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Studded Mud Terrain Tires?

20K views 28 replies 18 participants last post by  Tango. 
#1 ·
I am bouncing around the idea of buying four more Pintlers and some mud terrain tires for winter snow driving (on and off road). The tires I have now are good enough, so the new tires would have to be able to accept studs. I don't really want to stud the same tires either, I want something that better clears itself in deep snow.

I am not having much luck searching the internet.

EDIT: I have GF Goodrich All Terrain TA KO now.
 
#2 ·
go with the duratraks. not mud terrains but they are awsome in snow and they are able to accept studs
 
#3 ·
Check out the Firestone destination M/T's. They are great in snow, and Land rover's tested and proven tire.

Not too mush $$$ either. I run them on my 10,000 lb Dodge ram diesel and they take a beating.



Review said....

When Rover Accessories, the premier California-based supplier of aftermarket products for the Land Rover family of SUVs, went looking for tires to outfit its fleet of project vehicles for the automotive show and off-road circuits, it looked to the Firestone brand's newest entry to the off-road market, the Destination (tm) M/T. The Firestone Destination M/T, introduced to the marketplace last fall by Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC (BFNT), is a full traction-depth tire featuring UNI-T® technology for excellent wet and mud handling. The tire features a square footprint and heavy-duty construction to protect it in the most extreme terrains, and has a high void to help clear debris from the tread.

Aside from marketing aftermarket products for Land Rovers, Rover Accessories builds specialty Rovers for individual buyers, and also is deeply involved in off-road racing and outdoors events in the western United States.

According to Charles D'Andrade, a founder and president of Rover Accessories, the company built three project vehicles which all ride on Firestone Destination M/T tires. The vehicles have garnered plenty of attention since their debut at last year's SEMA Show. They include: the FlyFisher 110, a Land Rover "Defender" model, designed as the ultimate luxury fly fishing purpose-built vehicle for getting off the beaten track in luxury with all the comforts available; the Hannibal 80, an everyday driver with a rooftop tent, which also can easily handle a trip out into the desert or to the mountains for isolated camping; and the Discovery Destination, designed for the urban weekend warrior to use for any number of adrenalin sports, including snowboarding, kayaking, surfing, mountain biking or rock climbing.

"The first major excursion where we used the Firestone Destination M/T tire was an overland trip for 4WD & Sport Utility Magazine, which included 10 very unique vehicles. The ride covered a varied terrain from very hot desert conditions to heavy snow in the Sierra Mountains," D'Andrade explained. "We ran the Firestone Destination M/T on our FlyFisher 110 and Hannibal SUVs, and of all the vehicles participating, the Destination tires performed perfectly - they were one of the very few tire brands that gave us no trouble whatsoever."

He added that in the mountains, the Firestone Destination M/Ts easily overcame more than a foot of snow, ice and slush, and came to be dubbed "The Black Snow Tire," because even in the deepest snow, the Destination M/Ts completely dispersed the snow, hence making the treads appear black.

Since that event, D'Andrade said he has subjected the tires to extensive road driving around Los Angeles, and has been impressed with their smooth, quiet highway ride.

"In fact, even in heavy rains, we had a hard time inducing any kind of skid with our FlyFisher 110, which doesn't have ABS braking systems. I was most impressed that the Destination M/Ts can hold the road in even the most slippery rain conditions."

D'Andrade also added that Rover Accessories built a Destination Discovery for an East Coast client, who runs a hotel in Washington, D.C. "This past winter, when the worst snowstorm to hit the capital in 20 years dumped 2 ½ feet of snow and effectively paralyzed the city, this person was able to act as a taxi to bring staff members into work, and also to ferry hotel guests around town, because the tires could get through almost anything," he said. "His hotel was completely booked, and his was the only vehicle on the roads besides the snow plows. He said the tires drove unbelievably well. We're sold on the Firestone Destination M/Ts."

Phil Pacsi, executive director, North American Consumer Tire Brand Marketing for Bridgestone/Firestone North American Tire, LLC, said he wasn't surprised to hear these stories about the Firestone Destination M/Ts' performance.

"These tires were purpose-built to perform in these extreme conditions," Pacsi said. "With the Firestone Destination M/T, we've been able to combine the most rugged off-road characteristics with a smooth, quiet highway ride, to give consumers a superior all-around, off-road tire."

Pacsi added that to date, the Destination M/T has been selling well above the company's initial expectations.
 
#6 ·
Winter tires need sipes or they are not very good on hardpack snow or ice. Studs are good, but wear down and will eventually loose their effectiveness. Mud tires suck in the winter - I know - I have been driving winters for 25 years, have owned 5 jeeps and our average annual snowfall here in Newfoundland is 16 feet.
 
#10 ·
:thumbsup: That's the tire I have now and I'm loving them here in Colorado.
 
