Snow tires

[frozenwater]

I need tires. Really really big tires for my truck. I need these tires to go over teton pass on a daily basis and not slide off the road ruining a perfectly good slope, and kind of screwing me up in the process.

-My wheels are 17" because I have a small penis, so blizzaks and thier ilk won't work.

-I'm thinking of going with some aggressive mud terrain type tire that is studdable and then having the lugs "siped".

I'm going for either the 33" or 35" outside diameter. Please see above reasoning.

That's as far as I've thought. Any other opinions, or particular tires I should look at??

-Oh, and tech talk really doesn't suit me.

[lemon boy]

not too long ago I got some General Grabber AT^2s 235/85/16 (33"s basically) and am so far quite happy with them they are:

1. Reasonably inexpensive
2. Reasonably aggressive
3. Reasonably quite on pavement
4. Could accept studs
5. Load range E (I have a big truck)

Discount tire and the other big chainy places are the only places to get tires siped. Siping is good but not necessary.

IMVHO for snow ice a really aggressive mud tire is LESS than ideal but a good mid range M/S off road tire will serve you well.

Put it in 4wd, use a low gear, drive cautiously and go just about anywhere in just about any weather. Don't forget to always pack emergency supplies (a bit of food a bit of booze and a sleeping bag, shovel and if you have the coin some chains to go with your new tires)

[The Reverend Floater]

I gots some studded Wild Country mudder tires on my Taco after I rolled her coming back from the Olypics in 02'. I haven't so much as peeled out since. They are the tits and they make me look like I kick ass and have a mustache.

edit: Froze, whatever you do GO TO LES SCHWAAB! They are reasonable in price and don't even ask you why your repeatedly shot your tire with a handgun when they replace it FOR FREE. Seriously...they're the shit and I think there's one in I-Falls.

[PlayHarder]

Bridgestone has the Blizzak in a truck tire - dmz, I think. Available in 17" for sure, cause I've got a set for my truck. Without a doubt, the best winter tire I've ever driven on. I put on 4000-5000 km's/month between Calgary-Golden-Fernie to ski and all over Alberta for work and haven't yet found winter conditions that I couldn't blast through with them.

*Disclaimer - I don't work for a tire company

[SLCFreshies]

Although it's a better source for information on car not truck tires, check out the Tire Rack. Look in their tests and their survey results for tire recommendations.

[rossibandit]

Could buy steel wheels or go to recker to buy steel wheels, and get a smaller dia. eg 16 or 15 inch. Bonus is you have summer and winter mounted up on wheels, so you can change over your tires come fall and spring.

Just an Idea, if you wanted blizzacks.

[Clack]

Tall and skinny is what you want for snow and mud slice through and get down to the traction.

Wide tires are for sand and the like.

Bridgestone
Blizzak DM-Z3
Size:245/75QR17

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Sizes....=Blizzak+DM-Z3

[frozenwater]

thanks guys. The 17" is the smallest wheel my truck accepts do to the manly OE brakes.

I'm actually looking at a wildcountry 315 from les schwab. $1099.00 for the 4 of em had me kinda looking around.

I'll def look at the general grabber - as far as emergency supplies- oh yeah. Plus skis, cause like I could ski down the pass if I get stuck.


And monster dump, I thought you said tall? 245- what the hell am I going to do with a 245 on a 2500 dodge ram??

[schuss]

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....n+Ice+%26+Snow


make sure its a truck tire, as car tires can't carry truck weight reliably.

[lemon boy]

Froz, just to clarify how standard tire sizes run (in case you didn't know):

For instance, my tires 235/85/16

are 235 mm's wide, are 200mm (okay, 199.75) tall (sidewall = 85% of width) and fit on 16" rims.

If you don't already have them I would suggest that you get some fog lamps (they're easy to mount) and put them on as low to the ground as you can without being exposed to getting knocked off (mounted on the underside of the front bumper is a bad place, trust me)

[PlayHarder]

what the hell am I going to do with a 245 on a 2500 dodge ram??

In my personal experience with this setup - you're going to stay on the road.

[Viva]

I've used studed Kelly mud terrain tires on a Taco with success. I dunno what they would cost in 315, but I think that I paid something like $85-90 per 30X9.50-sized tire.

I think that Wildcountry tires are still made by Cooper Tire. Good Stuff. Tire Factory also sells Coopers. Should cost about the same as the Kellys.

