Dedicated Winter Tire / Rim Set-Ups

As winter is just around the corner here in Central Ontario, I installed my Winter Wheels and Tires this past weekend. I've got a TRD Off Road and am using:
Michelin X-Ice - 265/70/16
Wheels are FAST HD Reactor's - 16x8, Offset +10



Michelin Winter's run just as quiet as the Stock Goodyear AT's which is nice.
Let it Snow!!

 

I plan to run the stock tires on my '16 TRD Sport. I figure the 4x4 will work good enough for a winter in Colorado. I've always used a dedicated winter setup on my sports cars but hope they aren't needed on the taco.

 

In Maine I never put on wheels for winter, run all seasons all the seasons.

 

Just running the stock Goodyear A/Ts this winter. Had snow for a couple weeks now, only sliding when it melts and refreezes, but that's when 4WD pays off. I plan on swapping the stock tires and wheels out in the spring, and getting these studded.

 

Probably will go with Blizzak tires and a couple of 50 pound bags of sand in the bed...

 

You may be in for an unpleasant surprise.

I clearly remember going up a mountain (for skiing) years back in my rear-wheel coupe with snow-tires behind a line of 4x4 pick up trucks - they were losing traction and sliding around in every single switchback, while my car wasn't.

Colorado gets a lot of snow. I'd get all terrains (mountain + snowflake on sidewall) at the minimum. 4x4 or not, all seasons won't be safe.

 

I got a set of factory alloy rims on ebay.

4 new studded snows (Nokian Hakkepelita 8)

4 TPMS sensors for the new wheels.

TPMS programming tool (needed each time you swap wheels).

Not sure if I also need a TPMS trigger tool (tire shop tried to trigger the new sensors but was not sure if they succeeded).

This is getting expensive! But as I like to say, "the skiing's the best when the roads are the worst"

 

Would you be able to provide some details on the tpms programming tool and tpms trigger tool? Any links? Thanks

 

4wd won't help you turn or stop lol. Decent treads will. Do yourself and your fellow motorists a solid and get some (at least a decent set of all seasons)

Michelin ltx ms2 or defender ltxms ftmfw!

 

I got the Ateq Quickset programming tool (Tire Rack had the best price). I installed the new sensors and wrote the ID numbers on the rims before having the tires mounted so I have that info for programming when I do the swap. The quickset tool will store the sensor ID's for your summer and winter wheels. It will read the ID's of the sensors that are already on the truck (by plugging into the OBDII port) and you have to enter the ID's of your new sensors (by plugging the tool into a computer).

When you swap wheels, you plug the tool into the truck and press the summer or winter button and it uploads the new ID's into the truck's ECU.

The trigger tool is only needed once to initially wake up the sensors which is why I was hoping the tire shop could do it. If I have to buy a trigger tool, I'll probably get either the Ateq VT30 or the

$189 Autel TS401 TS408, OBD II Programming Scanner, 99% OEM Sensor(315, 433Mhz) Relearn, Activation, TPMS Reset, Read Clear DTCs, Smae as TS501 TS601

Autel TS401. Both tools will activate the sensors, read their ID's and check the sensor battery.

 

We can't get away with all season tires around here in a snow belt area, we get lots of snow and ice on the roads and frankly all season tires just don't cut it.
It's a night and day difference running dedicated winter tires, the grip they generate especially on hard pack snow and ice is worlds better than any AT tire.

 

Bridgestone Blizzak DMV2 245/75-16's mounted on a set of stock steel Toyota wheels that I used on my 09 last winter, provided great traction in snow and ice, made home up a steep grade most of the time in 2wd, our one big storm last year, made home in 15 inches of snow on an unplowed road, I was using 4wd that night, took about 5hr to shovel the driveway out the next day. I had used Firestone Winterforce tires the 3 previous winters on the 09, I don't know if I can get 3 winters out of the Blizzak's they are soft and seem to wear faster but they feel like the have better grip. Once you have driven with dedicated winter tires, it makes it hard not to use them, and the extra grip they provide is an extra measure of confidence in hazardous conditions.

 

I have x ice on my car.
Had them for 4 seasons before needing new. great tires

I was thinking of trying the toyo observe gsi for the taco this year. Not sure yet.
what did you do about the TPMS?
Running separate sensors or just going with light on

 

Another point to add... and an important one also... for every month you run a dedicated winter tire you gain a month more life outta your summer tires.... If you look at it over, say 5 yrs... your summers are worn out... and you had trouble in snow/ice.... If you had winter tires... the summers would last 10 yrs...!!

The winter tire option is cheap, if you look at it this way, and if you rear-end someone, or ditch it, in the winter.... you just blew it...!!

Tires might have saved you the aggravation and towing, etc....

Each must decide on where you live and the odds of a F'-up...

Good luck... Where I live... No choice..

 

1) What are weight of wheel and weight of tire?

2) Isn't it difficult to drive a truck in the snow with no load in the bed?

 

Good point John.
Considering we probably run on snows for about 4-6 months a year. that's a lot of saving tires.

And OP is from Barrie so he definitely needs the snows too.

 

I've got my winter set from my 2013. I've got 2G TRD OR wheels with Hankook I-Pike RW11. This will be my 4th winter with them. They work quite well in the winter stuff.

I'm planning on changing out the wheels at some point soon. Realistically when I get my TRD Beadlocks on BFG ATs, I'll swap my current wheels onto the snows. I would love a set of black steel wheels for that NATO look but I don't think I'll drop the $$$ to do it.

When I wear out my 16" snows maybe I'll snag a set of 17" FJ steel wheels.

Silly question for those who have already run without TPMS for any period of time: any weird quirks in the truck? My '13 just illuminated the light but was fine otherwise. I don't want to deal with sensors for the snow if I don't have to.

 

OH, and another thing that MikeyMcFly just reminded me of... Because I have the 17" wheels on the TRD Sport, the winter tires are way more expensive.. I purchased 16" steel Toyota rims in 2006 and had a tire place put on the appropriate tire size to match my speedo... (the overall dia. is the same as if I was running 17's).. It works well that way and is way cheaper for 16" tires than 17"...

 

How much was this package if you don't mine me asking? And from where?

Thanks

 

You wouldn't have much of speedo issue even if you didn't
Probably like 5-7km off if even that.

Did you get a separate set of TPMS John or just running light on?