Snow Tires on a rear wheel drive SR

So winter has decided to become a real thing here in Missouri this year. Past years have been very limited to small amounts of snow, some ice, but really no big thing. Anyway I was thinking about purchasing two extra wheels for the back, put some snow tires on them and mount them for the 3-4 months we have winter. My question is will this help my rear wheel drive SR in the snow? Can't imagine it would hurt, but before I sink real money in this I thought I would get some feedback.

 

Some improvements should be expected yes. Add weight too and you Get better take off traction. Won’t help with stopping.

 

You should run all 4. Would you wear only 1 shoe every day if you have 2 feet? It is just as important to have handling and braking traction as it is to have drive traction. I would get a set of steelies and dedicated snow tires. Simpletire has Sumitomo Ice Edge in 265/70/16 for $88 right now. Mine are on their way along with these steelies from Amazon.

 

From a person who experiences five months of winter every year:
- winter tires are safer in temperatures below 5 C (40 F) whether there is ice or snow on the road or not.
- best to go with winter tires all around, not just on the drivers, so you will have similar traction on all four.

 

Always run 4 winter tires! The best investment you can make for yourself and others during winter driving. Even the cheapest winter tires are superior to any M+S and Mud tires. There are 3 Peak rated tires which are better than M+S but not a true winter tire, BFG KO2 is one example.

Two winter tires in the rear will cause more understeer. And much less braking.
Two winter tires in the front will increase oversteer. Both very dangerous.

 

Get a couple steel studded snow tires...their legal in your state.

My dad had a pair on a 66 Ford Fairlane. I was driving it and got caught out in the blizzard of 1978.

I swear I passed 2 CJ's on inclines that they never made it up.

 

IMO, forget the studs. All they do is chew up the roads when there is no ice or snow. Get a set of really good winter tires such as Michelin X-Ice for all four wheels. There are other brands of really good winter tires but the Michelins come with a 40,000 mile warranty, only one that does.

 

We run Blizzaks half the year up here in BC.
Get four - especially if you like turning and stopping.

 

Few bags of sand in the back will greatly help in the snow / ice

FYI
The wranglers that come standard on the TRDORs are snow rated AT tires. Mine have been great this winter. May be cheaper to get a set of take-offs if you wanted to do all 4. These are larger tires than the SR though

 

So six people over 300 miles north of the mason Dixon line said snow tires. They need them for sure. For you, technically in the South with generally mild winters, is it a good investment to have them sitting around in the garage dry rotting? Your call. My situation living in nc is about the same as yours. I debated on wildpeak and cooper 4s because of the snow rating on each. One tire year around. Feel more than adequate in all of our conditions. One person in Florida said studded tires based on am experience in 1979. I can't even......

 

In many places it is ILLEGAL to run less than 4 snow tires. Problem is you get better traction from one end which makes a crash mores likely and much harder to recover from a loss of traction. Trust me on this one. I bought 2 snows for a 97 Civic I had because they only had 2 and they were going to do the other 2 when more stock came in. Hit black ice and the rear came around on me. Problem was the front stuck like glue. So as I tried to steer with the front the rear would wag the tail of the car and never fully recovered. I lined it up for a snow bank in the ditch and had to pull back due to a guy on the on-ramp not seeing me coming. I spun and went into a concrete barrier. Had I had worn tires all around or full snows on all 4 the outcome wouldn’t have been a crash. From initial loss of traction until the crash I had travelled almost 2km trying to regain control.

I know many cheap pricks will argue the need for snow tires. They are superior traction. So check your crash deductible and the cost of snows and choose. It’s your wallet and your truck.

 

I like all the suggestions especially going with all four snow tires, I may look for some wildpeak or cooper 4's one tire all year round.

 

I have wildpeaks and yeah they are pretty good in snow but if I were you I would just get snow tires, snowflake rated all terrains are not even close when your driving on ice. My dads highlander has blizzaks and handles like its on rails in the shittiest of road conditions.

 

the wrangler duratracs are amazing me so far this winter. i usually would have snow tires on but these impressed me so i didnt switch this year. and its been dumping this winter!

 

Please try!

I lived in Cincinnati 42 years, and have experienced driving in some major snow and ice. I'd love to learn your extreme knowledge on what I've done wrong all those years.

Plus I have no clue what an "am experience" is.

Thanks in advance.

 

Two more from extreme winter climates saying snow tires. I used to live in cape girardeau Missouri. The winters are a complete different animal. A few of those guys have to have block heaters for winter too. You certainly don't need that. I am not knocking anyone. Just saying you probably don't need the same as they do. But the bottom line is that it isn't about being cheap its about being practical and whatever makes you feel safe. The i can't even was a joke sorry you took offense "got any quaaludes". Never said i was an expert. Never even made a suggestion. Offered my experience. But thank you for the typing lesson also. Best of luck Shelglass. But i would ask your neighbors what they run. And get whatever makes you feel safe.

 

I don't get offended.

Just from experience, other than chains, studded snow tires work better than anything in snow and ice.

 

If I lived in the mild winter states I would simply run a tire with the severe service rating and call it a day.

BFG KO2's and AT3W's are the first tires that come to mind, they are heavier but perform great on snow and cold weather.

Duratracs don't work well in winter on these trucks, they need weight to function properly. I ran separate winters from my duratracs because of this.

Stud's are all but obsolete now, only the best studded tires come close to standards like the Blizzak. Most truck tires that are studded are made from firm hard compounds that either have traction, or lose it completely. For a true winter, you want a soft compound.

 

I live in central British Columbia a use a dedicated snow/ice tires on all 4 corners from late October to Mid March. I monitor the weather and mount the snow/ice tires when temp is 8 C (46 F) or colder. Anything warmer the snow tires wear quickly. I've never used studded tires I think it's noisy.

 

Nokian's tend to come highly rated if you are talking about true winter/snow/ice tires. Problem is finding a Nokian dealer.