Let's talk tires

[derf]

I'm getting ready to do some significant upgrades to Truck Norris. I've got most of the drivetrain figured out and parts will be arriving soon. Thing is, I don't have a plan for tires just yet.

I'm going to be doing upgrades that require a minimum of 16" wheel though I'm not opposed to a 17". I am opposed to 16.5" wheels entirely however. I'd rather not go bigger than 17".

I want to run a 35(ish)" tire. I'd like a slightly wider tire to fill in under the fender flares better than the 31x10.50's I have on there now. I've been looking at 315/75R16 and 315/70R17 tires but I'm open to alternatives.

I'm now up in the great white north (or close enough) so I'll be dealing with snow for a significant length of time every year. I'm not going to be doing heavy offroading much. Maybe some occasional trail riding and a trip out to Ouray and maybe Moab.

What have y'all found to be the better snow/ice/rain/dry/light duty offroad/all season tires on our rigs?

There's always the BFG All Terrain. It's a good tire. But I'm always willing to consider anything else. Has anyone run the GoodYear Wrangler DuraTrac? It has an interesting tread pattern and some built in siping. Does anyone else have other suggestions?

[nclugnut]

Not a FSJ but I have had good service from Nitto Teera Grapplers on a 3/4 suburban. They wear well on the road and are a good all around tire for mild off roading. I dont see the snow and ice you will but in what little we have here they did well. Also not a FSJ but I have been impressed with th Yokohama Geolanders on my wifes CJ7

[Ristow]

the BFG A/T's suck in the snow and ice.

Bridgestone Revo's are probably the finest inclement weather tire you can run.

the Michelin LTX M/S2 i have are impressive in the snow too,considering they're an all season. may not have the look you want though.

[brushawg]

Pitbull rockers

[derf]

Originally Posted by nclugnut

Not a FSJ but I have had good service from Nitto Teera Grapplers on a 3/4 suburban. They wear well on the road and are a good all around tire for mild off roading. I dont see the snow and ice you will but in what little we have here they did well. Also not a FSJ but I have been impressed with th Yokohama Geolanders on my wifes CJ7

Those Nittos look interesting. There's quite a few different types of Geolanders. What kind do you have?

Originally Posted by Ristow

the BFG A/T's suck in the snow and ice.

I didn't seem to have any problem on the couple of days we had snow down in Oklahoma last year.

Originally Posted by Ristow

Bridgestone Revo's are probably the finest inclement weather tire you can run.

They look decent but I might want one with a little more balanced capabilities.

Originally Posted by Ristow

the Michelin LTX M/S2 i have are impressive in the snow too,considering they're an all season. may not have the look you want though.

They look like they wouldn't get very far off road, if that's what you mean.

Originally Posted by brushawg

Pitbull rockers

That's a little too far in the wrong direction for a street tire.

[Ristow]

I didn't seem to have any problem on the couple of days we had snow down in Oklahoma last year.

Oh,Oklahoma snow...i didn't realize you were a winter driving veteran....

i've run both. the Revo's are head and shoulders better. especially on ice and hard pack. the poor BFG guys don't like hearing it but it's true.

Bridgestone desert duelers are decent too.

i'm not a big BFG guy in this application.

[jwalton23]

the goodyear's are good tires and they look reak good on trucks even in the smaller sizes. If I had the money that's what I would run if I wanted all terrain tires. They actually preform alot better than the bfg's do in all areas. And looks wise they are IMO way better. There is also the general grabber at2 which is an exact replica of the bfg's.

[Blake]

Originally Posted by Ristow

the BFG A/T's suck in the snow and ice.

I completely disagree with Ristow (this may be a first).

I've ran several sets of BFG A/T's on snow and ice and love 'em. They are a GREAT all around tire. They kinda suck in deep snow (like snow bashing) but are great on the HWY in snow/ice. IMHO

[derf]

Originally Posted by Ristow

Oh,Oklahoma snow...i didn't realize you were a winter driving veteran....

I learned how to drive in Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota winters with 70's rear wheel drive cars. So yea, I do know how to drive on snow. Maybe that's why I had no trouble with the BFGs.

Originally Posted by Ristow

i've run both. the Revo's are head and shoulders better. especially on ice and hard pack. the poor BFG guys don't like hearing it but it's true.

I asked mostly to see if there was anything better, having no real experience with modern truck tires in the snow. It's been over 10 years since I moved south and am just now back up in the snow belt.

Originally Posted by Ristow

Bridgestone desert duelers are decent too.

i'm not a big BFG guy in this application.

I'm not married to any brand. I just pick what works for me.

[derf]

Originally Posted by Blake

I completely disagree with Ristow (this may be a first).

I've ran several sets of BFG A/T's on snow and ice and love 'em. They are a GREAT all around tire. They kinda suck in deep snow (like snow bashing) but are great on the HWY in snow/ice. IMHO

Oh great. Now I have to choose sides. Thanks a heap...

[Ristow]

actually....i usually let my 4 year old drive me around...shhh....

