What snow tires?

[Horse1]

I put Blizzaks on a 2nd set of wheels for my wife's AWD Murano and my daughters AWD Subaru Forester. In both cases I found good condition used wheels on Craigslist/FB MarketPlace.

I consider a dedicated soft-compound winter tire an imperative safety issue. For those more concerned with the financial aspect, that 2nd set of wheels/tires is at or less than a good many people's collision deductible.......

 

[Alibiiv]

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 am driving Michelin Defenders LTs on my 2023 Silverado and extremely happy with them. The threads are aggressive enough for snow, yet they have a high roll rating so I get good mileage , they are NOT noisy and they are "E" rated, 10 ply. Also all of the Silverado trucks that I've owned always managed a shimmy at around 65-70 with some tires, not with these We hunted in northwest Maine one year on logging roads, the trucks wearing regular tires had nothing but flats all week. To get tire for their trucks it was a 7 hour ride to town one way. It was a nightmare week for these guys. Whatever you purchase I suggest at least an "E" rated tire.

 

[memtb]

You're not UP HERE...You are DOWN THERE! But snow is snow.....All Season M+S.. LT good to go.

Not "down there" either…..Kolorado ain't as bad as California, Oregon, or Washington, but are subject to put a chain laws into effect for little to no reason.


I was chaining- up our semi back in the '90's while wearing short pants. That little bit of snow wouldn't even make the 10:00 pm wether report! memtb

 

[Panthers59]

I love my Falken AT3's but since they redesigned the AT4's with harder compound now I'll be going back to General Grabber ATX's, or KO3's. The reviews on the new AT4's were not good being worse in snow, mud and rain but they tow more…No thanks

 

[HRM Johnny]

Take this for whatever you think it's worth. I've driven nearly 2 million miles for work in ND, SD, MT, and MN. FWD cars, AWD SUV's, and on personal time, a full-size pickup (3/4tn diesel for the last 14yrs).

Dedicated snow tires like a Blizzak are exponentially better than anything labeled M+S, including 3-peak. It's not even close when it gets slick. The true difference shows up when you need to slow, stop, or turn. 25-30K Mi max out of a set, maybe a little more if you put them on a 2nd set of wheels and run them winter only. The difference must be experienced to really appreciate it, words don't do the difference justice.

Studs on pure ice are still the best, but, the trade-off is that the same tires with and without studs on the same vehicle, studs don't stop or turn as well on dry pavement.

3-peak rated tires have made AS, AT, and M+S tires WAY better on ice and packed snow than they used to be without giving up longevity like a dedicated snow tire will. Because I run a lot of gravel in my personal pickup, I have Nitto Exo Grappler 3-peak tires on it. On packed snow/ice they're better traction than BFG AT KO/KO2, Goodyear DuraTrac, Nitto Trail Grappler, or Nitto Terra Grappler. I've had all of these tires on my current pickup ('11 F-250). A buddy had Falken Wild Peaks on a '10 F250 that I drove 3K-4K Mi with on different hunting trips and they aren't as good as the Exo's either.

I've had dedicated snows from Bridgestone (Blizzak), Goodyear, Cooper. The Blizzaks are noticeably better at stopping and/or turning than the Goodyear Winter Command. On 2 different vehicles I was able to have both the Goodyear and Blizzak on them, the Blizzaks are so much better than even my wife who's fairly oblivious to handling noticed the difference. The only other dedicated snow I'd consider beyond Blizzak is the Nokian Hakka's. That's based on a couple of folks who drive about as much as I do having good luck with them across multiple vehicles.

Again, take it for whatever you think it's worth.

Thank you for the information.

 

[HRM Johnny]

I'll give some feedback based on the fact that I'm living in the foothills in CO right now, and that I spent 25 years working a search and rescue unit in Washington where we didn't have the choice to stay home when the snow started flying.
Here I'm running Bridgestone Blizzaks on both my vehicles (a BMW X3 and a Toyota Tacoma). They are head and shoulders above any all season or off road tire when it comes to cornering and stopping in the snow and ice. They come off in April and I run all seasons until November or December. I go to Discount Tire, so changing the tires doesn't cost me anything extra.
Weight in the back of the pickup is helpful, but make sure that it's secured. I went to a wreck one day where the people had loose bags of sand in the bed and hit another vehicle head on at about 45 mph. The wreck looked survivable to me, but the bags came right through the back of the cab and killed the driver.

Thank you for the information.

