Best Tires for winter conditions

[crackerjack]

I have heard several different opinions:

Which are better for winter conditions - ice, packed snow, slush etc. Mud terrain or All terrain tires?

 

[saint60]

my bfg mud terrains are terrible on ice and snow. i slide all over the place. the bfg all terrains are better for that kind of thing, but they still slide some on ice.

 

[stinkyfj60]

Any Mud will have too much void to produce grip on ice or snow pack condition. ATs are better at that because of the increased gripping edges. A siped AT is even better.

There are tires made SPECIFICALLY for those conditions, like Nokkian (sp?) that have a compound designed for cold condtions.

 

[High Desert]

Any Mud will have too much void to produce grip on ice or snow pack condition. ATs are better at that because of the increased gripping edges. A siped AT is even better.

There are tires made SPECIFICALLY for those conditions, like Nokkian (sp?) that have a compound designed for cold condtions.

I run Nokians on my Volvo Crosscountry and on a Side Kick 4door. Great tires, traction rated for snow which means you can get around chaining up except in the very worst conditions. Only problem I see is for year round use if you do any off roading or even fire roading, the tread pattern is very close, like a molded in sipe. The tires pick up and hold gravel pretty bad, which I don't like.

On the Volvo they are a going thing, makes a great snow car even better. The sSuzuki does fine but it's so short and light that it's still pretty scary at speed no matter what you have on it. At safe handling speed the tires really shine.

Nokian makes basicaly the same pattern in a non-traction rated AT (less expensive) I know of one fj60 with these on, He goes any and everywhere with them.

 

[High Desert]

Also...The BFG AT is a traction rated tire. Here in Oregon Snow country people that have them love them. That will be my all round tire for my 60 soon...I have 6 year old BFG MTs on now that are only half worn out! They do fine in deep snow but not great on packed, but really nothing does well on packed wettish snow or ice except chains...I just stay home when it's like that...wouldn't risk my 60 to the idiots sliding around anyway..that's what the Suzuki is for...

 

[LnMsjf]

I run the bfg at's,
excellent traction in fresh snow,super good lateral traction on packed surfaces, very predictable when it does break loose.
a good all around tire, quiet, great at highway speeds and very good off-road except in deep, thick mud.
​

 

[fourand20]

cooper discoverer Lts are great...have them on my landbruiser

 

[bigbertha]

against the grain

BFG a/t tires are no good in winter conditions.

this winter we are running green diamonds a/t's on 2 of our trucks (taco and 62) and we have the old BFG a/t's on the new 60. we just had a nice whiteout storm to do road tests in as well.

the green diamonds are SO MUCH better in winterconditions, wet and mud conditions. We can get up our driveway in 2hi with the green diamonds but need to use 4wd with the bfg's. i don't think we have even used 4wd since we got the GD tires installed. with the bfg's we are in and out of 4wd constantly.

BFG a/t's are some of the worst tires we have ever used and they are horrible once you factor in the cabbage you spend on them.

Green Diamonds and Yokohama Geolandar A/T are the best year round tires IMHO.

 

[COSkier]

Up here in Grand County, Colorado, where there's snow on the ground 7 months of the year, and it can snow any month of the year, you see a lot of Michelin LTX M/S tires on a lot of trucks. I've got them on my fj62 and my wife's Ranger, and I have to say, they're the best snow/road tire I've ever had. Can't say much about off-road with them

I've got Nokian's on my Exploder at work. They work well, better than any Goodyear or BFG tire, but not as well as the Michelin.
My $.02

 

[WckedMidas]

Trxs Mt Swampers Best Tire I Ever Used In Snow Or Icey Roads

 

[zmontgomery]

I got some BFG Land Terrain tires. I dunno why there aren't more of them on the road. They work excellent in the snow, whether packed or not, as well as in the mud and on dry roads. Their tread pattern is somewhat similar to the A/T's, just a little less agressive. They definately work much better than my old pirellis.

 

[Heffenoche]

BFG a/t tires are no good in winter conditions.

this winter we are running green diamonds a/t's on 2 of our trucks (taco and 62) and we have the old BFG a/t's on the new 60. we just had a nice whiteout storm to do road tests in as well.

the green diamonds are SO MUCH better in winterconditions, wet and mud conditions. We can get up our driveway in 2hi with the green diamonds but need to use 4wd with the bfg's. i don't think we have even used 4wd since we got the GD tires installed. with the bfg's we are in and out of 4wd constantly.

