Best M&S tire? (1 Viewer)

[Cass007]

I'm not sure if it's still offered, but the Treadwright tires had an option for some kind of abrasive that could be added to the treads to likely make it better in packed snow and ice. I didn't get those since I was using them year round at the time.

I don't know if anything other than studs or chains will work great on ice and unless you live where the snow lingers on the roads consistently during the winter there may be local or state restrictions about how long studs and chains can be used. I get the more sipes thought, but have always had good luck with the large tread blocks self clearing of snow easily and allowing grip in slush that clogs the treads of an AT tire. I have brand new ATs on the LX450 right now, but will swap on the re-treads as soon as serious snow is forecast.

 

[nemoblackdog]

I would not put chains only on the fronts. Many years ago, in a situation fueled by both the ignorance and relatively poor income of youth, I did just that (not on my 80 - but a 4wd nonetheless). Not good. Not remotely good. Lucky to have come out unscathed.

 

[ZackR]

BFG KO2's work well in the snow. This is what it looks like at my place all winter (on the forest service roads I explore around on).

 

[Blekansikt]

With danger of simplifying too much:
It is important to separate between "winter terrain" (WT) and "winter road" (WR) conditions. The M+S marking does not automaticly make it a true winter tire, it only makes it legal to use in winter conditions. WT favours either a tall, skinny and agressive tire cutting through the loose; or a very wide, tall and less aggressive tire able to provide loads of flotation. In the WT category you can put traditional M+S tires like Michelin X and BFG AT and they can perform ok, especially if you add some studs and sipe.

WR is a different story and much more complicated. From dry road to black ice to white hardpack to wet ice to slush and a combo of them all and everything else including high speed cornering/braking, that is what a soccer mum has to face on a daily winter basis. These tires generally excists in high speed "hard" versions for less cold markets with requirements for high speed. On the other hand there are tires for cold markets with true winter conditions like Russia, Scandinavia, the Alps, Canada, etc. If you want a true winter tire you should look at tires like these. They should at least be marked M+S including the snowflake/mountain symbol, and it should read something like Winter bla-bla and maybe outline studless or studded. Look at Nokian Hakapeliitta SUV family, and you get an idea. Common for good winter tires are special rubber, special tread and loads of sipe, regardless of studs or not.

And chains is another different story.

 

[BILT4ME]

View attachment 1845059 I have Nitto trail grappler M&S tires and they do not grip at all in snow. I was told GoodYear makes a good M&S tire.

Dude....You're in Mississippi. Why do you need to worry about SNOW tires?

I have the GY Duratracs E-rated 285/75-16 on mine I LOVE them in snow!

Walked through a 4 ft drift like it wasn't there.....pushed snow over the hood. 75 MPH down the middle of a HWY at 1:00 AM bucking 2 ft drifts!

 

[ppc]

Dude....You're in Mississippi. Why do you need to worry about SNOW tires?

I've been resisting making this same post for days.

 

[OffRoadScott]

You say you are looking for an M/S tire. The only two tires I am aware of that is deep snow rated and an everyday tire is the General Grabber AT2 and the Goodyear Duratrac. If you look at the sidewall you will see snowflakes on them, noting they are deep snow capable.

When I had my Xterra and we lived in Washington State I was running the General Grabber AT2. We had on a few occasions where we got 6+ inches of snow on the local roads. And the Grabbers never failed me, we also lived at the top of the hill in our apartment complex and they never wavered. Also if you want dedicated snow/ice tires they make Grabber Artic that is studdable too.

Here is an article regarding the snowflake on the sidewall of the Grabber AT2.

https://www.tirerack.com/winter/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=125

 

[ppc]

The webpage does not reference "deep snow capable" only "severe snow service-rated". I would not equate the two. Indicates a traction only test in medium packed snow. No braking or steering capability tested.

 

[Qball]

The webpage does not reference "deep snow capable" only "severe snow service-rated". I would not equate the two. Indicates a traction only test in medium packed snow. No braking or steering capability tested.

Completely agree, unless studded or have snow chain stopping or steering simply won’t happen on packed snow/ice.

 

[OffRoadScott]

The webpage does not reference "deep snow capable" only "severe snow service-rated". I would not equate the two. Indicates a traction only test in medium packed snow. No braking or steering capability tested.

Completely agree, unless studded or have snow chain stopping or steering simply won’t happen on packed snow/ice.

Okay, I can see that but I am speaking from experience while running the Grabber AT2. A lot of the snow I dealt with in Washington was hard pack especially on the freeway. As far as braking and steering that is on the driver, increased braking distances and steering will benefit from the studs but I never had any issues.

I use to wheel them on the back roads of the Olympic Peninsula and some of the inclines were steep and never had any traction issues.

 

[RS6tofj80]

I was impressed with Duratracs on my old 80 the few times it saw snow - and my dad runs them in Maine on his f150 w/ studs and loves them. Nokia has an option in limited sizes as well......

 

[shocktower]

The GY Duratrac boasts noteworthy snow and ice perfomance. Or, you could just chain up.

They work excellent, but I have 3 de-laminate and I am still fighting for a warranty 10K miles and they where done

 

[baldilocks]

They work excellent, but I have 3 de-laminate and I am still fighting for a warranty 10K miles and they where done

I’m 40k into the second set on my dodge/Cummins with zero issues. In fact I screwed up and forgot to inflate to max when I went to pick up a 5k Lb load of gravel in my truck bed. They handled it for 20 miles and mine are load range D not E. Experiences with any product span the entire spectrum. I would buy a third set when the time comes but I’m thinking I want to look at something else for a while. But, now that I’m in the PNW where wet roads and occasional ice are common and possible, the DT might just be what I need to stay with.

 

[HAAANK]

Another +1 for duratracs I’ve got ~25k and they are going strong in mud, snow, sand and rock etc. also great on the highway.