Winter Weight For Traction?

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Jermu

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Agree with everything you said. Snow tires are a gimmick. I would only consider them where studs aren’t allowed. You need metal to penetrate ice.

I also strongly agree about treated roads. I hate them. Only makes for a slushy mess and a false sense of security. I’ll take a nice packed road any day.

I don't know what kind of winter tires you have there, but I have to disagree on that bit, as these days winter tires are almost equal to studded ones - this being on normal cars tho, not trucks. Also they do treat the roads here in the southern parts, but usually too much, too late. Thankfully the salt ain't bitten into my truck yet, but my old Merc was getting pretty crusty...
 

F4U-1A

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Hey! My wife thinks I am a stud (not) 30 years ago. If I could move 60 miles north of here I could legally have studded all weather bitching take on Canada weather tyres. That being said, what the F with the weather in Bills Land? I remember in the 70s Buffalo got hit and all the Climate Experts said the ice age is a coming! PBS.
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skylark

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For tires, get studs if you want to see improvement. Snow tires are a gimmick. You need metal to penetrate the ice. Of course in the worst conditions, there’s no substitute for chains.
Let me correct this for you. Without a doubt studded snow tires are the best tire for snow/ice conditions.

You are flat wrong on snow tires being a gimmick. Cheap snow tires are just that and are a marginal improvement over a 3 mountain snowflake rated tire. A quality snow tire is another story. I personally feel that Nokian makes the finest snow tire in the world.
As far as no substitute for chains that is great for forward traction in snow but for cornering or braking forget it if ice is under that snow, chains will just slide. A legitimate snow tire will out perform in all around snow and ice conditions.



Old car and driver test of the studless R2.
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15102773/best-snow-tires-for-winter/
This is the R3 studless actually beating the Hakka 9 studded.
https://www.guideautoweb.com/en/articles/57695/
 

skylark

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I recommend you take a look at Nokian tires. I know, I know, a Finn recommending a Finnish product, but let me tell ya, winter tires from a land of ice and snow usually have to be at least halfway decent to even survive out here... Just make sure they're the actual Finnish versions, not the ones made in the USSR, as those tend to... offer a little less performance... Anyhow, while I don't have personal experience with the Rotiiva AT+ models, I am planning on getting those for my next set of allyear tires. I do have proper studded Nokias tho for when we get an actual winter here in the south, but for example last winter I didn't have to put those on, went with my old worn M+S Hankooks all year...
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The rotivas are a soft tire. They're typically rated at 60k miles and that won't happen. You get about 50k on an empty 1500 with perfect rotations and alignment. You're looking at 35k or less out of a 10 ply or anything with any kind of weight. That being said, I believe that Nokian makes the finest snow tire in the world. They also opened a manufacturing facility in Tennessee.
 

skylark

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I've had 6 of the Rotiiva AT Plus tires and they're Russian made. I also think they are contributing to my rough ride. They were originally a great buy, but the price has gone way up.
Like I mentioned above, the Rotivas are soft. They won't contribute to a rough ride.
The cost of tires has increased tremendously since covid. Goodyear, BFG and Michelin are dang near impossible to get in popular sizes. The entry level stuff is coming from China and distribution is mostly miss in the hit and miss world. I haven't seen a tire this year that is within 15% of what it cost in January 2020 and the 3 that I mentioned above are 30% more in cost.
 

Trenton

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I live in the rockies at high elevation in a ski resort. My town sees on average 300 inches of snow PER YEAR (last year was 233" and the year prior saw 396").

A pickup is naturally light in the back to maximize payload, so weight in the back does help A LOT. Putting in a few hundred pounds of sandbags, wood, or scrap steel always helps. That's what my dad did when I was younger back in those Kansas winters.

If you see ice, you want studded snow tires. Studded snow tires do AMAZING during a snow and/or ice storm. I've driven 50 mph in snow storms in a FWD car and never had an issue. Studded tires are loud, though, and are actually illegal in some states because of how rough they are on the roads.

If you don't see a ton of ice, then splurge for a set of Bridgestone Blizzak tires. They do decent on the ice and really well in the snow, and ride well, too. Most hotel vehicles here tend to use them.

Ive noticed Nitto Exo Grappler, Goodyear DuraTrac, and BFGoodrich TA KO2s are awesome all-terrain tires that do well in the snow despite not being a dedicated snow tire.

Any winter tire will help you out dramatically, honestly. I was all over the road in my summer tires until i bought some nice Michelin X-Ice Snow tires.

Just my $0.02, hope it helps! I'm a dude born in Kansas, raised in East Texas, and now that lives in the high rockies of Colorado so I had to learn all this stuff pretty fast:Big Laugh:
 

LVJJJ

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Trenton; I was born in Kansas too (Jayhawker) and raised all over the place. Now in Blaine Washington (not Lawrence). Gotta disagree with you regarding studded snow tires on ice. Several years ago studded snow tires caused me to do a 360 into a ditch on I-5, once they started spinning couldn't stop it. No damage just embarrassing , was with my 1965 Chevy Van which is a real lightweight, had sandbags in the back for traction. Got rid of those tires real quick. Do like my 4wd GMC k1500 Burb, the 6,000 lb beast goes anywhere in the snow. Yes we do get snow here, is rare, but since nobody knows how to drive in the snow its a demolition derby. I lived in Greeley Colorado and northern Idaho for a while so got used to snow driving, no brakes drive way ahead of yourself.
 

Ehall8702

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I recommend you take a look at Nokian tires. I know, I know, a Finn recommending a Finnish product, but let me tell ya, winter tires from a land of ice and snow usually have to be at least halfway decent to even survive out here... Just make sure they're the actual Finnish versions, not the ones made in the USSR, as those tend to... offer a little less performance... Anyhow, while I don't have personal experience with the Rotiiva AT+ models, I am planning on getting those for my next set of allyear tires. I do have proper studded Nokias tho for when we get an actual winter here in the south, but for example last winter I didn't have to put those on, went with my old worn M+S Hankooks all year...
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I used to recommend cooper discoverer m+s, but this year they discontinued them to use all directional snow tires, which I hate due to lack of ability to properly rotate them. Closest next choice are cooper true north which are asymmetrical tires and u can rotate but I'm not sure of the size range, meaning probably can't get a 245/75 or 265/75 . All in all any snow tire is better than ANY mud tire, at tire, or all season tires. Sum weight in the back either above axle or behind axle will make a HUGE difference. I usually keep my quad or my sled in back of my truck for traction, even with 4wd ass end likes to come around, I have 35x12.50r20 mud tires, if they make a snow that big I'd get a pair tho! Have sum 33x12.50r16 winter force lt I may run just cause I'm tired of sliding.
 
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