorado (in the mountains), is a good AT tire that is 3 peak rated with decent tread is fine. I'm not sure when or where they are going but our roads are relatively bare right now. We have the cold, but snow has yet to really come in. That said, the roads in the neighborhood have gotten icy as they are shaded, gravel and have gone through many freeze thaw cycles.

If you are really concerned, just make sure they have chains and know how to use them. And throw a few hundred pounds of sand bags in the bed of the truck over the rear axle. It will help with grip tremendously.

All that being said, being a HD truck owner as well, a big truck would not be my first choice. An SUV with AWD or 4wd is a lot safer.