1. Welcome to Tacoma World!

    You are currently viewing as a guest! To get full-access, you need to register for a FREE account.

    As a registered member, you’ll be able to:
    • Participate in all Tacoma discussion topics
    • Communicate privately with other Tacoma owners from around the world
    • Post your own photos in our Members Gallery
    • Access all special features of the site

Favorite Taco Winter Tire

Discussion in 'Canada' started by exwrx, Apr 10, 2012.

  1. Sep 5, 2012 at 3:57 PM
    #21
    cantac09

    cantac09 Official TW Igloo Builder

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2009
    Member:
    #16501
    Messages:
    7,396
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Hugh Jass
    Saskatchewan
    Vehicle:
    tundra
    stock
    general altimax arctic. duratracs arent that great in winter.
     
  2. Sep 5, 2012 at 5:32 PM
    #22
    AcadianTaco

    AcadianTaco Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2012
    Member:
    #77751
    Messages:
    856
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Vince
    N.B. Canada
    Vehicle:
    2015 AC TRD OFFROAD
    OME 885X with Bilstein 5100, Dakars with 5125, Wheeler's bumpstops, LR UCA
    General Altimax Artic in 265 75 R16 E load on sale at Canadian Tire for $750.00 instaled if I remember right. Can check receipt.
    Used Tundra steelies rims (about 4.5 inch backspacing) which I bought on Kijiji. 4 rims for $125.00.




    [​IMG]
     
  3. Sep 5, 2012 at 5:54 PM
    #23
    KenLyns

    KenLyns 8.75" Third Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2010
    Member:
    #37674
    Messages:
    29,365
    Gender:
    Male
    Belly of the Beast
    Vehicle:
    4x4 TRD Off-Road Full-Auto
    LED Headlights, Volant CAI, 32" Duratracs
    In my experience, without studs, this tire is rather disappointing on ice and shallow snow. Frankly I'm not sure if it's an improvement over the stock Rugged Trails. When my current set wears out, I will probably buy something with a modern compound, like the General Altimax.

    [​IMG]
     
  4. Sep 6, 2012 at 10:01 AM
    #24
    buck

    buck Don't sweat the petty - pet the sweaty

    Joined:
    Jun 10, 2009
    Member:
    #18291
    Messages:
    315
    Gender:
    Male
    Ontario, Canada
    Vehicle:
    15 DC V6 4x4 TRD Magnetic Gray
    High-flow coconut smiley-face air freshener.
    I have these (un-studded). For the price, they perform ok. Deep snow is fine. Icy isn't great. They seem to be wearing a little quicker than I'd expect.

    If price is a factor, they serve their purpose.
     
  5. Sep 6, 2012 at 12:48 PM
    #25
    Capita

    Capita Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2009
    Member:
    #18096
    Messages:
    2,661
    Gender:
    Male
    Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada
    Vehicle:
    09 TRD Sport Double Cab
    I'm glad mine are studded then. I live in Newfoundland and we get some harsh winters. These tires never let me down yet in the slush, rain, snow and ice. Also had them on my Ford before I even bought the Tacoma.
     
  6. Sep 6, 2012 at 1:28 PM
    #26
    Krazie Sj

    Krazie Sj Resident Jackass

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2008
    Member:
    #9849
    Messages:
    13,771
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Power Serge
    LV-426 (Acheron)
    Vehicle:
    07 TRD Off Road 4x4
    Borla Catback Exhaust, Snorkel, 33s on either 16's or 18's, ARB Bumper, All Pro LT w/Walker Evan Shocks front and back, All Pro expedition leaf pack, 10,000lb Superwinch, Intake Manifold Spacer, Bed Rack with ARB RTT, Rotopack and Hi Lift mounted, Husky Liner mats and an air freshener from 1995.
    [​IMG]

    Me thinks I'm going to get a set of these studded.

    Lugs for deep snow, studs for everything else.
     
  7. Sep 8, 2012 at 11:21 AM
    #27
    neverstuck

    neverstuck Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Sep 7, 2009
    Member:
    #22406
    Messages:
    2,593
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Matt
    Vancouver Island
    Vehicle:
    13 DCLB sport
    slide-in camper, OME Nitros w 884's and Dakars, Michelin A/T2, Pro EFX heated towing mirrors, Timbren HD bumpstops, KB VooDoo bed rails and tailgate cap, ImMrYo rvm bracket, G-Tek Fab door sill protectors, Ultragauge, window visors, hood deflector, Wet Okole seatcovers, in-vehicle safe.
    I run 265/75/16 10 ply BFG AT KO for all seasons. For winters this year, i bought a set at costco at an unbelievable price:

    Bridgestone Blizzak W965
    LT235/85/16 10 ply

    4 mounted, taxes in for $785!

    I use the blizzaks on work trucks and drive aggressively on winter roads. The tire performs as well as any michelin, toyo, or firestone winter tire I've used.

    235/85 is about the same height (a little taller), but an inch narrower than the 265/75. This will give better traction and help the tire to cut through slush, water, and snow.

