tires for winter? Is there acutally a size preference?

[Pookster]

I saw someone's posting on another link, but it was about using smaller tires for winter. Here I was thinking about using 35" MT's all winter, but I still have some stock 31" AT's (and tire chains to go with them). What do you all think? Keep the 35's, or use the 31's?

 

[70~K5]

If you have a heavy truck then tall and skinny so they did down. If you have a light truck the wide and float on top. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

 

[tRustyK5]

That's great advice for mud...for snow, narrow with lots of sipes and edges is where it's at. The wieght of the vehicle doesn't factor in too much unless you're talking over 2 feet of snow.

Snow sticks to snow (think snowball) and an AT has miles of little grooves that pack with snow and create traction. A narrow tire will put more pressure on the contact patch too.

Rene

 

[MudNurI]

yuppers- skinny tires is how they go around here for winter- and sure enough we get tons of snow...

I'm going to be putting on probably 265's..they are going to look /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif but I'll be movin in the snow....trucks around here look goofy in the winter...guess I'll join um

Brandy

 

[trouble1]

I've been playing in Steamboat Springs CO for years and now live here. I run BFG AT's 33X10.5X15's and am happy with how they do in the snow. I have to drive over 100 miles each way to work 6 days a week...and its all on "back" roads that have been under snow several times already this year. I highly reccomend going as skinny as you can handle. 12.5's will float acccross the snow and, wel C" ya!!
Hope this makes sense to ya, and good luck with whatever you decide. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif

 

[Pookster]

Heh, so my question then for you guys is.. is there an optimal balance? Like over 2ft snow put on 35'x12.5's, anything less, put on 31x10.5? I dont mind particularly swapping them, though having 31's on a 4" lift does look a little silly at points. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
/forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif

 

[tRustyK5]

For deep snow I'd go with 35" mudders...deep snow is a lot like mud. Any street driving in the snow i'd go smaller and narrower though. My 35x12.5" Grabber MT's did well up to about 30" of snow...but as soon as the trail got packed down they sucked.

The ideal for deep stuff would be something like a 35-37" MT and some chains just in case /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Rene

 

[kennyw]

Skinny tires are much better in ice and snow (highway use). Most wide tires will send you floating/sliding on ice and snow.

As always watch out for advice on snow tires from someone in CA /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif

 

[Pookster]

Buhahahaha.. I guess I should have looked at that. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Man, I never though I'd have my parents garage filled with tires. My dad thinks Im opening up a tire shop. From the 4 sets of rims for my mustang, to my 3 sets for my truck.... the garage smells like rubber!

 

[HarryH3]

When I lived in Massachusetts I had a set of Q78/15 Dick Cepek Mud Country tires on my '77 K5. They had a very agressive tread and were 36 inches tall but the tread was only about 9 inches wide. Those things worked great for the slushy slop that usually fell in that part of the country. There are still a few tires available in Q78 sizes so you can have a tall tire that's still skinny enough to dig. Mud tires can also be siped to get a better grip on the snow and ice. But nothing beats a good set of tire chains when the going gets really tough. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif