Last winter, I drove between Bend and Ontario, OR, through the winter storm that shut the country down just before Christmas. I was in my '94 4Runner with Toyo Open Country AT III's on it (31/10.5 R15) that were made in Japan*. My outside temp gage told me it was 17-21 degrees and it was RAINING, instantly freezing on my windshield. I had the defrost on full blast, wipers on high, and could only keep the bottom half of the windshield de-iced (and I still had to stop about every 30 minutes to scrape ice). When I did get out of the car to chip off the windshield, there was probably 2-3 inches of ice on the road, and it was consistently covered in rain. I might as well have been driving on a hockey rink.
The Toyo Open Country AT III's performed confidently in those conditions, delivering on that three peak rating when I needed them to a superb degree. I drove in 4x4 around 40 MPH for that whole 260 mile stretch. With stops included, it was an unrelenting 7 hours, and I never lost control once. I've spent a lot of time driving in the PNW winters, and this was the most intense driving I have ever encountered. As an aside, it was also best gas mileage I ever tracked at 22 MPG (I average 17 highway).
So if the Toyo AT III did that well for me, why does it suck for you in your LX? I purchased my 2013 LC in March 2023, and now that I've driven it for nearly a year, I can tell you that weight awareness was my most challenging adjustment in driving style. In other words, ask me how I know that my seat belt auto-tighten feature still works during hard breaking. As you had mentioned in another post above, the LC handling in winter conditions is worst at low speeds. This has been my experience as well (i.e., coming to a complete stop, especially when pointed down hill). As best I can tell, shear weight is to blame, and the numbers seem to support my gut feeling: The curb weight on a 1994 4Runner 4x4 comes in at around 4,100 lbs, while the 2013 LC is around 5,700 lbs. For perspective, that means the LC weighs 40% more than the 4Runner, an extra 1,600 lbs. Now, I've towed about 1,600 lbs. of gravel in the 4Runner in an unbraked trailer, and I can tell you that there's no way in hell I would drive that setup in winter conditions of any kind. All that to say the weight difference between the two vehicles is significant.
As a bit of opportune real-world testing of this thesis, I just drove the 4Runner and the LC over the same icy backroad pass about a week ago, and the LC would not come to a full stop going down the same icy hill that the 4Runner was able to stop on (though the LC was able to slow and I always felt like I had steering control). And it's not that I have bad tires on the LC; quite the opposite in fact. My LC has Michelin Defender LTX MS's, which are shown to have far superior at stoping on snow/ice compared to the Toyo Open Country AT IIIs in this
Tyre Review's comparison video: Based on what I can see in my garage, the Michelin has around 2x the tread siping compared to the Toyo.
So then, what is to be done? Because of the generally mild winters where I live, I didn't see the point in buying a set of dedicated snow tires, as the trade-offs for a couple bad days traveling just isn't worth it here. My solution was to purchase a set of SCC Peerless Super Z6 cable chains (Model
SZ451 for stock 285/60R18 tire size**) for use ON REAR WHEELS ONLY*** when conditions really got bad.
I actually had the opportunity to test these chains out a couple days ago during a Christmas trip on a very steep backroad incline that had packed snow on top of ice, which makes for a very slick combo. Slowing to a stop coming down was no longer a problem once I put the chains on, as compared to coming down the pass I had driven just a couple days prior. I looked back at the tracks and could easily see that the chains bit through the snow pack and into the ice. The chains were very easy to put on (with the help from an ice scraper to get them behind the tire) and even easier to remove: After three days of putting them on and taking them off every day, I could do either in about 10 minutes. I can say with absolute confidence that the 10 minutes was worth keeping my expensive 3 ton LC full up with my family from sliding off one of the many turns coming down hill.
If you need traction at slow speeds on high grade for a limited time (i.e., going up and down a ski hill), I couldn't recommend a set of chains more highly. If you frequent or live in snowy/icy areas, a set of winter tires will suit you much better, as chains limit speeds to 30 MPH at best. And, if you go back to that Tyre Review video I mentioned, you'll see that the dedicated Michelin snow tire absolutely demolished every other AT tire in the lineup, demonstrating once again that an AT tire is indeed a jack of all trades but master of none (yet I still love their versatility and will continue to run them). I hope you're able to find something that works for you, as this LC is otherwise an absolute powerhouse in other winter conditions (ironically, the weight of the LC is a huge advantage when busting through uneven trail or heaves/mounds on the highway).
*
This thread by gaijin details a recall of Toyo tires manufactured in Serbia. If you run the relevant tire size affected by the recall, check your tires to see if they are made in Japan (the tires on my 4Runner clearly state "Made in Japan"). The recall was for sidewall failure, but I wouldn't be surprised if compound chemistry was also off at that plant which would affect tire grip.
** SCC Peerless also makes a Super Z LT/SUV Model
ZT751 for the same 285/60R18 tire that I might have purchased instead (if I initially knew I would be putting chains on the rear only), as I assume they are a bit thicker than the Super Z6. I would have rather had SCC's AutoTrac chains (which are actual chains), but they don't make them in a size that fits the 285/60R18. Maybe they will someday...
*** The owner's manual for my 2013 LC states that chains should ONLY be used on the rear, not the front (pg. 312, or section 2-5: Driving Information to help LX owners with the reference). As much as I wanted to put chain on all 4 wheels (on an AWD vehicle, that just makes sense), chains on just the rear did what I expect chains to do: Provide bite for stopping in icy conditions. According to my driveway test, the Super Z6 SZ451's will clear the suspension components on the front of the LC, including the KDSS cylinder. However, the edge of the chain will drag across the supporting knuckle going into the wheel. It appears that you could drive with these chains on all 4 wheels for a limited distance (i.e., a hill climb or something similar), as the knuckle is smooth and doesn't appear that it could snag the chain as it drags across; however, running them on all 4 tires over any distance will repeatedly knock the metal clasps against the knuckle which will wear out the knuckle and the clasps, likely leading to a catastrophic failure of one or both given enough time.
