3peak winter tires

[Mwittke5857]

This is probably common knowledge among most forum members, but for those that may not be aware...

In addition to the tread pattern, snow traction is a function of the rubber compound and tire width.

Most tires (except for 3PMSF) have a compound that becomes relatively hard in cold temps. An aggressive off-road tire may be great in dirt and mud, but there's a good chance it will not perform well in ice & snow.

Width is also important. Under most conditions, wider = better performance (within reason). However, for snow-covered pavement, narrow tires perform better, because they are more likely to cut through to the road surface, rather than riding on top of the snow.

For example -- I was driving home from work one night around 11 PM. I-270 had a good 5-6" of snow on it. I was in my little '93 Nissan NX2000 (with about 4-5" of ground clearance) and narrow winter tires. The only other vehicle in sight was a lifted Suburban with what appeared to be huge off-road tires. I was in lane 1, and the Suburban was in lane 4. As I was slowly passing him, he sped up. I didn't want to be behind him so I sped up. We went back and forth like that for about a minute until the Suburban began to fishtail and then did a few 360's before coming to rest backwards, up against the Jersey wall.

To a point, I agree narrow tires will "dig" but after getting stuck with "diggers" on my old CJ5 several times, I went with MT's Baja's in 14-33-15s (14-wide, 33 tall, 15 rim) I prefer "floatation" tires for mud and deep snow. Provided you do not "high-center" your rig, you'll float and go Again, it's a personal preference gained through personal experience.

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[sajohnson]

To a point, I agree narrow tires will "dig" but after getting stuck with "diggers" on my old CJ5 several times, I went with MT's Baja's in 14-33-15s (14-wide, 33 tall, 15 rim) I prefer "floatation" tires for mud and deep snow. Provided you do not "high-center" your rig, you'll float and go Again, it's a personal preference gained through personal experience.

It comes down to the specific conditions. It would have been more accurate for me to write:

"However, for [moderately] snow-covered pavement, narrow tires perform better, because they are more likely to cut through to the road surface, rather than riding on top of the snow."

We've had 'nor'easters' that dump up to 30" of snow. Under those conditions, on unplowed roads, it would definitely be better to have wide tires that float as much as possible. Narrower tires will perform worse, because the vehicle will be resting on the snow, preventing them from contacting the pavement.

What is much more common around here is a few inches of snow. The county does a good job clearing the roads, and for the 24-36 hours they are still snow-covered, narrower tires work best. Other parts of the country deal with a lot more snow, and roads that may not be plowed at all. In that case, wider tires are probably better.

Before I retired, I used to be fanatical about having the best tires for the conditions on my WRX. Our winter temps often range above and below freezing. We can get a decent amount of snow, or none at all. Even the best winter tires are fair/poor at wet & dry braking, and their wet & dry handling is mediocre as well. So I would swap the 3-season performance tires on if no snow or ice was forecast and it was going to be relatively warm. Sometimes I'd swap them several times during the winter.

I mention that by way of saying that without having 2-3 sets of tires, it's difficult to impossible to always have the best tire for the conditions. If we got a lot more heavy snow, I'd want some wide winter tires as well as narrow ones -- although the widest tire that will fit on a stock BS is not much wider than OE.

 

[Mwittke5857]

It comes down to the specific conditions. It would have been more accurate for me to write:

"However, for [moderately] snow-covered pavement, narrow tires perform better, because they are more likely to cut through to the road surface, rather than riding on top of the snow."

We've had 'nor'easters' that dump up to 30" of snow. Under those conditions, on unplowed roads, it would definitely be better to have wide tires that float as much as possible. Narrower tires will perform worse, because the vehicle will be resting on the snow, preventing them from contacting the pavement.

What is much more common around here is a few inches of snow. The county does a good job clearing the roads, and for the 24-36 hours they are still snow-covered, narrower tires work best. Other parts of the country deal with a lot more snow, and roads that may not be plowed at all. In that case, wider tires are probably better.

