Falken Wildpeak A/T3W in the snow?

My duratracs eat snow

 

This is why there is a big difference between "snow" tires, as in those ATs with 3Peak rating (like the Wildpeaks), and "winter" tires.

My General Grabbers are awesome in deep snow when it's "warmer." But right now it's -30 and they don't plow the roads here. We just drive on them until they are hardpacked ice and there's no bare road. I can barely stop or get going around town. My wife's 4Runner has Blizzaks and it's a dream to drive right now. The soft compound makes a phenomenal difference. She barely slips a tire anywhere. I'm all over the map.

I don't drive my truck every day but I'm seriously reconsidering not putting winter tires on.

 

How do they work on hard packed snow (icy) terrain? Typically any Winnipeg intersection at -35c.

 

Well they have the holes for studs, theyre going to slide some on ice. Ive driven hard pack uphill recently and they did fine. If you’re going fast and slam the breaks though the truck does slide for a bit but i think that’s true with all tires. Been very happy with their snow performance.

 

I use my 4wd to assist with traction and slowing/stopping while driving under the conditions you describe in WPG. Also the auto trans works well in semi auto mode along with 4wd. Have driven these conditions with manual and auto and I prefer the auto. Just easier.

 

Don’t want to go with studs around the city, although they would work well on the slick spots.

 

And I much prefer the manual. Ha. I find it much easier to control the revs and the torque. Personal preference I suppose.

4wd doesn't help with stopping. Definitely helps to get going though.

Still, no one can convince me that ATs and 4x4 can compete with true winter tires. Winter tires in either 4wd or 2wd will far out perform ATs in slippery conditions.

 

Ya, it does. You got two wheels slowing you down when you gear down instead of one. No fish tailing.

 

I love my Wildpeaks in everything but the snow. In the snow I’d describe them as decent but not exceptional. They used to be great value tires but the pricing on them has skyrocketed so much that I’ll shop around when it comes time to replace.

 

I didn’t notice really any improvement over the stock wranglers . Mind you I’m in Alberta so temps are very cold , Probably should of went with a dedicated winter .

 

My 2 cents worth...

Temperature, driver capability and planned usage are my deciding factors. For my wife, snow/winter tires are a MUST!!! Her situational awareness and reaction times are horrible, love ya dear;-) So any advantage she can get is greatly needed. We have a Subaru Ascent that is also our car for road trips, so highway stability and safety are key.

For my Tacoma, snow tires aren't really needed. Sure it would be nice. But realistically I don't go long distances in the snow and most driving is within a 20 mile radius. I'm very observant, give myself and other traffic space and I slow down sooner than I need to because I see lots of sketchy drivers who brake way to late when behind me!

I live in IA (temps from -25F to 100F) and have driven on many tires on many vehicles in various states of condition as an auto technician. I hate Goodyear tires with a passion! But I'll be damned, the Duratrac is a great tire overall! My least favorite AT is the BFG K02, the compound is rock hard under 10F and traction is horrible on most vehicles I have driven. This gets worse with age, even one season from over 100 vehicles I have driven with them. I was quite surprised with the Duratracs. They remained pliable for about 4yrs on my truck that is not garaged. Though it was noticeably less pliable on the 5th winter when I replaced them. I now have the Kenda Klever RT 33x10.50. We haven't had any measurable snow so I don't have a comment on snow performance yet, but they have remained plenty pliable at -10F. I have read the snow performance is as good or better than most AT tires on this forum. I have only driven a handful of vehicles with Falkens and they seem to do well. My father in law has them and he has been very impressed with them, his previous go to was the K02 since they were the best (K0 in his day) for many years...hard to break old habits. But BFG has failed to keep up with compound advancements. FWIW I have Falken AT Trail (light SUV tires) on my 01 Outback and as summer tires on our Ascent. They perform pretty darn good in the snow on my 01 Outback.

Another option is the Nokian Rotiiva AT Plus. Nokian is the KING of snow tires. Period. Anyone who has used them will agree. The Rotiiva AT isn't the flashiest tire but the vehicles I have driven with them have been nice. Quiet, light weight, rubber compound stays pliable in extreme cold and they seem pretty good in snow (packed and fresh) in my limited experience when test driving customer vehicles.

Obviously snow tires are going to be the "best". But it's up to you to decide if a second set of tires is necessary. If I did more long distance travel with my Tacoma, I would get some Nokian LT3 or or R3 just for added stability and control. Depending on your size and look your going for, the Nokian WR G4 is a hybrid tire that has been popular for many northerners for many years. Bilizzaks are great too. I would say the Blizzaks and Nokians are equal in every area but Nokians generally handle packed snow better and are more quiet as they age.

 

+1 for the Nokian Rotiiva A/Ts. I dont have the Plus version but I love mine. I barely use 4wd and with no extra weight, other than my cap, they do better than my old tired stock Dueler 684iis with 200+lbs in the bed not including the caps weight. IIRC there was only a 1lb difference between the two when new even though I went up a size. After 10k miles they still look like new.

 

That's what I love about my Duratracs... Snow Beasts!!!

 

Duratracs are loud, difficult to keep balanced, cup easily, and wear quickly. They were (still are in some places) our go-to fleet tire because the contract pricing is really good. In my opinion they just aren't worth it. Duratracs are marginally better than KO2's, but definitely not worth their MSRP. I found the Wildpeak AT3W to be a notch or two better than Duratracs in every category except snow, which we don't get much of here in the SoCal deserts.

 

So, what your saying is the Duratracs are a better choice to buy, than the Wildpeaks in the snow!

 

If you live in a place where snow driving is a legitimate concern, then yes. For the two days a year it's a problem in SoCal, then no.

 

They are ok in snow. They get out of deep snow but they will slide and loose traction easily on hard pack snow.

I’d say they are a fine all season tire, but not a good snow tire. You’ll be fine driving but you can’t go bomb around without a care.