Large winter tire alternatives

So I'm pretty experienced with winter driving, having lived in Alaska for 10years and now the Upper Peninsula of Michigan...Snow and Ice driving is always a sketchy business but dedicated winter tires with lots of siping make it much easier. I was lucky in AK that they allow studs for winter, so that adds a huge advantage in icy conditions, but I know the use of them is limited to just a few states.

Since many of you, like I, run 33"+ tires you know there are little in the way of actual dedicated winter tires that are made in that size... 265/75's are the largest I've seen. I ran Toyo MTs last winter that were siped by a local shop and they fared pretty well. Would love to know what types/brands of tires you've run for winter driving.


(That's my house btw...this was real life)

 

Dedicated studded snows, 300# over axle in bed unless 18" of snow or more comin' then its 500# over axle. I have a crazy job with crazier hours... never been stuck yet.

 

snow chains

 

Of the 3 trucks I've owned I always keep the same AT/MT all year round and add some weight to the bed. I do swap out for a dedicated snow tire on my work car during the winter. The current set does have studs which I read can make the tire a little stiffer but I can't tell the difference. The studs do make them a lot louder driving. If the snow gets too deep I just take my off-road Jeep with lockers and 40's.

 

are you near Copper Harbor, or where are you at?
i have GY DuraTracs, they had no issues i can recall in their 1st winter in foot-deep water-heavy white stuff, even on steep inclines, they also stopped on a dime on snow packed residential
Marquette is relatively nice in the dead of winter

 

Depends on where you drive. If you're generally on non-plowed roads, I'd say get a set of pizza cutters (255/85's) with studs. Skinny tires will cut down to the base layer easier. Fatties will just float on top where there's no traction.

If you're driving in the arctic tundra, our out in the boonies with many many feet of untouched powder, you need those gigantor balloon tires or those tank tread things.

 

The set of toyos I ran we're 255's, I've got 295 Cooper's ATR3s on now so we'll see how it compares to last winter.

 

Sault Ste. Marie currently

 

I run Bridgestone DMV winters, great tires, use the stock wheels for wintertime.

 

its super nice there in January/February
the bon soo winter carnival on the Canadian side I almost got to check out once

 

I prefer mud tires and do my own siping. I bought a tire groover that gets really hot and accepts razor blades. I get real aggressive and think they work great on the highway, ever better in deep snow. I'm running 285 BFG KM2's on my Taco and Toyo MT's on my full size Chevy both with awesome results. Best part is when the tires get to half tread I can redo the siping, and sometimes I even do the outer lugs on the second go. Sorry I don't have any up close shots.