 

[HRM Johnny]

As someone who spent 35 years of his life maintaining winter roads in the mountains of British Columbia I have lots of opinions on tires. I also drive a one ton diesel pickup and have for many years, and all my recreational time is spent on back roads. When it comes to tires for trucks it should be noted that most half-ton trucks in my experience have "P" rated tires. That is a lightweight rating, usually equal to 4 ply, the same as the cars you buy. If you are going on gravel roads with a load on you should switch to "LT" rated tires, that is a heavy rating supposedly equal to 10 ply. Those numbers relate to the tread thickness, but what will get you in the most trouble is the sidewall thickness which is usually about half the tread. Thin sidewalls cut easier on sharp rocks and leave you not only with a flat but usually one that can't be fixed. LT tires are more expensive and ride rougher because they require higher pressures. It's a trade off but it's worth it unless you are sticking to pavement or running empty all the time.

Big lug or knobby tires are good in mud. They are also better in deep snow if you aren't using chains, but you should be using chains. Deep lugs actually get in the way of chains and make them less effective. For 4x4 vehicles you should carry two sets of chains, one medium set (no v bars, just chain) for the front and one heavy set for the rear. The first ones you put on are the front ones because they have the weight of the motor over them and they also control your steering on a slippery road. They are also easier to put on because you can turn the wheels out to hook the inside up. If they aren't doing the job then you put the rear ones on. Never buy ultra light chains. Usually where you need them is on a hill if you are spinning out. Putting an ultra light set on in those conditions just means you are going to shred the chains trying to pick up the load.

My favourite winter tires are top quality ice radials. They don't have the deep lugs and they are soft rubber so they wear quickly in warm weather but they stick to the road when I need them to. Driving in loose snow even in our winters is rare. Most of the snow we drive in is compact, which is really just white ice. Deep lugs or knobby tires do nothing on this stuff. A grippy tire is safer.

Thank you for the information.

 

[fseaman.js]

For the non-truck or jeep guys.

I no longer have a need for anything truck like but I am the designated harsh weather driver.

For AWD vehicles like SUV-ish, Nissan Rogue, Kia Sorento, Chevy Encore, Ford Escape.

Michelin CrossClimate 2. I when out it my little Rogue in 1 foot plus before plowing and it was fine. Basically, if it clears the frame, you're good.

 

[M77Fan]

Plenty of good advice here. I prefer studs on my Tacoma, but that is because, like today, the roads get snow packed and icy here. With aggressive treads and studs I seldom have difficulty, but I also have chains for all four when I need them

All the advice to have survival gear and tow straps and recovery gear are also great, but one thing that I didn't see mentioned (maybe I missed it) is a shovel. When you slide into a snowbank or get hung up in a windpacked snow drift a shovel is indispensable, You can dig yourself out or get your tires back on the pavement if you can dig under your truck. Not having a simple shovel makes digging - with your hands or a snow brush an endless ordeal. So many people who should carry one simply don't. I have dug a fair number of people out, including myself.

 

[fseaman.js]

I prefer studs on my Tacoma

If I lived in Wyoming, I'd get studs too.

Oh my, KC at -17 was bad, I can't imaging Wyoming.

 

[memtb]

If I lived in Wyoming, I'd get studs too.

Oh my, KC at -17 was bad, I can't imaging Wyoming.

Pretty tame on our side of the Bighorns. I'll be surprised if we get as low as -15……have seen far worse! memtb

 

[M77Fan]

Pretty tame on our side of the Bighorns. I'll be surprised if we get as low as -15……have seen far worse! memtb

We hit 47 below twice last year.

 

[memtb]

We hit 47 below twice last year.

****…..I've only seen -47 once. In the late '80's, when I was working about 15 miles NE of Opal, Wy. Since then….-38 here at the house 2 years ago. memtb

 

[rem.xp100]

Living in northern NH, we get a fair amount of snow. I was running good year duratracs for the past 3 years and they were an awesome tire in the snow. However they were retardedly loud. This year I had to get new tires and went with the General Grabber ATX. Absolutely love this tire. Every bit as good as the duratrac in the snow (if not better) and it's a much quieter tire and handles on road better. In my research as far as a AT tire goes it's one of the best for snow

I've ran Grabber ATX tires for over 30 years on my pickup. Listened to a good friend one year and tried something else. I ended up changing his recommendation way before they were worn out. For the money, I think they're one of the best on the market. Weight in the back is another big help for a pickup. I burn pellets for heat so I usually just throw 6-8 bags in the back if I think I need weight (I have a cover so they stay dry to burn later).