Big winter tires

After being on AT's for quite a few years I made the jump to an MT for the summer and I am not sold on the idea of running them year round.

So far my search has resulted in the largest offerings being a 285/70r17. But the goal would be to find somthing in a 295/70 305/70 or maybe a 285/75.

I end up driving on lakes a fair bit so I want that bigger flotation foot print but I want a bit better ice performance on the highways.

Studding an AT is still an option but in the foothills here you end up wearing studs out so fast as the chinooks clear the roads so often. So those studs may last 1 season then that benefit Is gone.


So maybe someone on here has seen some sort of option that I have missed.

 

My experience is the wide winter tires suck, they are never available in good brands, and the width works against them, they tend to wander and get sucked into the ditch more easily. I recently tried a set on a new tundra and my 245's were much more stable and tracked straighter.

Studded duratracs might be your only choice in 17" at 295 70 17

That said a 265/70R17 true winter would kick the crap out of it. And for footprint on a lake, just deflate. Nothing compares to a true winter.

 

After running the truck on 265's and 285's in the same tire (both at 10psi) there is a drastic difference in flotation properties. That 265 winter may well outperform it on the highway but once your on anykind of heavy wet snow that you don't want to dig into the larger footprint does you a world of favors.

 

In case some one else ends up looking for the same thing I did find a true winter studded tire from Nokian available in bolth 285/70r17 and 315/70r17 the hakapellita LT3



I'm currently between these and a set of studded G017 in 285

 

Maybe I misunderstood and you’re looking for dedicated winter tires but if not, I have been running the General Grabber ATX for about 40K miles now and I’m extremely pleased.

I will probably buy them again when this set wears out. They’re an aggressive AT tire and I have seen some refer to them as a hybrid tire. They are 3PMS rated and also studdable.

They might fit the bill for you. They have crushed every sort of terrain I’ve driven them through.

 

I ran a set of the previous generation grabber AT2's on my old ranger and they were decent but preffered my duratracs for winter use that have run on 3 different trucks now. I'm looking for the larger size for better floatation when I'm on the lakes but still have the studs to save my ass on the iced over highways. Put on alot of KM for ice fishing.

 

I have a set of the 285/70R17 Nokian Tires w/studs that see duty on my Land Cruiser. Excellent tires, very happy. Pics or measurements if you are interested.

 

A bit unorthodox, but could do a 275/60r20 or the like....33" Since snows are so soft using the extra rim for rigidity might be nice...and bling-bling lol

 

For those of us that air down a 20 is not an option. Sidewall>wheel

After looking at the LT3 and weighing the options I landed on studded G017's they seem to have a super soft compound compared to alot of winter rated AT tires and I wanted the security of that stupid strong yoko geoshield casing. The lt3 looked good but that sidewall did not inspire confidence for winter wheeling out here.

 

Never seen those before....they look great, and seem like theyd be at least sufficient for snow duty.