Before I retired, I used to be fanatical about having the best tires for the conditions on my WRX. Our winter temps often range above and below freezing. We can get a decent amount of snow, or none at all. Even the best winter tires are fair/poor at wet & dry braking, and their wet & dry handling is mediocre as well. So I would swap the 3-season performance tires on if no snow or ice was forecast and it was going to be relatively warm. Sometimes I'd swap them several times during the winter.

I mention that by way of saying that without having 2-3 sets of tires, it's difficult to impossible to always have the best tire for the conditions. If we got a lot more heavy snow, I'd want some wide winter tires as well as narrow ones -- although the widest tire that will fit on a stock BS is not much wider than OE.

And having multiple sets of tires/wheels for every condition gets expensive real quick. That's why I research before I make any purchase of (most) items weighing the pros & cons for my application and conditions

 

[MAGPLM]

I switched out my Pirellis at 17K for Falken AT3Ws. The Pirellis weren't that good in the snow and they had lost a lot of tread by 17K. The Falkens are a little louder and mileage has gone down a little -- but the added traction is worth it in my opinion. I will be looking at the new Falken AT4Ws for my full size Bronco when the time comes.

I did the same thing last fall on both my Badlands and my Maverick FX4! Falkens are an Awesome tire. AT3W's are the best for cold climate snow areas with ice possibilities.

 

[MAGPLM]

I just put General Altimax 365AW's on mine, there're quiet and we good in snow on a Subarum I expect the same on the BS.

These are an Awesome All Season tire as well. We just put our second set on my Son's 2014 Escape SE. These tires handle the Snow and Ice wonderfully.

 

[sajohnson]

And having multiple sets of tires/wheels for every condition gets expensive real quick. That's why I research before I make any purchase of (most) items weighing the pros & cons for my application and conditions

No doubt.

I research most purchases to death also.

Just to be clear, I did not suggest that people purchase "...multiple sets of tires/wheels for every condition..." However, for those who want to take full advantage of their vehicle's capabilities, and maximize safety, having one additional set of tires (2 sets total) is a good idea.

There are plenty of demos on YT (and CR) of the difference in stopping distance of various winter, "all-weather" and all-season tires on snow and ice. It is significant, shocking in some cases.

It does cost a bit more, but not as much as it might seem at first glance, because the miles get distributed between the sets of tires. So the owner ends up paying essentially the same amount for tires. The only real additional expense is the extra set of wheels.

Somewhere here recently I mentioned that the Michelin Cross Climate is a good compromise for people who live in areas with light to moderate snow. We have them on our RAV4 -- but they are a compromise. We also have dedicated winter tire for it. There are better winter tires than the Michelin CC and definitely better performance/"summer" tires.

As with so many subjects there is a scale -- a range of options. In the case of tires it might be from buying the cheapest made in China all-season tires and running them down to the wear bars (or beyond) to having a rack full of tires mounted on wheels for various conditions: deep sand; mud; rock crawling; ice; deep snow off-road; deep snow on-road; UHP summer tires; racing slicks, etc.

IMO, 2 sets is enough, but I'm sure there are people out there who have a garage that looks like a tire shop.

To each their own. In my case, because of the climate here, and being forced to drive in all conditions -- 75 to 100 miles per day -- (before I retired) having a set of dedicated winter tires mounted and ready to go made sense. The Michelin CC did not exist (and I would not have been happy with it on my WRX) and so-called "all-season" tires were a very poor compromise. So my 3-season tires were the Michelin Pilot Sport and the winter tires were Michelin X-ice. There are probably better choices now.

Needless to say, drivers in the Sun Belt, or where snow is very rare -- or those who can wait to drive until the roads are cleared -- don't have that need.

 

[KrisO]

I decided to go with the Michelins. I ran on defenders with 2009 escape hybrid and the got me out of Alta after an interlodge not problems while 4Runners were stuck.

 

[KrisO]

I’m going with the Michelins I ran those on my 2009 hybrid Escape. They got me out of Alta while the 4 runners were spinning wheels after an Interlodge.

 

[Major Kong]

I run Celsius II on the subie
Sparkplug is garaged over the winter
real quiet nice road hugger

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