Snow/winter specific tires

there are lots of threads asking about what what AT's etc are good in the winter but i want snow/winter specific tires. i have MT's that I can run for the summer time, that is why i'm looking for specific winter/snow tires

choices so far:

- Continental ExtremeWinterContacts appr $140/tire
- Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V1 appr $150/tire


now these are also highly recommended in other threads but again, they are more all season AT's

- Goodyear Duratracs appr $205/tire
- BFG T/A KO's appr $220/tire

thanks

 

Cooper also makes a a verson of the blizzak, and is usually a little cheaper too.

edit: They used to but I can't find them now

It also depends on what you are looking for, are studs legal where you live? A soft studless tire like the blizzaks seem to be a better fit, you are not bound by stud legal dates and the provide great traction on snow and ice.

 

Cooper has the Discoverer M + S. I had those studded on my 98 when I got it and they were excellent. Studs were unnessary for strictly snow but an option if you see a lot of ice.

After those wore out I went a cheaper route and ran some Wild Country Radial XTX sport. Relatively agressive, lost of sipping and soft rubber that meets the sever weather rating. They worked well for me and had a decent tread life. About 25,000km on them when i traded the truck in. I ran them year round as they are classified as an a/t.

cooper M+S http://www.coopertire.com/html/products/tires_lighttruck.aspx?page=discoverer_ms

Wild country http://www.wwtireservice.com/showcaseproductdetail.htm?ID=7422287

Background - I live and drive in Northern BC so winters see every kind of weather imaginable (except warm sun).

 

i just found a set of BF Goodrick All Terrain KO tires mounted and balanced on 16 inch 3rd generation 4runner rims locally

he's says they have 500kms on them and is asking $1000

i think if i can get him to $800 or even $900 i'll take them

then i'll sell my MT's on my TRD rims

i was quoted over $1000 for just those alone tires new....plus not having to have them mounted and balanced is a plus

i'll see what he says

but keep the recommendations coming

thanks guys

 

I thought you wanted a snow/winter tire, not an A/T????
Coopers are great tires! The M+S tire referenced above is an excellent tire for snow. I've got the A/T version of that tire, the Discovery ATR, that I run year round.

 

I just put studded Duratracs on both my 2nd gen & my girls 1st gen. We live in Alaska and see plenty of snow & ice every year. So far I have been very impressed w/ the Duratracs. They have a ton of siping, aggressive sidewall lugs for deep snow, & the studs give you great starting & stopping power on the ice. If you want a pure winter tire, want good traction in both snow & on ice, & like the aggressive stance of your summer MT's, you should take a long hard look at the studded Duratracs. You will not be disappointed.

 

ha i do i do...but i saw this one come up on craigslist and don't think i can pass it up

the reason i would get a snow specific tire is because i have my current MT's....BUT if i get these a/t ko's already mounted on rims...i'll sell my current tires and recoupe some of the costs

 

I am on my 3rd season with Firestone Winterforce Studded Snow Tires. They are awesome for the conditions I see here in Vermont and for towing. Bought from Tire Rack for under $400 studded & shipped. (245/75/16)

Also had the Blizzaks on my Tundra. They were an excellent snow tire. Just didn't have the extra $$ at the time when I bought the ones above.
I did try a severe snowflake rated A/T tire but did not like how the truck handled towing or on ice. They are now just my summer tires.

 

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/surveydisplay.jsp?type=ORAT

uhmm...the A/T KO's don't fair so well

 

I have the Blizzak DM-V1s on my 02 Xtra Cab and they are excellent. We have received lots of snow here in Saskatchewan and the tires have made it impossible for me to get stuck. The performance on ice is also very good. Between the added safety and the ability to go anywhere in winter conditions the tires are well worth the money in my opinion.

 

uhm ya those are approx $720....then i need to swap off my MT's

the guy called me back about the A/T KO's

they're like 2 weeks old like he said....he'll do $900 for them, and that's with the rims so I don't have to pay for mount/blance

i think i'll just grab the A/T KO's

 

i ran the destinations on both my 94 PU and my wife's jeep. stuck like glue on ice, great traction in deeper stuff in the colo high country all winter.

 

the firestone winterforce is a great tire, i did cash and carry from sears for 360 bucks and they will stud them there if you so choose. they are fantastic set of tires.

 

just had to drive with my MT's in maybe an inch of snow....wow, they're terrible lol


i picked up those BFG's...i'll swap them on tonight

 

As for icy conditions, about the only thing you can really do is get a tire with studs (or get them added). Of course extra weight in the back and chains aren't a bad idea either.

Also, if you have a tendency to keep your tires at max psi, instead of actually seeing how they wear evenly, if you check/fill your tires in the cold, leave them 5psi lower than normal due to cold air compressing more than warm air (and leave yourself a slightly larger tire/road contact patch).