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Best road snow tire

7K views 96 replies 30 participants last post by  jeepjamesw1 
#1 ·
Hi,
I currently have Procomp 31x10.5r15LT tires and I am looking for a really good snow tire but also with good road performance. I have been told that skinnier in tires work better in the snow. I dont mind going to a skinnier tire as long as there is a better grip in snow. I live in buffalo ny and we ge a fair amount of snow, besides the the road plow buringing us in the end of the driveway. ANY SUGGESTION WOULD BE HELPFUL
Thank You
DWP
 
#36 ·
Blizzaks on the wifes FWD Saturn; work well up to 4-5 inches of snow then they struggle
Duratracs on the Jeep.. "what snow"? If it gets too deep then the chains go on.

Had BFG AT on my Z71, and they suck in the snow. Packed snow is ok, but ice or any kind of buildup it just slips and slides.
Changed to Fierce Attitudes which resemble the Duratrac tread but more open; haven't had a chance to play in snow yet but I think they will out do the BFG easily.
 
#39 ·
Re Buffalo NY. Wilson's argument for studs in Buffalo sounds like the heavy snow fall and deep snow since he keeps talking about Buffalo having heavy snow fall.

It already been well established that studs have the advantage on ice, but not deep snow. So WTF Wilson? What does deep snow have to do with studs? Nothing. It's ice where studs work better. For deep snow any Winter tire with or without studs would work well, and probably any Winter rated AT too.

If your argument for studs is for ice, then why do you keep going on about deep snow?
 
#40 ·
Like Charley, I also fail to see what advantage studs provide in deep snow. Hell, in SUPER deep snow, some people will actually switch to big, wide tires to try to stay on TOP of the snow. In extreme cases, they use tracks to really increase their contact area and to "float" on the snow, but I digress as these are strategies employed in northern Canada and Alaska, rarely anywhere else. Studs are for digging into ice, so how do the help you paddle through deep snow? Yes, if there is deep snow, there's likely to be ice here and there; where one goes, the other follows, but I fail to see how studs are as amazing as you (wilson) are conveying especially for an area with a very well-developed snow-removal infrastructure that also employs liberal use of road salt.

While I'm not from Buffalo, NY, I DO know what lake-effect snow is; I'm intimately familiar with it having grown-up walking distance from the Lake Michigan coast. Heck, I still live near the lake now. While I'm sure it's much more common downwind of the lakes in a place like Buffalo, I'm very experienced with what the lakes can do to the weather year-round and especially in winter. I just don't see the advantage of studs anywhere but places that are consistently icy, and I have seen real damage done by them other areas and here in WI in spite of our law prohibiting their use.

Studs have their place, and regardless of that, this thread really isn't about studs anyway. Many winter tires are studdable if the OP is allowed and wants to use them. Winter tires would still be wise with or without studs. If the OP can always manage to wait until the streets are plowed, then discussion of 96+ inches of annual snowfall is also moot because, once plowed, there's roughly the same amount of snow left on them in NY as there is in OH as there is in WI as there is in WA. I don't know for sure, but speaking from my experience, there are probably plenty of times that you can't wait for the plow, so Buffalo's snowfall is probably semi-relevant.
 
#43 ·
Despite your antics, you still know nothing about Buffalo weather.

Starting in December, Buffalo has snow on the ground almost continuously for two months. Rarely is a snowfall more than a foot or so, it does get moved around, pounded down by cars, sublimated into ice by the sun and then snowed on again.

All of your hypothecation about whether studs help in a massive snowfall is pointless drivel.
 
#44 ·
Despite your antics, you still know nothing about Buffalo weather.

Starting in December, Buffalo has snow on the ground almost continuously for two months. Rarely is a snowfall more than a foot or so, it does get moved around, pounded down by cars, sublimated into ice by the sun and then snowed on again.

All of your hypothecation about whether studs help in a massive snowfall is pointless drivel.
Or, you know, you could have explained your claims in a polite way instead of being insulting. While you may have lived in that area once upon a time, what I know to be true at this time is that someone from Cincinnati, OH is talking like he knows all things snow and arguing with, among others, a guy who's resided in various areas of Wisconsin for almost all of his life. I know that you get snow in southern OH. I also know that doesn't mean that you necessarily know what true Great Lakes snow is like similarly to how I'm a stranger to what high mountains or northern Canada and Alaska might be like...and how I'm a stranger to what it's like to experience snowfall in a more southern state with lesser infrastructure and more inexperienced drivers.

