Falken Wildpeak Winter & Off Road Performance

I live in colorado and end up on rocky side roads every few weeks. Additionally I take the truck up skiing during the winter. Debating whether I should go with a dedicated winter tire or one that is acceptable at everything. The tires that I am considering are the Falken Wildpeak as the Swiss Army Knife and the Blizzak for the winter tires.

What are the thoughts about the winter performance when compared to a dedicated winter tire? How do the Falkens do in winter?

Second big question, should I go with the standard load or e load rating? I have a topper, dobinsons 2 inch list and roof top tent so I am a bit concerned with the fuel economy hit on the E rated tires. I am also concerned about the off road performance of the standard load rating. I do some light wheeling but not any true rock crawling.

 

They do alright. Haven’t got stuck yet
The standard load is more than enough.
The E load will ride harsher

 

The standard load have the winter compound rubber, better in the cold. The LT version have deeper siping, a little better off road, but not what you need for winter performance.

There really is no comparison between a dedicated winter tire and an all-terrain, so your question isn’t really wether the performance is close enough to justify it. Your real question is am I willing to go through the expense of two sets of wheels/tires or the inconvenience of changing snow tires to all terrains every winter, or not?

The best performing solution is two sets of tires. The most convenient solution is to use the all terrains. Your call

 

Hey, @Shellshock .

Myself, I am enjoying the SL Wildpeaks. I've only had them for 2wks though. Killer on the road, wet or dry.

Like was said above, only the SLs get the winter rating.

 

I’ve been running SL wildpeaks for about 18 months now and they’ve been exceptional in all the conditions I’ve put them through both on road and off. We had a terrible winter here last year and they were great

 

You have a Tacoma. Pretty sure you could run anything year round.

 

Exactly the most stereotypically incorrect answer from someone that drives a 4x4...

4 wheel drive, ground clearance, and fancy electronics does nothing to improve the friction coefficient.

 

Ok you take your car and I'll take my Tacoma. We'll see who gets further in a foot of snow.

 

Reading comprehension is great in this one ^

 

You're so much smarter than everyone. Enlighten me wise one, wtf are you trying to add?

 

4x4 does nothing to improve braking or cornering performance when under deceleration. It does not magically improve/create friction between each tire and the road surface.

Sure you can accelerate faster, but it doesn’t help anywhere else..you know in doing the things that are actually important when driving. ie: stopping and obstacle avoidance.

The point a lot of people are trying to make is there is no substitute for a proper winter tire. Sure you can get by on all seasons as most of us do, but you’ll always be compromising when compared to a true winter tire.

 

Running Wildpeak AT3W on mine in Montana. Coming into winter two. Last year was pretty mild though. No real complaints thus far.

I have the E-Load and I don't think they're "harsh on the highway". I think stiff tires are harsher OFF the highway on bumps...

 

4x4 with a decent 3PMSF tire rating and a set of cables or chains will be much better for anyone. A dedicated winter tire is usually worse for dry roads, braking and anything but bad weather.

 

if you have worn down highway tires and I get snow tires I’ll put as much money as you want on this any winter you’d like.



As a further aside, FWD is BETTER than RWD which is what most of us run on the highway, when you hit ice.

OP, I’ve used my wildpeaks through three winters and the standard load are the way to go in snow. Best AT I’ve used for snow AND daily driving combo. When these wear down I’ll be getting more of the same. Great tire.

Get them and be happy you have a great all arounder. IF, after a winter or two, you don’t feel confident in their winter traction in the mountains, simply get some steelies with winter specific tires to keep in the garage. No real cost outside of the steelies since both sets of tires will wear at the same rate and last longer thanks to the switching out.

 

This is not my experience at all.

At low speeds 4x4 has in fact made my truck less squirrelly on icy roads. Allowing thre front tires to PULL in the direction they're pointed, when they get bite, is not the same as them simply rolling.

Having 4x4 engaged also creates more driveline friction which helps along with engine braking to decelerate without extensive braking (which can cause a sudden loss of traction).

 

Below 7 degrees Celsius (44.6F) winter tires will perform better on dry roads as well.

Sure, 3PMSF rates tires will perform adequately. Chains and cables are also great, but that wasn’t the OP’s question.

 

If you have space for a dedicated winter tire go for it. I have been running Blizzak for 2 winters you won't be disappointed. I install them once the outdoor air temp. stays below 45 due to the soft rubber compound.

 

We have two Toyota 4x4s right now, but when one finally dies (could be a while...) the plan is a small Subaru with winter tires for our winter trips and keep a real 4x4 for the other three seasons that we get real miles put in.


There’s no substitute for Blizzaks when it comes to all terrains. I really like my Falkens (the standard rating with winter compound, not the LT rated without the better winter compound) and they’re my new favorite tire I’ve ever run. Perfect compromise between off road, highway, and snow driving. Compound is even a little soft for the rock. Wore out quick while we hit the desert for a month/6,500 miles, but worth the winter performance.

but again, it’s not a question of performance between the two tires. Not even close. Winter tires and wildpeaks aren’t in the same ball park. The main question is simply do you want to switch wheels/tires twice a year or not deal with it?

 

I run E load wildpeaks at3w as my summer set up and blizzak dm-v2s.

The E loads run just fine in summer on the highway i did a 3000km road trip with my lady and she didnt complain about comfort and thats saying something where i live i usually have a few weeks crossover when it gets cold and snowy/icy it happens fast. the wildpeaks perform decently on snowy roads but on ice they really dont like to stick.

The blizzaks are great in snow/ice i drove all last winter with no weight in the back and had no issues very good tire in any winter conditions i opted for a skinnier winter tire and have zero regrets.

i know guys that run wildpeaks and k02s in winter and they seem to be decently happy but ive always liked having 2 sets of rims and tires

 

Soft snow is a blast to drive in, lots of tires do great.
Its the black ice, frosty corners in the shade, icy bridge decks, and hard pack wet icy snow thats a problem.