Truck Tire Time

[Muggydude]

If anyone in the Denver area is looking, I have a brand new pair of Ford F150 18" wheels with Wrangler All Terrain Adventure with Kevlar LT 275/65R18 tires on them. Installed, balanced, with TPMS. Good all terrain/all season tire, will sell for cheap. Great way to get a second set of wheels so you can run dedicated rims for snow/summer too.

[Chugachjed]

If anyone in the Denver area is looking, I have a brand new pair of Ford F150 18" wheels with Wrangler All Terrain Adventure with Kevlar LT 275/65R18 tires on them. Installed, balanced, with TPMS. Good all terrain/all season tire, will sell for cheap. Great way to get a second set of wheels so you can run dedicated rims for snow/summer too.

Fuck!? If you were in anchorage I’d have bought them. I just bought a set of dynapro atm today. I surely wish I had 18s instead of these stupid fucking 20s.

[alexshawn210]

Still available or already sold?

[Muggydude]

Still available or already sold?

Still have them, sent you a PM

[evasive_MT]

I didn’t want to add to the Hakka LT3 derail in the RV thread, but it was timely. I’m planning to get a set next month and I’m debating studs. I got my first truck (Sierra 1/2 ton) in February so I’m still new to truck tires.

I get that modern snows have developed to the point that studs are a benefit only in specific limited conditions - ice. But that discussion seems like it’s almost always about P tires, not LT. Does that thinking hold up with the stiffer tire? Nokia obviously invested a lot of R&D into new studs for the LT3.

We live in Helena. Roads in town are usually icy because the city leaves a couple inches of snow under the plow blade, and then we get freeze/thaw cycles. But the highways usually clear off. Our winter driving is primarily around town and Disco or Stemple trips. I wouldn’t drive Arrowroot to the top of the Mount Ascension park without studs but I could take the back way instead.

Thoughts?

[anotherVTskibum]

I didn’t want to add to the Hakka LT3 derail in the RV thread, but it was timely. I’m planning to get a set next month and I’m debating studs. I got my first truck (Sierra 1/2 ton) in February so I’m still new to truck tires.

I get that modern snows have developed to the point that studs are a benefit only in specific limited conditions - ice. But that discussion seems like it’s almost always about P tires, not LT. Does that thinking hold up with the stiffer tire? Nokia obviously invested a lot of R&D into new studs for the LT3.

We live in Helena. Roads in town are usually icy because the city leaves a couple inches of snow under the plow blade, and then we get freeze/thaw cycles. But the highways usually clear off. Our winter driving is primarily around town and Disco or Stemple trips. I wouldn’t drive Arrowroot to the top of the Mount Ascension park without studs but I could take the back way instead.

Thoughts?

Get the studs.

IMO, the disadvantages of studs are mitigated both by Nokian's newer stud tech and the fact that you're driving a pickup—if you're trying to corner hard enough on dry pavement that the studs make a huge difference, you're already in the wrong vehicle. I went with the studs on my LT2s, living in Red Lodge at the time.

[Hood26]

I love my Nokia’s studs on my 1Ton. There is such a comforting feeling knowing that I have the best traction possible.

I transition from rain to snow a lot and having studs in that in between time of freezing rain is great.

Think of all those corners you come into that never fully thaw and are iced up. No worries with your studs.

Mine have 2 seasons and 15k Miles on them and they still look good.

[::: :::]

I’ve got LT3’s on the brain for my truck this winter
wondering about studs vs no studs for my pdx to hood commute
Guaranteed to drive thru freeze thaw zones But just unsure if studs are truly essential

[mattig]

I like the peace of mind of the studs. I don't see a downside unless you're self conscious about people giving you dirty looks in the valley on April 30th.

I've never run the studless hakkas but guessing you can't go wrong either way.

[Hood26]

I’ve got LT3’s on the brain for my truck this winter
wondering about studs vs no studs for my pdx to hood commute
Guaranteed to drive thru freeze thaw zones But just unsure if studs are truly essential

They are really great for that drive. I had ordered mine studless because I knew we still needed winter tires after 4/15, but they showed up with studs, so I decided it was a sign and ran with them.

From late spring through summer to early fall, I now run a snowflake all-season, that still needs the occasional chaining for Timberline Rd. , but works really well in the late spring snows and are still good for towing and sloppy logging roads too; like my in-laws 1 mile driveway.

Between both tires, I would be much less happy and secure running only the non-studded during the winter even though they mountain snowflake rated.

Studs really help on a truck with the less weight on tires. Slip it in 4x4 just out of Rhodi and on you go. They are also awesome in the parking lots.

Mattig is right. The only downside is the occasional dirty look.

[::: :::]

Storm Hood & mattig
what shop did you go thru to order them?

[Hood26]

I went with Les Schwab because they are the best option in my littler town and all the littler towns I end up traveling through/to.

I didn’t price or check other shops so I can’t say they were best price.

[bodywhomper]

I don’t know what kinda trucks you’re using, light pickups/suv, heavy loaded trucks, etc, but are you all considering load index for your tires?

[Toadman]

I like the peace of mind of the studs. I don't see a downside unless you're self conscious about people giving you dirty looks in the valley on April 30th.

