help with finding some 255 all terrians! (1 Viewer)

[slowLC]

Hello all, I am getting ready to put some 255/85/16 pizza cutters on the cruiser but have had a really hard time with finding some all terrians in that size.the only one I found were the Cooper s/t but have heard that they aren't to great in snow/ice. I live in the Northwest and we get alot of snow so I need something that is good in that weather as well. I tried to look up the wranglers but they said that they didn't have that size. Any help or input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ScottyDog]

list of tires for 255/85/16 - Tacoma World Forums

Here is a list that I found on Tacomaworld.com

FWIW, I love my BFG KM2s in 255 85/16. They wear nicely and are really quiet and smooth for an M/T and have served my needs in all different terrain.

Goodluck..

Hello all, I am getting ready to put some 255/85/16 pizza cutters on the cruiser but have had a really hard time with finding some all terrians in that size.the only one I found were the Cooper s/t but have heard that they aren't to great in snow/ice. I live in the Northwest and we get alot of snow so I need something that is good in that weather as well. I tried to look up the wranglers but they said that they didn't have that size. Any help or input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[coax]

Maybe someone else will post up their experience, but I was under the impression that there are very few tires made in that size, and most tend to be mud terrains.

 

[Black Rhino 13]

I'd love to get some KM2s in 255/85/16 but my nearly new 265/75/16s will have to work for now.

Costco does carry the KM2s in 255/85/16 if you're in the NW there should be one near you. Also, if you aren't a member, the $100 Executive membership pays for itself at the $2500 point because of the 2% back you get, and they refund the difference if you don't spend that much in a year. Spend over $5000 in a year and the membership is free + you make a few bucks back. I just upgraded.

No affiliation with Costco except being a customer.

 

[DallasCrzr]

Since Im from Dallas you might think I would have no knowledge of what I'm about to say but...if you were here in February we got a ton of snow and ice.

As it happens this is right after I put 285 KM2s on my 100. It was terrible. I was slipping and sliding everywhere. I can't imagine being on skinnies that would have been terrible.

So I would reconsider KM2s if you're going to leave them on for a NW winter.

However in every other regard they are great tires, they get through anything, just not snow and ice.

 

[greentruck]

list of tires for 255/85/16 - Tacoma World Forums

Here is a list that I found on Tacomaworld.com

FWIW, I love my BFG KM2s in 255 85/16. They wear nicely and are really quiet and smooth for an M/T and have served my needs in all different terrain.

Goodluck..

x2 on the KM2s. I was really happy with their performance in the snow last winter. They are a great improvement over the old KMs, are quiet and have good road manners. Adjusting the air pressure to suit the use makes them a very adjustable tool to conquer the trail.

 

[Black Rhino 13]

Since Im from Dallas you might think I would have no knowledge of what I'm about to say but...if you were here in February we got a ton of snow and ice.

As it happens this is right after I put 285 KM2s on my 100. It was terrible. I was slipping and sliding everywhere. I can't imagine being on skinnies that would have been terrible.

So I would reconsider KM2s if you're going to leave them on for a NW winter.

However in every other regard they are great tires, they get through anything, just not snow and ice.

I remember an ice storm or two in DFW in the late 80s when the entire area was covered in a sheet of ice. Very few tires have traction on hard ice. It takes a lot of siping on the tread for hard ice traction, or studs of course, and people have actually had their tires siped more. It's always an option.

I have 265 MTs on my vehicle and have driven in Lansing, MI and Missoula, MT without issue except one brief scare on black ice in MI.

 

[iptman]

Since Im from Dallas you might think I would have no knowledge of what I'm about to say but...if you were here in February we got a ton of snow and ice.

As it happens this is right after I put 285 KM2s on my 100. It was terrible. I was slipping and sliding everywhere. I can't imagine being on skinnies that would have been terrible.

So I would reconsider KM2s if you're going to leave them on for a NW winter.

However in every other regard they are great tires, they get through anything, just not snow and ice.

Skinny 255 tires are better in the snow (no non-studded tire is "good" on ice) than big fat 285s. If you've ever watched the WRC's cold wheather rallies you'd see the tires they run are half as wide as on the dirt and gravel stages. I believe the thought is the skinnier tire won't float on the snow rather dig through the top soft layers and get down to more solid ground. My 80 did great on 255s during Snowmagedden two winters ago.

 

[Black Rhino 13]

Having been stuck in snow twice recently I would say the 255s are close to ideal offroad unless you're on gigantic glaciers and need those balloon tires like the folks in Iceland. Taller is better so you can sink down and get traction. High centered was my problem both times so suspension lift is also part of it.

 

[DallasCrzr]

Maybe I had the wrong idea about skinny vs wide, my bad. However my roommate who has a cruiser with the Dunlop Grandtrek AT23 had a lot more traction and his are 285 too. Maybe the 200's are better on snow/ice... Regardless I don't think the KM2 are a great cold weather tire.

Even before the snow turned to ice I was a little timid driving. Just my .02 though, you guys from up north where theres real snow would know a lot better

 

[maybe_a_80...]

The 255/85R16 Tire Official List - Expedition Portal Forum

Expedition Portal's 255/85 Tire Thread.

Beware for snow driving: many 255s are M/T tires. Not ideal for hardcore winter driving on maintained roads as the large-sized lugs do not offer enough biting edges and there is no way for snow to get "stuck" in the tread pattern to help snow-on-snow traction capabilities with a M/T tread pattern that is designed to self clean for mud use.

Consensus seems to be BFG KM2s are the superior tread for snow out of all the M/Ts...read away before making a decision.

It's hard to argue with the Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac for snow performance. Unfortunately not available in 255/85

 

[slowLC]

what do you guys think of the KM2's with additional siping?? How would they do in ice and snow then?

 

[Black Rhino 13]

Big deep widely spaced lugs are pretty bad on ice and bad snow compared to most other tires but last I checked Blizzaks don't come in a truck tire 255. The Blizzak W965 does come in 265/75. In fact, a lot more tires come in 265/75. I have had a good general experience with my 265/75 MTs but would like to move up to 255/85s too. As for traction on icy and hard packed roads with MTs, I've felt pretty good about it. I would credit the LC weight, AWD, and ABS a lot.

Micro climates do need to be taken into consideration. Temperature, precipitation, and sun exposure make a difference. Sun shinning on ice is going to be slippery. Driving style is probably a huge factor too. You have to adapt to the conditions no matter what tire you have. I just checked and Yreka and Medford don't have months with average lows below freezing and in those months the average high is in the 50s so it shouldn't be a problem to have KM2s there.

Here's from Tirerack.com about the 255/85/16 KM2s:

"While Off-Road Maximum Traction tires are branded with the M+S symbol and able to churn through deep snow, their typical oversize applications and the absence of snow-biting sipes in their large smooth lugs can challenge their on-road wintertime traction on packed snow and icy surfaces."

Medford, OR does have a Costco which does carry the KM2s. Again, I'm not on commission or anything.

 

[slowLC]

^^ Thanks, I am in Klamath Falls and while we are right in the middle of those two cities our climate is completely different here. We get pretty nasty winters where it will be single digits or less for weeks at a time. I appreciate the help, I really like them and want to look into maybe getting them siped.

 

[Black Rhino 13]

what do you guys think of the KM2's with additional siping?? How would they do in ice and snow then?

The function of sipes is to move the water away from the contact patch, as I understand it. That's why Blizzaks and the like are just totally covered in them. I think it also creates additional 90 degree angles for the tire to use to grab onto anything. That's also partly why Treadwright puts broken glass and crushed nut shells in their retread tire rubber if you request it. The little bits give extra traction and when they fall out they leave little pits, kind of like sipes.

The nice thing about thick lugs is there is material to work with to add sipes. I would guess the downside is that the lugs are far apart and you have to make sure not to compromise their integrity or their wear too much.

$.02 here, $.02 there.

 

[Black Rhino 13]

^^ Thanks, I am in Klamath Falls and while we are right in the middle of those two cities our climate is completely different here. We get pretty nasty winters where it will be single digits or less for weeks at a time. I appreciate the help, I really like them and want to look into maybe getting them siped.

Yeah, I just looked and your weather isn't that different than ours. I think of Missoula as Portland/Seattle East. We get the PacNW weather for the most part. We're just a little cooler and a little snowier than you, I think.

Give the KM2s a shot. They'll have those sharp 90 degree angles at first which will grab onto anything. Then as they wear and round out a little you can decide if you want siping later. I'm assuming.

Let us know how it turns out. I'd get the KM2s tomorrow if my tires weren't nearly new.

 

[Jacket]

I wouldn't rule out the Cooper ST's based on what you've read on the internet. Everybody's opinion of performance is mostly subjective, and shouldn't be taken as the gospel. If I were you I'd give them a shot.

 

[Tacoma4life]

I'm not sure why many here are recommending mud terrains when you want ice and snow performance. Sure for deep snow a mud terrain will do well, but for icy and slick snowy roads, stick to an all-terrain. Your choice in size is ideal IMO, it just sucks BFG doesn't offer the AT KO in that size...

 

[Black Rhino 13]

I'm only suggesting the MTs because SlowLC lives at 4400 ft or so in an area with low points nearby down to 2000 ft and higher points up to around 7000 ft. At least that's what I saw on Google maps terrain function. We can see what the climate and elevation are in that area online. Only SlowLC knows what's best in his situation and location, but it looks to me like he'll be on more wet snowy roads a lot and less on the very high and dry stuff like they get in Colorado.

I was just in Colorado in January at 8000-9000 feet offroad on that packed powder and was sliding around on my MTs a little. It was annoying.

My climate and terrain here in Missoula, the banana belt of MT, is similar to SlowLCs as I'm at 3400 ft with higher points nearby in the 5000-6000 ft range. I haven't had any issues here except for getting high centered in the snow by being dumb.

 

[maybe_a_80...]

I wouldn't rule out the Cooper ST's based on what you've read on the internet. Everybody's opinion of performance is mostly subjective, and shouldn't be taken as the gospel. If I were you I'd give them a shot.

This tire is not good on icey/snowy roads unless it is studded. It is an A/T style M/T, not an A/T.

It is great in deep, untracked snow.

This tire is super popular in the gas fields of western Wyoming - where the lightweight company trucks use slippery state highway to get to the gas fields. The reason the tires are so loved is because once the guys get their trucks off the highway, the super aggressive lug pattern keeps them from getting stuck in the gnarly mud/snow/ice mixture on the gas field access roads. Call Pearson Tire and Distributing Co in Salt Lake City for more info on this.