Steel wheels are nice for winter tires and really shouldn't cost much, maybe $50 max for big one's like you would need.

No matter what GET LT-RATED TIRES!

[lemon boy]

I bet you could get some cheap 17" wagon wheels for your truck to Frozen

BTW- I agree with PH that a set of pizza cutters is what you want over jelly doughnuts. Tall and skinny.

[Duder]

BFG AT tires are the best.
Les Schwab has really good mudders too.

[frozenwater]

so how skinny is skinny? - I'm having trouble finding a tire that will fit a 17 wheel that is less than 12.5 width.

[Buzzworthy]

Gotta love this guy.

The Tuxedo.



Nuff said.

[Viva]

I did a little searching and the $1100 from Schwab is not unreasonable. Big tires is expensive!

Why 17" wheels? Brake clearance?

[frozenwater]

yup, brake clearance. all dodge heavy duty trucks 2003 & newer require a minimum of 17".

Stopping power is good, ability to find tires that fit kinda sucks.

[Snow Dog]

Mud Terrains can be awful in the snow. A friend had BFG MTs (which is a nice tire) and after 1 day in the snow he sold them and went with BFG ATs. They're not great in the mud but are excellent in snow. Plus they're one of the few truck tires with an official "severe snow conditions" rating. I've also heard of one case of siping on muds causing chunks of the lugs to break off. But that was a specific tire/rubber compound problem.

I have no experience with them but Bridgestone Dueller AT REVOs are highly recommended on various consumer review web sites.

The other question is will a 35" fit on the rim (width-wise) or are you getting new rims too?

(Note - With Dodge the speedo calibration is in software and can be changed by any dealer for a small fee.)

[Clack]

245's are about 10" skinny.

245/70/17 are stock. 265/70/17 were the original option tires.

A blizzack 247/75(slightly taller)/17 should kick ass.

edit - they've only got a standard load rating. Not too good if you're using a 2500 for what it's intended.

[lemon boy]

12.5 I would call pretty wide.

There should be lots of 265/70/17s around, 31s if my math is right (which it probably isn't). 315/70s are gonna be about 34s (again, math).

And while 315s will work they're really wide for a winter/norther tire. The wide is right mentality applies to southern muddboggers. The goal in the north is to cut through anything to the bottom instead of floating on top.

unfortunately for you a set of 31s is gonna look kind of pussy but for a winter only tire they'll perform better (what is your OEM size?). Am I making sense?

I can't remember how the old sizes worked but they used to sell real "pizza cutters" that were at a guess 245/95/16.5 (but the way they were labeled was totally different) and those things had a TALL sidewall. Can't find em anymore.

[PNWbrit]

I have no experience with them but Bridgestone Dueller AT REVOs are highly recommended on various consumer review web sites.

I have 35,000 miles on my Jeep Liberty with these - love em. First time I drove on snow after switching from the stock Goodyears it felt like I had chains on all four wheels. They're very quiet on the highway and superb in rain.

Probably going to have to replace them before winter 05 is out. Will go with the same again but maybe go to the next width up. Any more and apparently it rubs on full lock.

[slippy]

edit: Froze, whatever you do GO TO LES SCHWAAB! They are reasonable in price and don't even ask you why your repeatedly shot your tire with a handgun when they replace it FOR FREE. Seriously...they're the shit and I think there's one in I-Falls.

I bought tires from them, drove on them for 15,000 miles, said I didn't like them, and they exchanged them for some brand new ones.


It Kicked Ass.

[frozenwater]

OE on this truck is 265/something/somthing/17

They look REALLY small - so kinda hate to put anything less than a 285 on it. I mean, if I'm going to die in a snowy death - I want the cops to know I was "cool".


slippy - wowa - that is crazy, looks like a trip to idaho falls this weekend, les schwab here I come.

[1080Rider]

Frozen, i have 245/75 dunlop mud rover's on my discovery. I had the lugs siped (they'll just do the inner ones). I can't believe how good they are on snow and ice. It really is difficult to get the abs to engage, they hook up that well. They treat deep snow just like mud, tons of traction and they self clean. Any mud terrain would be good w/ siping. If you go this route I don't think you'll be sorry. PM me if you want any other info.

edit: I read some of the stuff above. I'm not saying to get 245's just that that's what I have. I still suggest getting a mud terrain and sipin' them. You can use the tires year round. Once you stud a tire you'll have to take them off in the summer. Just a thought.