Best non snow tires for snow/ice

Just look at the sipping on each tire. The best for winter will have more sipping. Duratracs

 

I second this, and the tire installer can add more. I've had good results adding sipping for both Duratracs and Toyo AT2s. Sipping doesn't quite make them a snow tire since the tread compound is harder, but they do really well. Some people worry about chipping or premature tread wear with a sipped tire. I've never had issues.

The stock Wranglers on the TRD off road weren't bad for the first winter. Now with 28K miles they've lost their bite.

Also, a bigger tire will yield zero benefit in most normal winter driving conditions.

 

Okay, this was too broad of a statement.

For driving on packed snow and ice...bigger tires have no benefit. For breaking new trail in deep snow, the extra ground clearance would be a benefit.

 

Sounds like you need a 2nd set of wheels and dedicated winter tires, regardless.

The problem with snow / ice driving in a 4wd isn't getting it to go. It's stopping and steer.

So for your 'research in advance', be looking for a set of OE alloy take offs in your area (should be cheap) and watching for sales on winter tires.

It's up to you if you want to futz with TPMS stuff or just ignore the nanny light and check pressures yourself.

 

The "performance criteria" for that symbol are quite weak. The manufacturer has to show that it stops about 10% better in snow than a comparable all season tire, that's all. A dedicated winter tire will give you about 30%.

You should buy a dedicated set of winter tires if you live in a climate where there is snow and ice in the winter. Yes, you will buy two sets of tires, but each will only get half the mileage, so they should last twice as long.

The difference between puckering and a $10k insurance claim can be measured on a scale of six inches. Winter tires can save your yass for sure.

Me I run KO2s in the summer and Blizzak DMV2s in the winter.

 

I've been thinking about getting a second set of tires for the winter. Especially with the abundance of gently used TRD-OR stock rims for sale on this site. The question is, what to run for a summer tire? All terrain tires are great in the summer and I've always thought they've done okay in the winter with sipping. So why not keep AT's on all year unless one wants a radically different tire in the summer...street tires? Mud tires?

 

Depends on the vehicle use and your climate I think.

"tons of snow" that the OP specifies pretty much says 'lots of ice' to me. Melt, refreeze, etc etc.

So many of the multi vehicle accidents you see on the national news involve 4wd AWD vehicles. The drivers are fearless (clueless) as they think the drive system gives them security. But it's the tire that gives the grip. And stopping/turning requires grip.

Side note. A tire can't give more than 100% grip. So if you're using 60% to turn, you've only got 40% left to stop with at the same time. So if the tire has a higher grip level, the better it will perform with the same % factors.

Sipping is important. But the compound of a winter tire is just as important, and you don't get that in a sipped AT.

IMHO there is no such thing as an all season tire. There are 3 season tires, summer tires and winter tires. Most Tacomas will never need summer tires, but many in the northern climes will benefit from winter tires.

 

All true. I've put on 10's of thousands of miles in winter conditions over the years. Like you say, tires are only one part of the equation. I've had really good luck with sipped AT's but I'm seriously considering getting dedicated snow tires this year. Another advantage to running snow tires in the winter is that both set of tires will last longer. It's like having double the tread life

 

Chains or studded tires are all that will help you on ice.

You can go basic A/T or All Season tire. Snow tires are best for snow.

I love my Firestone Destination A/Ts.

 

My guess is you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

Maybe. Kinda. Lasting longer in age isn't always good in tires. The compounds deteriorate over time and while the tread may be nice, the grip is failing. I always tried to evaluate future miles driven for the next 2 years on my SoloII car, and pick a tire that would be worn out tread wise in about that time. Because I knew the grip would be down about 30-40% anyway.

And winter tires have a soft compound, thus wearing quicker the times they are driven on dry roads.

So not double the tread life. More like 50% more in months of service. None of which you will care about the first time the tires save your bacon.

 

OP as you can see you are going to get a wide range of opinions on this subject due to different regions, conditions, and driving habits. I live in the northeast where a majority of the roads are usually plowed within two days. I contend with a decent amount of ice and light to moderate snow. Based on my experiences the Michelin LTX Defenders have been hands down the best tire for me. The are hands down better than any AT tire I have used in the past (Bdgoodrich KO/KO2/rugged terrain/rugged trail/nitto terra grappler/duratrac) on ice and light snow. Not that I am a tire expert by any means but I find the Michelin’s rubber to stay soft and pliable even in the coldest temps which I feel equates to more traction. Now in deep snow AT tires readily win but I have gotten home in many blizzards where the roads haven’t been touched with my grandpa Michelin’s (yes not without MINOR slipping and sliding). OP you honestly need to figure out what you need the truck for and what you are willing to sacrifice. I love the look of AT tires but with many of them their performance is lacking in some important aspects of daily driving (rain for one)...for me. Ultimately like a few people stated earlier dedicated snow tires are the best option...good luck!

 

I did one winter on the Stock Wrangers and they did fairly well. This year I got Hankook Ipike studded winter tires as we can get a lot of ice and snow up here. The difference is huge, so much more traction. It all depends on what you want and what you are willing to pay for. Stock tires do ok in the first few years if you take it easy.

 

A dedicated winter tire is 100x better than any all weather AT tire. Had a few sketchy moments with the duratraks so this year bought the studded hakkapellita 9s. Spending $1000 is far cheaper than dealing with the consequences of an accident in your new 40k truck. Also the grip and confidence on the road is invaluable. Just go get a dedicated winter tire and sleep good at night

 

I think what kills tires is heat, a winter tire will not have much of that. For sure there are manufacturers who supply winter tires with soft rubber on the outside, which exposes much harder rubber once the soft layer wears away. So even though there is still tread, your stopping distance increases dramatically relative to new tires.

I mount winter tires on Nov 15 and dismount in early April. So they only see about 4.5 months of service per year, about 7000 km for me. They last a long time.

If I could run anything, I would get Nokian Hakkapellitta tires with studs, but the studs are disallowed in a lot of areas where I drive, for historical reasons that no longer actually apply.

Basically I just want the best chance I can get for myself and my family. The additional expense of winter tires is worth it to me. But everyone needs to make his own call.

 

I can only speak to Duratracs and Nitto AWT's for Colorado. The wife has dedicated Blizzaks and GY's on her SUV. The M/T "snowpeak" tires are fine 90% of the time. But make no mistake those Blizzaks are on a whole different level when the white stuff falls.

 

Falken wildpeak at3w are pretty good. They've been reliable. They are amazing in deeper snow and acceptable on-road performance otherwise. #1 thing is to control your speed. All AT tires will get squirrely at high speed in snow, especially if you go over a bump and bounce the light rear of the truck. You might find your ass breaking out from under you. I try to stay at 40 or below if there is white stuff on the road.

 

Wow, Information overload haha! Really appreciate the info guys. After see what all of you have to say I definitely thinking of going with a dedicated snow tire might be the best route. FYI I live in upstate NY and get a ton of lake effect in my area. I drive 36 miles round trip everyday. While that’s not to bad in the nicer months it can be hell during a serious snow event. Would I be better off buying a set of wheels and keep the snow tires mounted on them all the time, or use the same stock wheels and rotate between the stock tire and the snow tires? How much would a good set of snow tires cost with wheels? Recommended size for these trucks?

 

Duratracs. Not amazing in the rain but great everywhere else

 

This or keeping the at3w’s on all year long sounds like it could be a good option as well?

 

I used to use the REVO 2's on my Jeep and loved them. I Think they have a REVO3 now but have not seen or tried those.