I may be wrong, but I'm fairly sure that Buffalo is no exception to the fact that NY is a liberal user of road salt. I highly doubt that there are many roads other than some country roads and small side streets that are covered in snow/compressed snow/ice for too long.

Until the OP or someone else from Buffalo actually steps in and lectures us on the nuances of their winters, I'm going to assume that my experiences living near a great lake are quite similar.

Charley said it's nothing personal, but this is neither the first nor the second time you've copped a major attitude in a thread to the point of being excessively argumentative and, much more importantly, deliberately insulting to other posters. Posters such as we may simply be trying to perpetuate a potentially enlightening discussion, but your conduct does seem to get slightly personal on a somewhat frequent basis. Part of discussions like these means there will be disagreements and incorrect assumptions--chill out and learn how to handle those situations better.
 
#45 ·
Let me throw one more thing in. If I were to be purchasing a snow tire that I wasn't going to stud, I wouldn't buy one that's studdable. From what I've been told by my tire supplier (I deal with lots of tires at work...in particular lots of snow tires), the studdable snow tires have a harder rubber consistency to help hold the stud into place once it's inserted. A harder rubber consistency isn't quite as good on snow and ice...doesn't flex as well. So if you're not planning on studding your snows, then it maybe in your favor to not purchase a studdable snow tire.
 
#49 ·
I agree with what you said, if the tire is to be used only for Winter.

However, I like to run a Winter tire year round. All the year round usable Winter tires I've seen are studdable. They do well enough for me on ice and very well on snow, and I can use same tires and wheels year round.

Examples of what I like for year round (without studding them) are Hankook Ipike, Hercules Avalance Xtreme, and Cooper MS.
 
#46 ·
The choice of tires is very regional I guess. But usually studless winter tires are pretty good on ice and hard packed, some are good in deep snow, like Blizzak DM-V1 (I experienced them it the last few days is real deep snow (over two feet)), some others are bad like Michelin X-Ice, and they are usually average in slush.

Winter studdable are usually very good in deep snow and slush, obviously good on ice and hard packed, but only when the temp is around freezing point, lower than -10C studless are becoming better on ice than studdable.

For me with the temperatures and snow we get and living near town, Blizzak DM-V1 were a good choice. If I were further away from town, I would have went with either dedicated studable winter tires or even studded Duratracs.

Basically you need to know what you will have to deal with.
 
#51 ·
Honestly it depends on what kind of snow your driving on. Onroads its mostly plowed icy and compacted snow, so a skinny tire is nice because it will go down to the pavement layer and grab grip. If your on unplowed mountain roads or out in the country a wider tire would be my reccomendation.

I Second the use of the BFG A/T tires, i had a set of 33" x 12.50, they were wide enough that they would glide ontop of snow, which is great untill you want to stop. you slide alot more.
with two open diffs too. here's a video
 
#60 ·
WOW, I'm totally surprised to see that Buffalo averages such low snow numbers, <100". I honestly thought it would be more. I guess it is a bit south compared to my lake effect upbringings of North West MI and the UP, >150". For what it's worth, my Silent Armours did fine there. They also do well here in CO when I venture up to the land of over 300".
 
#61 ·
I think most people think Denver has a lot of snow. At 55" it is less than Cleveland, Ohio and half of what Syracuse is. In fact, Buffalo is number 9 among all cities of 50k population.

Certainly, there are mountain locations in Colorado that get a lot of snow. But, I doubt any tire will help in a single snowfall more than twice the under chassis axle clearance. That's probably the limiting factor that means the most.
 