    The size 235/85/16 is not listed on the costco website but they will still sell it to you if you ask for it. $179 a tire, and $100 bucks off a set of 4 until Sept 16.
     
  8. Sep 8, 2012 at 11:31 AM
    #28
    KenLyns

    KenLyns 8.75" Third Member

    Joined:
    May 23, 2010
    Member:
    #37674
    Messages:
    29,365
    Gender:
    Male
    Belly of the Beast
    Vehicle:
    4x4 TRD Off-Road Full-Auto
    LED Headlights, Volant CAI, 32" Duratracs
    ^These tires have good ice traction, with a porous "multicell" compound that breaks the surface tension of the top water layer.
     
  9. Sep 8, 2012 at 11:41 AM
    #29
    AcadianTaco

    AcadianTaco Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2012
    Member:
    #77751
    Messages:
    856
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Vince
    N.B. Canada
    Vehicle:
    2015 AC TRD OFFROAD
    OME 885X with Bilstein 5100, Dakars with 5125, Wheeler's bumpstops, LR UCA

    Excellent choice and price, can't go wrong.
     
  10. Sep 10, 2012 at 10:19 PM
    #30
    Mytaco09

    Mytaco09 Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2011
    Member:
    #69059
    Messages:
    34
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Steve
    Edmonton, AB, Canada
    Vehicle:
    '09 TRD Sport Supercharged
    TRD Supercharger, billet grill, Toytec ULK on the front with AllPro Expos bringing up the rear, a work in progress
    What he said.

    I have both currently. The Duratrac is an extremely competent 3 season tire that can do well in winter conditions but even though is has the little snow flake symbol on it it's not a true winter tire. It is studdable but that makes it a 1 season tire and studs are for ice traction only so why not start with a dedicated ice/snow tire like some of the others mentioned here that have rubber compounds formulated for the job and have tonnes of siping. The tread blocks on the Duratrac's are too large and only have 2 long sipes on each block. I have 295/65/18's on nice wheels and after I know the snow is here to stay my factory wheels go on with their 265/70/17 studded General Altimax Artics and they are awesome not only for the money but against any competitor. I was gonna buy the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 suv's cause they are fantastic tires but several hundred dollars more and IMO no better.

    It all depends on where you live, In Edmonton we have quite a bit of snow that lingers throughout the winter. If you're on the west cost or say southern Ontario where it may snow and then melts a good all season might do great and most people here even do just that and survive. That being said, in the last several years it seems more people see the value of winter tires and black steel wheel on nice sedans and sport coupes have almost become trendy,lol. If a tire is labeled M+S it is not a winter tire, it is an all season. IMO the worst winter tire in the world is better on snow and ice than the best all season. If you are only gonna have 1 set of wheels/tires than you have to compomise but if you're wiling to buy and store and an extra set there are lots of good options.

    To the OP, good choice. I've had a few sets of Blizzak's over the years and you can't go wrong. Bridgestone was the first to bring real winter tires to North America and are still a leader.
     
  11. Sep 12, 2012 at 10:02 PM
    #31
    brandonbryan12

    brandonbryan12 Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2010
    Member:
    #40960
    Messages:
    40
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Brandon
    Cranbrook, British Columbia
    OME 887x, Light Racing UCA's, Dakar leafs, Fox 2.5 RR rear shocks, Elite Offroad front bumper, Pelfreybilt rear bumper, Famous fabrication sliders, RCI skid plates, OVTuned
    Toyo G-02's are the best I've used.
     
  12. Sep 12, 2012 at 10:31 PM
    #32
    SGT Taco

    SGT Taco It all fun and games till its not.

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2010
    Member:
    #41503
    Messages:
    1,092
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Scott
    Spring Hill TN.
    Vehicle:
    R.I.P. 2007 TRD, Land Rover Disco II, F250.
    Wife rolled it 3x mod...
    I have read and heard some really great stuff about these tires from two of my friends that run these, one that drives with them all the time even on the highway at 85 mph sustained, and the other that only puts them on when off road (including MOAB)!

    Especially with the "KEDGE GRIP"... your solution to studs!

    Kedge Grip: Our own unique blend of crushed (recycled) glass and crushed walnut shell particle blended into our full grade truck rubber. Kedge Grip acts in a twofold way; first the walnut shell is designed to come out leaving small (approximately 1 mm) size pits in the tread surface that will act as additional siping and create more traction edges to grip the road. The second is the crushed glass which is designed to stay in longer and create a gritty surface to help anchor you to the road. Does it really work? Don’t take our word for it, read some of the testimonials. Also, check out the 4Wheeler magazine (though under a different name that we are not allowed to use any longer due to trademark issues) in the August 2009 issue. They consistently had excellent results with our Kedge Grip.
    With prices between $115and $134(285/75/R16 MT's with Kedge Grip) You can not go wrong!