[addicted]

Originally Posted by Blake

I completely disagree with Ristow (this may be a first).

I've ran several sets of BFG A/T's on snow and ice and love 'em. They are a GREAT all around tire. They kinda suck in deep snow (like snow bashing) but are great on the HWY in snow/ice. IMHO

No, Ristow is right. They bring the suck when it comes to snow and ice unless you've never run anything other than a m+s rated tire. I used to think they were great in those conditions until I stepped up to a BFG MT and found they performed equally as well on the same vehicle. The Revo's are far superior for crappy midwest winter driving.

[Blake]

Well I drive in snow all the time and I've had several different kinds of tires (several) and I still think the BFG AT's are really good in snow/ice on the hwy.

Other types of tires I've had include

TSL radial and bias
IROK bias
BFG mudder
Kevlars (on both my fsj's)
MTR's (old style)

The worst tire for snow/ice on the hwy would have to be the IROK's....

[Ristow]

well...lemme clarify why i like the revo and do not like the BFG A/T. the way a tire tracks in the snow is what makes me really like one overthe other. the BFG AT does not track well. if you are running in fresh snow,un-plowed,messy roads,the BFG's are going to throw you around as you run through the berms-they do not displace snow well at all. you will be fighting to keep a straight line. traction is not why i dislike the,they get moving fine.

the revos do track well however. the open-ish center likely is why.

i got my BFG M/T's a couple years ago when we had a sloppy snowy spring. the dunlop A/T's i had were beyond bad,i wanted a skinny 33 and bridgestone doesn't offer on. i figured the MT would do better. it did,but the howl and rough ride are very tiresome.

i'll probably go either with DD,DD revo,or michelins next round. i don't off road,just daily drive it. i don't miss work due to weather. ever.

[Sian09]

Take a look at Toyo Open Country AT. They are awesome tires on snow and the trails. I have them on my XJ and love them. I do a lot of hunting in the fall with this rig and the traction is superb on dirt trails and loose gravel roads. The MT's are sweet too but may be too aggressive for you.

[addicted]

Originally Posted by Blake

Well I drive in snow all the time and I've had several different kinds of tires (several) and I still think the BFG AT's are really good in snow/ice on the hwy.

Other types of tires I've had include

TSL radial and bias
IROK bias
BFG mudder
Kevlars (on both my fsj's)
MTR's (old style)

The worst tire for snow/ice on the hwy would have to be the IROK's....

Yeah, those are all really aggressive, fat lugged off-road tires. BFG AT's are excellent compared to them.

[Billygoat]

On road with slush and pack you want a tire with LOTS of siping.

Most MT's suck for road snow - fresh powder they are great, but once it packs they ditch plowers waiting to happen.
BFG AT are a lot better than MT's, but there are better winter tires.

You can argue with me all you want, but 95% of the time you see a truck in the ditch it has mudders on it and some plow boy telling you they are the best tires for snow - and I am a former plow boy, and cutting a fresh track in the pasture they are awesome, just stay off the highway.

For pure snow/ice Bizzak are amazing, I had a set on a Jetta, and the only thing that stopped it was "deep" snow (so about 3" lol)
I use them as a comparison for tread pattern, they wear to fast to run year round.

I like the look of the Revo's, good siping, and some good open pattern for powder.

Keep in mind you go wider and you have more surface area on the road, and on slick surface that is less traction, empty pickups are the worst with very little rear end weight. Another reason mudders suck because they generally have a wider tread pattern to case width because of the side lugs.

[nclugnut]

Originally Posted by derf

There's quite a few different types of Geolanders. What kind do you have?

I will have to check when I get home

[hookedup50]

X2 on Ristow's opinion of BF Mud terrain. They work great in unplowed snowy conditions. First tire that got me up my hilly driveway with no snow removal(2ft). They also work in muddy conditions during spring turkey hunting. Ristow has never been more right about the googlying howling. My solution to that was an amplifier for the kenwood stereo.

[rmorit01]

You may want to check out the Dick Cepek FC-II - they call it there all terrain tire or hybrid design - http://www.dickcepek.com/tires.php?item=RadialFCII

I used them with a cherokee and NP229 and they worked very well. We didn't get the deep snow but usually our snow started as rain, turned to sleet, then snow, back to rain and then freezing over night - a mess basically.

They worked better than BFG ATs that I had on an 86 4runner but the 4runner was full time 4WD only. Swapped ends one too many times with that little truck when I'd hit patchy ice.

On my cherokee with the qtrac I am running cooper discoverer stt - I have used them in Kansas and Illinois with trips up to Wisconsin. They work very well too and a bit better in deeper snow conditions...think unplowed I-80 (drifted over I-80) and unplowed I-94 - I didn't put alot of miles on them in the winter but they seem both aggressive and just enough siping to handle snow - http://us.coopertire.com/Tires/Light...VERER-STT.aspx

I have also been VERY impressed by Goodyear triple tred on an Audi A4 that I owned for a bit. However, not really a tire for truck norris.