#64 ·
Canadian poking its nose in this here... Any winter tire make night and day difference from a mud terrain while it will still make significant difference from an "all-season." My modo in the winter is drive slower and break earlier. I ride on MT's all year long without problem and drive all-seasons in the VW all year long. We dont get the same snow fall as buffalo but we have harsher longer winters with high winds where the asphalt is ice even when there isnt ice on it. Then when the winds blow the snow across it really gets icy. All in all any one of these winters tires that has been named with work much better than a conventional "all-season" or what have you. Use the not so common, common sense and drive slower and break sooner, get yourself a blizzak or firestone what ever and all will be just fine if you can drive. The BEST tire depends on everyones experiences and opinions but fact is most winter tires will accomodate anyone.
 
#68 ·
That looks like my Shale Green '04 Rubi. I see you have a 2" BDS and are running 31" MTR/Ks. I assume they are 265/75x16s, which are closer to 32" at 31.9" making the lift necessary. Couple questions: Do you find the load Es are too harsh? Why did you choose MTR/K over Duratracs, which are available in load C and are supposedly better in snow than the MTR/K?
 
#69 ·
They are actually 245/75x16. When disconnected before the 2" BDS they would rub the flares. I should have properly bump stopped my set up but I was younger then and didnt much care. The 2" BDS was just the beginning before a highline but life came along and slowed that down in a hurry. I chose the mt's E rating because I was younger and wanted mt's... also I got what I considered to be a pretty good deal on them. In all honesty when these tires have seen there day and are bald I will be switching to duratracs for exactly those reasons. I dont get into that crazy of mud and the duratrac will perform that much better in the snow.

As for riding on E ratings I run at 20psi when the ice gets bad and in the mornings I usually have severe flat spots from sitting all night. I am not sure how much that would change with other ratings though, low PSI and -40C temperatures its going to happen. During the summer I run 26-28PSI and my rig basically has nothing on it but a winch. I dont find them to ride rougher or anything but ive only ever had swampers to compare to other than these BFG At's which were on it when I got the rig.

The MTR was a " WOOOO MUD TIRES" not an actually thought out plan. I will be switching to duratracs in the next year or two.
 
#70 ·
They are actually 245/75x16. When disconnected before the 2" BDS they would rub the flares. I should have properly bump stopped my set up but I was younger then and didnt much care. The 2" BDS was just the beginning before a highline but life came along and slowed that down in a hurry. I chose the mt's E rating because I was younger and wanted mt's... also I got what I considered to be a pretty good deal on them. In all honesty when these tires have seen there day and are bald I will be switching to duratracs for exactly those reasons. I dont get into that crazy of mud and the duratrac will perform that much better in the snow.

As for riding on E ratings I run at 20psi when the ice gets bad and in the mornings I usually have severe flat spots from sitting all night. I am not sure how much that would change with other ratings though, low PSI and -40C temperatures its going to happen. During the summer I run 26-28PSI and my rig basically has nothing on it but a winch. I dont find them to ride rougher or anything but ive only ever had swampers to compare to other than these BFG At's which were on it when I got the rig.

The MTR was a " WOOOO MUD TIRES" not an actually thought out plan. I will be switching to duratracs in the next year or two.
Interesting about the flat spots after only going down to 20 psi. I don't do that, successfully running 30 psi on snow/ice with E load Grabber AT2s, which I also don't find to be unbearably rough riding. I plan to go to 15" by next Spring to get more C load choices, rather than going to C load 16" Duratracs on the Moabs, which are really too wide for the narrow 245/75x16.
 
#76 ·
For on road, GY Duratracs + smart driving skills. Else a Subaru with winter specific tires...

For off road, if the snow isn't too deep - AT or MT pizza cutters work well with 8-10 psi. I've noticed that I don't struggle as much with my 33x10.5 KM2s compared to those that run 33x12.5 KM2s. The narrow tires dig down to where the traction is.

Deep snow? Floatation, bigger and wider tires, horsepower, high belly, locked diffs all work in your favor...
 
#81 ·
I have the wally world knock off duratrac's on my truck. When I got it, it had duratrac's and I only saw 30k out of them and they were 500 miles old when I got it. I have over 40k on my cheapo's and they knock the dura's d!ck in the dirt. Still sitting at enough tread to last until next winter.
They are softer and have more sipes and grab traction on anything. The sidewall leaves a lot to be desired, But I have never had a flat. For the money, The mileage, Traction And ease of replacement as every other block has a walmart, I couldn't be happier.
 
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