#12 ·
I read something about tire testing said you don't want your snow tire to clear itself, like a good mud tire. Apparently, snow sticks to snow better than it sticks to rubber, so you want your snow tire to pack up. I'm not saying I know that, but it makes some sense to me. As in everything else, if you can afford to specialize for different parts of the year, you will do better. I like to run the same tires year round on my 4X4s, but I put winter studs on my wife's car since it's 2 wheel drive.

My personal experience has been that studs are good on any tire type, but it's the ice where studs matter. In deeper snow, it turns into clearance issues and how much traction you can get on the icy layer below. When I'm churning up dirt or gravel under there, I don't think the studs matter.

I'd like to see what 16 feet of snow throughout the winter would look like, but I imagine you get sick of it eventually. I used to love winters in the mountains of Eastern Oregon, but that's probably less than half the snowfall you mention.
 
#15 ·
If you want an off road tire that can be studded Id go with the General Grabber AT 2; they are very good in all conditions and are much cheaper than Duratracs (we've got 2 sets of AT2s on our Jeeps) . Just as an example in the 245/70-17 size I use on my WK the At2 is about 135 whereas the Duratrac is nearly 200!
 
#17 ·
Any thoughts on this tire for off road in the snow?



Goodyear MT/R With Kevlar
It's an asymmetrical design that delivers both aggressive and tame tread characteristics. On the outer edges, the pattern almost appears to be grooved-like a purposeful mud-bogging tire would be to add void spacing. On the inside however, there is a column of tightly packed tread blocks that maintain a seemingly continuous rib for street-friendly performance. The on-road manners are pleasant and relatively quiet, with none of the vibration or harshness we expect from tires with high void ratios. In the mud, the tread cleans well, and when aired down, the three-ply sidewall is flexible enough to envelope rocks the size of tennis balls. Speaking of sidewalls, Goodyear included Kevlar fibers to the MT/Rs sidewalls to add puncture resistance. If you want a mud tire that shines both on- and off-road, the MT/R with Kevlar is hard to beat.
Rating
Street: 3 stars
Heavy Rock: 4 stars
Sand: 3 stars
Snow: 3 stars
Mud: 4 stars
Ice: 2 stars

http://www.fourwheeler.com/how-to/wheels-tires/129-1204-4x4-tire-guide/
 
#20 ·
Another good choice if you want an LT "E" rated tire is the General Grabber Arctic LT. This is a deep treaded true LT snow tire that can be studded. And still cheaper than the Duratrac.

The Duratrac will be better off road but the Generals will be better in snow. Depends on what's more important in your use.
 
#21 ·
If you're looking for a daily driving type of tire that will do better in snow/winter driving than your BFG AT's, you need a dedicated SNOW tire. Get away from the old 'snow digger' tire addage, that's not what you need. Firestone sells the 'Winterforce' snow tire that is cheap and very popular, if not the best performing. You'll notice snow tires will be designed in some fashion just like your BFG AT's but with more siping and a softer compound. No circumferential grooves.

If you're looking for a play tire to dig through deeper snow and get to harder ground, a mud tire will certainly work well... but I get the jist that isn't what you're doing.
 
#23 ·
after many years working for a major tire company, I learned that studded tires are only good on sheet ice like they get in eastern WA. On this side of the state all they do is chew up the roads. If you want to run winter / snow / ice tires you would be better off something like a destination m/t. just my experience
 
#24 ·
Thanks for all the input, answers are all over the place.

My requirement is for a winter only snow tire with studs.

I have to traverse a 45 deg angle gravel road for a half kilometer covered with 2 feet of snow and ice, in and out of the village.

The verdict is still out, but still researching.
 
#25 ·
Where are you located? If in Europe, Eastern Europe, etc, try Nokain. They are the best you can get, for bad winter conditions. We used them on our past Subaru and our '98 Jeep. I got a set for my wife's new '17 Subaru and they are excellent. If you have steep hills with ice then you need studs. Studless tires can work well in areas that get little ice and mostly snow, or in more urban areas.
 
#26 ·
Newfoundland, Canada.
Not the normal, but this past winter, first snow in November, last snow in April. Ice from Dec-Feb.

I definitely want studs ( Allowed Oct 1).

I have about 40-45 deg angle on 2 hills in and out of the village.

I will look @ Nokain, thanks !
 
#27 ·
If you have ice that long, and studs are legal there (I think they are not legal in some Canadian Provinces like Ontario) then for sure the Nokian is what you want. They are expensive for sure, so much so that I wound up switching to General snows for my '07 because it takes a 17" tire, but Nokian's studs are different, and work better then the usual kind. We always said our Jeeps did not need snows so much to go, more so to stop, and turn safely. Go over to Nokian's website and read about the tech they use....

https://www.nokiantires.com/tires/suv-4x4-tyres/studded-tires/
 
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