Colorado B.S. Thread

I'm gonna light the fuse again and start the winter tire conversation.

I'm in the market for dedicated winter tires and I'm between the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 and the Nokian Tyres Hakkapeliitta R5 SUV.

I'm up in the mountains frequently during the winter, I drive I-70 but mainly to get me off the beaten path for backcountry ski access. I had a set of Blizzies on my last vehicle, an AWD Honda Element, but I just got a Tacoma recently and need a new set. I really like the Blizzaks but wasn't crazy about how quickly they were wearing.

So I ask, those that run dedicated winter tires, what do you like?

 

Here's an Oldie but a Goodie Winter Tire thread

The Hakka R5s look Dope - but the cost is bringing me down.

Blizzies for the Win based on past experiences on 3rd Gen T4R, 3rd Gen Taco, and sad to admit, a 1st Gen Ridgeline.

 

Use to run Blizzaks on the turd gen for the winter months before I bought ATs they were phenomenal between here and Tahoe and SLC several times several blizzards.

 

Toyo Observe GSi6, been using the Observe dedicated winters for 23 years on many different vehicles: Quattro, fwd, rwd.

 

I've had a bunch of sets of Blizzaks on cars and the Tacoma. They do wear quite a bit more quickly on the truck than my past cars. I'm assuming because of the weight of the Tacoma.

I've always wanted to try a set of Hakkapeliittas, but in the end I usually go for the cheaper option. Can't go wrong with either choice though.

 

Unless you live in the mountains, a dedicated winter tire will wear too fast. Road temps in the front range are too high and will wear them out super fast.

 

I think there is some truth in that statement, but that's not all of it. I had a set of Blizzaks on my VW Golf and they lasted forever, I think almost 8 winters.

 

I just know that if I ever got dedicated winter tires like blizzaks, it wouldn't snow more than some dust here...

 

I’m a little off my game with trail finding in Colorado. What apps/websites are the go tos now?

 

I have hakka 10 suv for Land crusier 100 series and with tread depth around 7/32 they are useless in icy conditions. looking at replacing with Blizzaks.

note 7/32 is half life for these tires

 

From my experience dedicated winter tires wear quickly if you’re driving them around town in temps 35 degrees or higher. They’re typically a softer compound.

 

this one is nice and clean. Offroad Trails in Colorado (trailsoffroad.com)

 

Yeah that’s what I noticed when I had the blizzaks on before. In the front range we would get some pretty warm days they would just wear away.
Fortunately I have another vehicle to commute with so they would be primarily used in the mountains on the taco.

 

My VW Golf is going on season 3 with studded GT Radials, they came on the car previously with little wear. They do awesome in winter

 

I’ll start this fight again, but studs just wear out the roads for y’all to complain about, increase stopping distance and provide less traction than stifles winter tires. Unless you’re on clean ice. That’s the only situation that studs provide better traction.

 

Yeah you and I argued it back and forth a bit, the data you had was 20+ years old IIRC that listed states such as Alaska banning studs which isn't true. Colorado roads aren't worn out from studded tires, it's the lack of maintenance from the state. This summer the main county road on my commute had a stretch of a few miles that look liked land mines went off. No one was cruisin around in studded tires this summer so it points to all the rain we had washing sand, dirt and other debris over the roads. 1 tiny pothole that doesn't get filled for weeks turns into a crater. In the winter the constant freezing and thawing of moisture in the little cracks breaks apart the roads. Doesn't matter if a studded tire hits the hole or an 18 wheeler, it all causes damage and erodes. There aren't enough studded tires on the roads to be the single cause of worn out roads. Our state just poorly manages our roadways

 

You guys switch tires in the winter?
I thought you just needed to switch the summer air for winter air.
Gotta loosen the lug nuts too so they don't freeze to the wheel when you need to change a flat.

 

Winter air is way too expensive in my area, chose to tear up roads instead