Need some snow tires (1 Viewer)

[mcgaskins]

I want to replace the all seasons (which really look like summer tires) with some dedicated snows on our Yukon Denali XL, and I've come across 3 good options from the local Discount Tire. This truck is mostly used for freeway ski runs through the winter, so excellent performance in cold and snowy conditions is the goal.

- Bridgestone Blizzak DM-V2 at $182 a tire
- Michelin Latitude X-Ice Xi2 at $202 a tire
- Duratrac at $230 a tire

I've only heard great things about Blizzaks even though I've never owned a set, and Michelin gets mixed reviews. I've run Duratracs on my 100 series and run them currently on my JKUR, but I'm wondering if they'd be too rough on a freeway only vehicle. If I went for the Blizzak or X-Ice, I'd keep my normal tires and swap out for summer then back for next winter, and if I went Duratrac I'd probably sell the tires on it now and just run them all year. Which do you all think makes the most sense? I'm leaning towards the Blizzaks...

 

[half k cruiser]

My wife's 94 80 series has the Duratrac in 285/75/16 they run great down the highway. Very good all weather tire.

 

[woody]

Two dedicated ice/snow tires versus a snowflake-rated all terrain...shocked the BFG KO2 isn't topping your list...I ran the the KO2 last winter in WI and was thoroughly impressed with the snow capabilities, particularly in light/skiff/icy conditions... and continue to be impressed with them on/off road after a full year of use.

We had Blizzaks on the GX470 for a season...they are awesome in snow...oddly however, the roads are only covered in snow a small percentage of the time, and the balance is plowed/clear roads...and they wore a fair amount.

My Ram has 6 KO2's on it for this very reason..."most" winter driving is clear roads...I travel the passes a lot, and my previous Rugged Terrains were no issue, even with 25,000 of combined weight... the KO2 is a far better snow-capable tire, and awesome for daily use.

 

[mcgaskins]

The KO2 was definitely a consideration as well, but each Discount around here said they were on backorder when I called even though they showed them in inventory online. I went Duratrac on my Jeep when I really wanted the KO2, so maybe I should push harder to get a set on the Denali!

 

[M1911]

Look at Nokian.


Sent from my iPad

 

[Yossarian]

Another option, I'm considering myself, is the Cooper Discoverer A/TW.

Cooper Tire & Rubber Company - Discoverer A/TW™

Apparently it tested so well in the snow and ice, Cooper wants the "snowflake" rating to be more stringent. I talked to Cooper directly and was concerned about the tires abilities year round. That is one of the claims made by Cooper, the inside rep said off-road, due to the siping, it may not hold up as well as their A/T3, but the trade off is superior winter performance.

The problem I am having is finding the tire locally, since the tire is a relatively new release, maybe they will become more common in the future. The plus of the KO2 mentioned above is you can get it everywhere, just like the DT's.

 

[MT Dweller]

I have the Cooper M+S snowflake rated tire with studs on my 100 and it is great (snowflake rated without studs). Its a harder rubber than on the Blizzaks (P rated DMV1), so they last a season longer than the blizzaks and are E rated. I had Blizzaks on the hundy with stock suspension, but when the OME kit got put on they looked too small (275 65 18) so I got some +33" Coopers. The blizzaks are great due to the special rubber they use, I have no experience with the DMV2's that just came out. If I still had it stock size and never towed with it in the winter then Blizzak all the way. With a heavy Yukon XL the Cooper M+S will last longer, especially on dry roads.

 

[mcgaskins]

I went ahead and got the Blizzaks because I was able to get a great deal out the door. I kept the factory tires for the other 3 seasons because they are essentially new with only 1,000 miles on them. The day after I put the Blizzaks on, we had freezing rain then a couple inches of snow, and we had zero issues. The tires also ride nice and are silent, so I think they're a good choice for this truck that will only see paved highways and almost exclusively when it's below 40 degrees and icy.

 

[REDrum]

For dedicated snows Nokian; doesnt get any better. Its all I ran when I raced winter stage rally and still use on my DD subie. Over the past 15 years I've owned 6 sets. But for trucks, big sizes are limited. 285/75/16 is about the biggest.

FS Winterforce are damn good too, and relatively low cost, (compared to Nokian). I've run two sets over the years

Cooper's new AWT is pretty amazing All season, its snow biased (like Nokian's WR), buddy runs a set on his 4rnr -- impressive.

Duratracs are not snows and IMO are mediocre in snow, just ok all seasons. I've owned 2 sets. Fine for shoulder season snow, but have a fraction of the braking threshold of a dedicated snow tire, do not let the snowflake symbol fool you.

Verdict is still out on KO2s, I know of only one person running them. Looking forward to testing them on white stuff this winter

Interco Truxes are pretty amazing in the snow, had a set for a short while; highly siped and soft compound stays soft and low temps.

 

[4x4Johnny]

anyone here who has any feedback on the Blizzaks? been eyeing that one but still unsure if i'll just get an A/T type of tires

 

[mcgaskins]

anyone here who has any feedback on the Blizzaks? been eyeing that one but still unsure if i'll just get an A/T type of tires

I bought the Blizzaks for the Denali, and I have 315/70/17 Duratracs on the Jeep. My wife loves the Blizzaks, but I prefer the Duratracs (however I also like to keep it in 2wd/rear wheel drive and drift around corners). I would say the Blizzaks are an excellent tire overall and are geared more towards light snow and ice, and the Duratracs are much better in the deep snow and chunky ice you get from a couple of days of thawing and re-freezing after a snow storm. Last week we had about 9" of snow here, and they didn't plow really anywhere it seemed. We both drove each vehicle throughout the week, so it was a good test of how each tire did. Keep in mind the Denali is strictly a pavement pounder, so I would have gone with a KO2 or Duratrac if it was ever likely to see anything off road.