    I will be getting a set in about 2 months when my tires (hankook dynapro atm rf10 in a P265/75/R16)get a bit more bald.

    https://www.treadwright.com/p-55-285-75r16-guard-dog-m-t-d.aspx
     
  13. Sep 12, 2012 at 10:42 PM
    #33
    taco47001

    taco47001 Newborn

    Joined:
    May 11, 2012
    Member:
    #78644
    Messages:
    1,912
    Gender:
    Male
    Aurora, IN
    Vehicle:
    LX470
    BFG A/T KO's
    Great for all seasons. I lived in upstate NY :infantry: (Watertown, which is 30 mins southish of Kingston) for 9 years. Their avg. snowfall is somewhere around 100". I've seen it dump 6"-8" in an hour up there from the lake effect. The #1 tire you see running up there is the BFG A/T KO. Because it works, and it's versatile.

    If you have the funds to run a seperate tire in winter vs summer than ya, go with blizzaks or some other specialty brand.

    My $.02
     
  14. Sep 18, 2012 at 8:05 PM
    #34
    Ghost848

    Ghost848 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2012
    Member:
    #74480
    Messages:
    1,545
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Tony
    Alberta,Canada
    Vehicle:
    09 V6 TRD OR Silver M6
    OME + Dakers, 285/75R16 Nitto Trail Grapplers, ARB Bumper, Columbia overland Dual battery, Super winch,CC stage 4 clutch, bestop supertop, URD TO bearing, BHLM headlights, Cruisin offroad rear bumper, Harrop front E-locker.
    X2 Had them last year in 275/70r16 and were awsome.... getting them in 285s this year due to mods on the truck... my fav winter tire yet.
     
  15. Nov 19, 2012 at 6:37 AM
    #35
    skiomax

    skiomax Pro skier

    Joined:
    Oct 20, 2012
    Member:
    #89411
    Messages:
    188
    Gender:
    Male
    Ottawa, Ontario
    Vehicle:
    2013 Tacoma TDR Sport DC
    Extang cover Thule roof rack pop & Lock Short antena Weathertech floor liner TRD skid plate Leather Seat package
    I used Yokohama Geolandar I-T G072, in my mind its the best winter tire for mid size trucks...
     
  16. Nov 20, 2012 at 3:46 PM
    #36
    DD03SR5

    DD03SR5 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2009
    Member:
    #26269
    Messages:
    201
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Derek
    Ontario,Canada
    Vehicle:
    03 SR5 4X4
    Deckplate,5100's,eibach's,Wheelers AAL,
    not my km2's. they are like skates on ice. Im thinking of going with duratrac's next
     
  17. Nov 21, 2012 at 10:14 AM
    #37
    Krazie Sj

    Krazie Sj Resident Jackass

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2008
    Member:
    #9849
    Messages:
    13,771
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Power Serge
    LV-426 (Acheron)
    Vehicle:
    07 TRD Off Road 4x4
    Borla Catback Exhaust, Snorkel, 33s on either 16's or 18's, ARB Bumper, All Pro LT w/Walker Evan Shocks front and back, All Pro expedition leaf pack, 10,000lb Superwinch, Intake Manifold Spacer, Bed Rack with ARB RTT, Rotopack and Hi Lift mounted, Husky Liner mats and an air freshener from 1995.
    Siping on those only goes down like 1/3 of the tread block. One year and you've got full block lugs and no siping. They didn't impress me much.
     
  18. Nov 26, 2012 at 1:22 PM
    #38
    devman80

    devman80 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    May 25, 2012
    Member:
    #79478
    Messages:
    56
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Dev
    newfoundland
    Vehicle:
    toyota tacoma long bed trd(leather)
    otto-navi head unit, 3 inch level/lift, constant power to cig lighter and 12v outlet, toyota accessories bug deflecter , steps , vent visors, and fabtech street bar with 4 hella black magics upgraded to 100w each .. and 1.25 spidertrax all around.
    same story here i love my winterforce studded ... got them on my tacoma and ran them on my ford i had!!
     
  19. Nov 26, 2012 at 2:47 PM
    #39
    Capita

    Capita Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2009
    Member:
    #18096
    Messages:
    2,661
    Gender:
    Male
    Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada
    Vehicle:
    09 TRD Sport Double Cab
    Haha I also had them on my Ford before the Tacoma!
     
  20. Dec 1, 2012 at 7:59 AM
    #40
    DueNorth

    DueNorth Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Mar 19, 2009
    Member:
    #14934
    Messages:
    1,832
    Gender:
    Male
    First Name:
    Mike
    Southern Ontario, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2014 BSP TRD Sport DCSB 6sp
    Same here! I definitely DID NOT trust my km2's on a snow/ice covered 401 at 100 km/hr. Almost a white knuckle experience. Since they were getting worn, i sold them and bought new 33" duratracs. These tires are amazing! I owned a set of these prior that were 32" (sold them to a friend since i regeared) and i knew i'd buy them again. They are awesome offroad aired down to 15 psi and excellent in the snow. Great all around aggressive tire IMO.

    All this being said, i still plan on running dedicated 35" mud tires (km2 or MTR) for use during the wheeling months and keep running the 33" duratracs in the winter.
     

Products Discussed in

To Top