Winter Tires.

I read that post as well and definitely should take that advice. i guess sometimes you need a little sense knocked into ya lol. Thanks for the link too i appreciate it!

out of curiosity, would the Winterforce LT be firmer than the winter force 2 UV despite both being the same tire since it is a load range E? Or is the LT just able to handle the extra weight of the 3/4 and 1 tonne trucks and not deform so much? Cause if the former is true, on a 1/4 tonne, that kind of would defeat the whole purpose of having a winter to begin with wouldn't it

 

Yes, the Winterforce LT will be a firmer ride than the Winterforce 2 UV. The LT is a 10 ply tire, and the 2 UV is a 6 ply tire which is plenty for a Tacoma. Some people do like to run the heavier load range tires, if they are going over particularly harsh terrain, for the better puncture resistance.

 

When i purchased my snow tire/rim combo it was about 1200 CDN. I have a shed to store them in and do the change over myself in my driveway. And while the wheels are off i can check brake pads, bleed the brakes if its been 3 years, lube the u-joints etc.. Got 8 years out of them and only gave them up because I don't like running a tire more than that no matter how much tread is left (and they had 40% left)

So over the 8 years it cost $150 per year which is just over the cost of a full tank and a half of gas or a single dinner out with the family...

Now that I have bought a new set of snows $800 and already have rims to mount them on its now down to $100 a year.

The advantages of running a dedicated snow for between $100 and $150 a year is well worth the cost IMHO.

Heck, a lot of people spend more than that on Starbuck's coffee in a month...

And with the cost of even minor body damage easily exceeding $1000 they will have paid for themself many times over if they keep you from hitting anything (even if its just a lamp post and not another car) . When you see the test reports of braking on ice being 2-3 car lengths shorter with dedicated studless snow thats nothing to sneeze at if there is another object in that 2-3 car length distance.

Now the cost would be different depending on how much you drive on a yearly basis and in the US the purchase price would be quite a bit lower.

And with most TW members being DIY'rs I dont see there being a great deal of issue with a season switchover.

 

what size are you running?

 

Duratracs vs dedicated winter tires.

https://www.autotrader.ca/editorial...after-trying-winter-tires-for-the-first-time/

 

Definitely some snow in the Uintas tonight, temps have dropped.
Second time this month we got hailed on pretty good at 6k feet today.
Eyeballing the General Grabber Arctic LT's (LT265/75R16 123R) for their second winter.

 

As an alternative in the same size is the Firestone's Winterforce 2 UV
$60 cheaper and same load range as regular (not LT/E load range).
No need for a 10 ply E rated tire on the tacoma

$155+ Firestone Winterforce 2 UV Tires

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tire...eSearch=false&fromCompare1=yes#RatingsReviews

 

If I was on road all year, I'd run a dedicated snow tire in the winter, however Spring and Fall I can end up in the bush with snow/ice in the morning and mud in the afternoon. That is why I run my Duratracs all year round but have them siped when I buy them. Still not as good as a dedicated snow/ice tire on ice, but better than the stock Duratracs.

 

And yes its early but being retired and will put on less than 200 miles till November 15th which is when the average temp is due to drop to around the recommended 7C point. I decided to swap over the new G075 snow today since i much prefer to do it when its warm and dry rather than cold and wet. One helpful additional step I do is to give the mounting points on the wheels a coat of anti seize. Make them just fall off the hubs when the wheel nuts are off rather than needing a little gentle persuasion.

These are 245/70/17's vs my summers 265/65/17

 

ASTM = American Society for Testing and Materials.

 

Winter tire sizing

https://www.tirerack.com/upgrade-garage/how-do-i-select-the-right-size-winter-snow-tires

 

Another option is to carry chains in the bush during the fall. That gives you some options if you go high or get a surprise snowstorm. After hunting season, it’s generally cold enough to put on the dedicated winters.

 

I carry those also, but I HATE putting on chains, too many jobs I've been on where I've had to put them on and off for the last 2km to the site.

 

I think the ultimate would be studded duratracs. Never had studded tires until last winter with my 22 corolla. Nokian hakk 10s were unbelievable.

I remember driving an hour home from work and not even realizing the hwy was pure ice, I kept thinking why the hell is everyone doing 60km/h. Then I hopped in my zr2 with 35in k02s to drive a couple miles to the gas station and thought I was going to die haha.

If I ever decide to have a second set of rims and tires I'm going the studded duratrac route.

 

Do any of you guys run oversized winters such as 33”?

 

LT 235/85R16 Toyo M-55. Winter snowflake emblem, and mounted on a set of OEM Off-road wheels from a 2nd gen. Technically only 32" OD, but still "Oversized" compared to stock.

In retrospect, I wish I had gotten them studded; next time for sure.
Still much better in winter than my MTs.

 

Snowflake symbol is no big deal

That alpine symbol tells you only about a minimum. Precisely, it guarantees these winter tires’ traction is at least 10-per-cent superior compared to all-season tires in the ASTM F1805 test.The test is conducted on medium-packed-snow surfaces, and only while accelerating in a straight line. No part is tested on accelerating or braking on ICE

May of the best breed of true snow tires achieve levels approaching 130 per cent [better than all-season]


https://driving.ca/features/feature...wcm/d9794e63-be62-48a2-a0b2-81517632d452/amp/

 

However, that doesn’t imply that “all” non-dedicated winters are only 10% better.
Some will be quite a bit more.

Real-world experience counts as evidence too. This is why we have reviews and discussion fora.

 

3pmsf is a big deal when in a road checkpoint

235/85/16 Duratrac (32") siped

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQAV5dm8e0Q