BFG a/t's are some of the worst tires we have ever used and they are horrible once you factor in the cabbage you spend on them.

Green Diamonds and Yokohama Geolandar A/T are the best year round tires IMHO.

I'm not going to say that either of those tires are not better than the old BFG A/T, but comparing new tires to old ones is not a fair apples to apples comparison. Even if the old A/Ts were never used the rubber has likely dried some making them loose some traction.

 

[David*BJ70]

Where are you ?

Here in Québec we have real winter ! So my opinion is to get real winter tire. I know BF A/T is rate for winter but it's not a winter tire. I use Yokohama goelandar I/T and that is the best winter tire i ever used. But that my opinion. If you want to used the same set of tire all year... maybe a good All terrain tire is good for you.

... Also, if you use REAL winter tire, you have to change it the soon as the spring come.

So yoko Geolandar IT ou TOYO GO2+ = best choice for REAL WINTER TIRE.

 

[dogboy2]

BFG AT/KO's.....for all of the reasons previously mentioned above. Meets 95% of our all-around needs (on & off-road), save for the times when we encounter super muddy conditions, and at those times, we just chain up - end of problem.

They are AWESOME in the snow. Run without chains in Oregon passes where new snow over a compact ice base is the norm. Traction is never an issue.

-dogboy- '87 FJ60

 

[Tinker]

I run Bridgestone Blizzacks on our Audi Quattros - only way to fly with passenger cars. Check out TireRack - last time I did the Geolander looked like the best truck winter tire.

As far as BFG MTRs go, I'll second the "they suck in snow" vote. Got stuck in my own driveway (@ 7000' in CO) the week after I got them. Complained to Discount Tire (they screwed up getting my new wheels) & they siped 'em for free. Big difference, but I wish I'd gotten the Geolanders.

 

[colin 4]

Where are you ?

Here in Québec we have real winter ! So my opinion is to get real winter tire. I know BF A/T is rate for winter but it's not a winter tire. I use Yokohama goelandar I/T and that is the best winter tire i ever used. But that my opinion. If you want to used the same set of tire all year... maybe a good All terrain tire is good for you.

... Also, if you use REAL winter tire, you have to change it the soon as the spring come.

So yoko Geolandar IT ou TOYO GO2+ = best choice for REAL WINTER TIRE.

i must agree w/david. if you spend any time in real winter, driving an a/t tire is living in denial. Get yourself some cheap winter rims and some winter tires and enjoy traction and being able to stop.

 

[Slow N Steady]

To chime in on this debate - I second the winter set of rims and tires. Put simply .....
Wide = BAD
Narrow = GOOD

A set of narrow tires with studs is the way to go. The difference is the narrow tires will get below the snow (where the traction is) instead of riding on it. The only time you want to ride above the snow is in Iceland (VERY cool rigs up there!). For the rest of us, it's down to earth where the traction is. If you have a set of Nokians or Blizzaks that are studded - all the better.

 

[crackerjack]

Winter tires

Hey thanks for all the info.

I think it sounds like the best thing to do is run the 33" BFG AT's for the 7 months of good weather and then put some studded 31" tires ( Nokian hockapeltta) on my stock rims and run that set up for the 5 months of s***ty weather we have here in Alaska.

Thanks again, this forum has provided some much good information.

 

[pplkook]

I had some of those Blizzack's on a Honda CRX-si back when I was in College in Bozeman, MT. They were awesome! The only problem is that dry pavement would eat them up quick due to the soft compound tread.

My wife and I routinely took the car from Bozo to Jackson, which included two passes, and some "marginally" maintained roads. The only problem we would have is the car high centering if the snow got too deep.

-Jack

 

[dogboy2]

Hey thanks for all the info.

I think it sounds like the best thing to do is run the 33" BFG AT's for the 7 months of good weather and then put some studded 31" tires ( Nokian hockapeltta) on my stock rims and run that set up for the 5 months of s***ty weather we have here in Alaska.

Thanks again, this forum has provided some much good information.

good call.....covers all of your bases

-db-