Snow tires

I've used snow tires for years. Then a few years ago I bought some Duratracs. I thought they were pretty good in deep snow. But when it came to hard pack, ice, slush and whatnot they just weren't as good, especially in very cold temps as a dedicated snow tire. So I sold the Duratracs and went back to the snows.

I think it depends on the conditions that one will be driving in. For me, deep snow is not all that common. But that sloppy, 3-4 inch range with some ice thrown in is more like the winters we have here. And with a 50 mile commute to and from work true winter tires work best for me versus an AS or AT.

 

Pretty much the same here, can get into deep snow up in the mountains, but down in the valley where I do majority of driving just a few inches and black ice, ATs just don’t cut it on ice. My 40 mile work commute is mostly farm roads. Impressed how well the Blizzaks stop, had a jackass pull out in front of me yesterday, and had to jump on the brakes, was almost like being on dry pavement. Feels good to blow around those jacked up to the sky bro-dozers who are sliding all over the place having one hell of time with those low profile muds they like to run. Almost like driving on Velcro with snows, had to really work it to get them to break loose, had to floor it and even then they still manage to find traction, didn’t spin for very long.

 

Have run Blizzaks for years, they are fantastic.

 

They’re fantastic. Little loud on the hwys and they are Es, but that doesn’t bother me. I like the added durability, especially while snow wheeling. I notice you’re in Ottawa area; these things do very well out in the Calabogie trails. I’ll add the caveat that if I wasn’t keen on being off the road so often, I would have been getting a lighter road/ice orientated winter tire. How you intend on using the truck during winter should dictate which tires are more appropriate for your usage.
ANY dedicated winter tire will always out preform a three peak AT tire, so ignore the people who come into these threads touting their ATs as winters.

@Stocklocker sold me on them with his review thread here;
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/killer-snow-boots-for-3g-taco-general-grabber-arctic-lt.593034/

pics in spoiler;

Spoiler

 

Hey Philth
I fully understand that a true snow will way out perform a good AT. Yes the conditions that you expect to drive in always are most important when selecting a tire.
But if I came in here and said that my Kumho Roadvetures are pretty darn good in 12 inches (and I plow) of snow should that be taken into any consideration/should I be ignored?

 

Got to say on the topic of AT's, I wasn't expecting much, but these wildpeaks have been very good this winter so far. It's been nothing but that slushy frozen over crap so far. The scrub grip has been meh but accel/decel has been decent.

I've ran nothing but summer/winters on every car so far and can say these are atleast better than 90%of the "allseasons" out there.

 

You would have to be ignored of course. Everybody knows tires recommended for 2nd gen won't work on a 3rd gen, jeesh! This is TW. With 707 posts you should have figured that out by now!

 

Ignored because OP asked specifically for a winter tire, not opinions on any and all tires. Congrats on finding a tire that works for you though.

You only have four very small contact patches to the earth in this specific vehicle. Why people cheap out on this, of all things, baffles me. Make your choices wisely.

To add; I also find it funny that people will actively try to dissuade someone from getting winters by stating their ATs/all seasons work for them or are better because you just run them all year long. Why is that? I venture to guess people are just cheap. Which is strange because the initial cost may be more, but by running two sets of rubber, you’re preserving the life of the tire when not in use and will get more life out them.


For the record, I run K02s for three seasons, and the Generals in the winter. I have always run dedicated seasonal rubber. From high performance cars to this truck. The difference in performance is massive.

 

Everybody knows tires recommended for 2nd gen won't work on a 3rd gen, jeesh!

Not looking to steal a post but enlighten me on why Blizzaks is an excellent snow tire that will work on a 2nd gen and 3rd gen, and every truck made, and yet Kumho won’t work on a 3rd gen
Maybe there still a little too much champagne in my head














[/QUOTE]

 

Those Kumhos are surprisingly good when they are fresh, ran a set of those and currently have them on my Trooper. This go around running Yokohama G015 as my summer tires, really impressed with them too, don’t take them off until we start getting black ice. Only reason I run a dedicated winter tire is because of the ice, like the added security. Since my commute is mostly farm roads that have irrigation ditches that run beside them, some with a considerable drop, have come close to sliding in them before on ATs.

Like that you can drive fairly normal with winters and not have to worry if you’re gonna blow a corner.

 

In all seriousness, I recommended Nokian Hakkapeliitta SUV R2's. My preference is a true winter over an A/T with snow rating for the driving conditions I am in. That's my preference. If you find that an A/T works for you them that is your preference. I am not knocking it. I am shit posting.


Just to give an idea of the conditions I have faced in just the last week. Hard packed snow and ice, followed by a couple of days of deep cold dry powder. This morning more snow, this time, wet, thick and slick, with lots of slush covered ice under that. This stuff is like soaked clay, tough to walk in, clinges to everything.

My tires have not skipped a beat in all of this. The only time they are traction limited, it is because I wanted too. I am very happy with my tire choice.


I have run A/T's in the past. In the conditions I described above I have found that they struggled for traction. They had difficulty in the wet slushy stuff. And since we see a lot of that, I prefer a true winter.

 

Yep, right over on that one, like I said still getting the champagne out of my head, it was a dang good partee
I’m going back to bed

 

Yeah. I am glad you are also happy with these.

To reiterate for others, at the risk of sounding like I work for General Tire, the thing the General Arctic LT winter tires bring to the table, that no other similarly siped, soft-compound, winter tire I have tried does, is the ability of the Arctic Lts to run endless gravel miles without being shredded, and having an open enough tread design that it will operate as an AT/MT tire if you don’t find the snow but end up off road in other conditions.

I’ve run these for three years now, and the tread wear is honesty minimal. I did about 1200 kM’s on gravel each of the two past winters, and the tread is not chunked out. In my experience in the past with “ice radials”, they plug up and become slicks in mud, and the tread is destroyed on gravel roads.

Anyways…….guys and tires……..get us all in a room and you’ll have a fight!

It is the “cut and chip resistant” Duragen is something I will stand behind Generals propaganda on.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nsBNF-0EE50

 

I run the same tire on my 21 TRD Sport

 

Ughhhhh. I hear you Serge. I really want them in a 33" 255/85/16, or settle for a 255/80/17, but nope, neither size.

Hey, you still getting those frigid temps in BC?

 

Almost bought those because they come in a 265/75 and option of studs, but they were a month out from tire rack. Settled on the Blizzaks instead. May try those next go around, or maybe Bridgestone W965, but don’t like running E rated tires.

 

I'm down!

 

I read that the R.C.M.P. did a study on winter tires and found that studs were not of much use. Afraid I am not up to going around cop shops and examining their tires to see what they are running, but....???

 

Before anyone splurges for studded tires, you should check your State Laws about studs.

Some States prohibit studded tires, other Stats only permit studded tires under specific conditions or months.

Based on my understanding, the fines are pretty stiff.