I've never run the studless hakkas but guessing you can't go wrong either way.

Well, down side of studs is when you don't really need them. But really, just use common sense when driving, and don't act like your studded tires are going to get you out of trouble, and everything will be fine.

I see way too many people driving on snow and icy roads with studded tires like they are driving on dry roads. Crazy.

[mattig]

Storm Hood & mattig
what shop did you go thru to order them?

Discount Tire

I don’t know what kinda trucks you’re using, light pickups/suv, heavy loaded trucks, etc, but are you all considering load index for your tires?

12000 GVW.

Exactly 3500 on each rear tire. And they are rated for just over 3600.

[bodywhomper]

12000 GVW.

Exactly 3500 on each rear tire. And they are rated for just over 3600.

That makes perfect sense. A lot of other SUVs and trucks have a lot lower GVW. For instance, land cruiser is 6860 GVW.

[Hood26]

Nokian Hakkapeliittas LT2 are Load E (10ply)

My trucks GVW is 13k because it is pretty Spartan for options. With a load rating up to 3,086lb they do come short of my PUs GVWR, so I wouldn’t load all the way to the 13k truck rating.

I am never running near loaded when traveling to the ski hills, but if I were, I would through chains if needed.

I have pulled my Airstream while the studs were on the truck and the are a good tire still towing. A couple years ago we went down to Ashland for Christmas and caught a few spots of ice/frost on I5 and they did great.

I have found that they run really well in the wet and shed water nicely. They rarely hydro plane, and they brake and handle well on our wet rutted roads. Also, when it’s warmer the rubber compound does really well and cushions the studs.

The new LT3s look even better than the older generation LT2. Also, They have the love em or swap em guarantee for 30 days of bought at an authorized dealer; not sure Schwabs is anymore so that may be a good reason to go with another dealer.

Absolutely spot on Toadman, studded tires are no replacement for safe driving, but they sure increase the safety margins.

[anotherVTskibum]

My best studded-LT2 endorsement was the day I was headed up to the mountain (Red Lodge, MT) and the lower end of the road had apparently seen actual ice (which is uncommon there; packed/firm snow isn't uncommon, but actual ice is less normal). I was still in 2WD, started to slow and stop to check on someone walking up the side of the road, and as I'm almost stopped he yells "DON'T STOP! DON'T STOP!"; a little throttle and I realized it was slippery, but I didn't even need 4WD to keep moving.

I do wish the LT3s had been out when I was buying, though; the tech looks like a serious upgrade from the LT2.

FWIW, I'm driving a 7,050-lb GVWR F-150, with about 3500 lbs on the front axle and 1800 on the rear (unloaded). I also run E-rated tires in the non-snowy season, and in both cases it's largely a desire for beefier sidewalls when driving rocky forest-service roads (albeit much less of an issue now that I'm back in Maine).

[SoVT Joey]

I have no idea where this thread is at but I have a huge boner for my new tires on my super duty. I’ve put almost 3k on them and the Nitto Ridge Grappler 35x12.5r18 in a 12ply F class is by far the best all around tire I have run EVER!

I think my studded duratracs will last one more winter but duratracs are garbage now and I will never run another hak after the way the plow trucks drive... what else are people running for winter M/T or at least aggressive A/T studded tires??


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[josef]

I have no idea where this thread is at but I have a huge boner for my new tires on my super duty. I’ve put almost 3k on them and the Nitto Ridge Grappler 35x12.5r18 in a 12ply F class is by far the best all around tire I have run EVER!

I think my studded duratracs will last one more winter but duratracs are garbage now and I will never run another hak after the way the plow trucks drive... what else are people running for winter M/T or at least aggressive A/T studded tires??


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What other tires have you run? I wore a pair of those out a couple of years ago and they had awful traction after about 10k miles. I am in the NW with wet snow and clay mud but they did much worse than other tires in similar scenarios.

[SoVT Joey]

What other tires have you run? I wore a pair of those out a couple of years ago and they had awful traction after about 10k miles. I am in the NW with wet snow and clay mud but they did much worse than other tires in similar scenarios.

Fierce attitudes, duratracs, Mickey Thompson m/t for summer tires. But they have all been loud and don’t really last. I feel like the good year quality has been slipping in the last few years.

But like I said I have studded duratracs for the winter now. I wouldn’t run the ridge grappler in the snow or mud. It’s not really made for that so I’m gonna say I’m not surprised by your experience. There is pretty much no other tire I trust more then a duratrac in the winter with studs. But they balance hard and the are loud.


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[::: :::]

Wheels for winter tires: are there really no cheap steelies out there?
everything i see is $130 or more, many up in the $200 range
and most of them look like some blingy bullshit you show up to the club at 2am with

i want steel wheels that just look like you use them for work: not fancy, no bling

[jackattack]

Craigslist

[Hood26]

Agree try to catch the stockers that someone swapped for the blinged up 2AM jobbers for. Sometimes asking the tire shops for used can net results too.

[ntblanks]

Wheels for winter tires: are there really no cheap steelies out there?
everything i see is $130 or more, many up in the $200 range
and most of them look like some blingy bullshit you show up to the club at 2am with

i want steel wheels that just look like you use them for work: not fancy, no bling

salvage yard?