I live in snow country full time now, and have a long, steep driveway, so need studded snow tires. Any recommendations? The local tire guy recommended Cooper Arctic Claw, but I think they're out of production, so the tires he has are probably a year or two old.
Studded snow tire recommendation (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter gregp
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Cooper M+S... I have been happy with them
I have them in 265/70/17s on the FJ Cruiser
and 235/85/16LT E ranges on the 80..
The price is right, they get awesome traction. The E range seem to be wearing better than the wider tires on my wife's FJ. I went with Tundra rims to fit them (16x6). There are more expensive tires.. but I find that I like to replace the tires ever other winter. I keep them on from mid November till 1st of May.
I think the FJ tires were $112 a piece unstudded and the 235s were about $140 a piece. I pay $15 a tire for studding and $12 for mount/balance.
I have them in 265/70/17s on the FJ Cruiser
and 235/85/16LT E ranges on the 80..
The price is right, they get awesome traction. The E range seem to be wearing better than the wider tires on my wife's FJ. I went with Tundra rims to fit them (16x6). There are more expensive tires.. but I find that I like to replace the tires ever other winter. I keep them on from mid November till 1st of May.
I think the FJ tires were $112 a piece unstudded and the 235s were about $140 a piece. I pay $15 a tire for studding and $12 for mount/balance.
While the Nokians are a great tire.. they are twice the price...
Just what I do... but fresh snow tires for me are better than snow tires that I try to eek out every bit of life out of..
I have no problem either tossing the Coopers early or running them for a summer/fall to avoid a change out.
When I commuted to Vail, I just ran studded snows year round. I just put new ones on every October.
Just what I do... but fresh snow tires for me are better than snow tires that I try to eek out every bit of life out of..
I have no problem either tossing the Coopers early or running them for a summer/fall to avoid a change out.
When I commuted to Vail, I just ran studded snows year round. I just put new ones on every October.
tkorade
GOLD Star
I'll second the comment on the Nokian Hakkapeliitta. I run 235/85-16 on my 100 and the wife also runs Nokian Hakkapeliittas on her Yaris.
Strongly consider studless - I recommend the Michelin Latitude X-Ice. They are better than traditional studded snow tires on most conditions, with deep snow the exception. I've had 3 different studded snow tires on 80s and then Michelin studless Arctic Alpins and Latitude X-Ice. I had a long conversation with a buddy who used to manage the Bridgestone winter driving school in Colorado and he explained how they work vs traditional snow tires. I've driven in over 2 feet of loose fresh snow and could not discern a disadvantage in this condition though that's what the data showed back then. If your driveway is regularly deep unplowed snow then you may not have a choice, but if it's usually packed or plowed then the disadvantage traditonal studded tires have on the other 99% of the miles you drive might be an unwise compromise.
The last two years were the snowiest on record here and we never once even had to spin a tire to my knowledge on that truck even though they were the last two seasons for those studless Michelins.
I've had studded Haakas also and liked them before going studless.
DougM
The last two years were the snowiest on record here and we never once even had to spin a tire to my knowledge on that truck even though they were the last two seasons for those studless Michelins.
I've had studded Haakas also and liked them before going studless.
DougM
powderpig
SILVER Star
Well you have asked us for knowledge, but have not told us what tire size or what other info might be nice before I would answer your question.
So beside living where you are living, tell us more about your requirments.
Heck you are sporting a turbo, and have used Yoko snow and Ice tires(or am I wrong).
What are you actually looking for???????
Always more info is better than less.
So beside living where you are living, tell us more about your requirments.
Heck you are sporting a turbo, and have used Yoko snow and Ice tires(or am I wrong).
What are you actually looking for???????
Always more info is better than less.
x2 - I agree. As my sig line says, I'm running Green Diamond M/Ts. You can go to the website and get all the info you need including test comparisons:
Green Diamond Tire
It was interesting to note their conclusion:
Conclusion:
Granulated tyres clearly perform much better than regular tyres in icy conditions. Measurements show that, as a rule, granulated tyres are probably better than studded ones when the tyres are rolling along the road, without sliding. This applies in particular to bends and, for example, anti-braking systems which prevent the wheels from locking completely. Under conditions where the wheels lock, studded tyres seem to have the edge in performance over granulated tyres. It should be reiterated that more tests will need to be conducted before these findings can be confirmed.
This was at the end of the additional test data page. Since most 80s have ABS, it might be of interest to those of us that run stock size tires in snow and ice conditions.
As for my experiences with them - the first testimonial on GDT's website is mine. I'm also updating a thread here on MUD periodically:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/269824-gdt-icelander-265-75r-16-e-80-a.html
x3!!! More and more I favor studless for all around winter weather performance. I've run the Blizzak DMZ3 very successfully on my wife's "rig" and got 3 full winter's worth (I always put them on right after Halloween and take them off right after Mother's Day) plus I then left them on all through this spring, summer and fall this year because they basically got below the 45% tread indicator which is where Bridgestone stops their "ice compound" and starts their "regular winter compound". This year (few weeks from now actually) I'm already scheduled to switch to the newer and nicer Blizzak DMV1. Recently Tire Rack did several studies that tested tires throughout all sorts of stuff. In several of the tests they used the Blizzak WS60 which is really more of what I would call a car tire and it always ranked either 1st or 2nd with the Michelin X-ICE taking the other one of 1st or 2nd. One thing that pushed the X-ICE towards the 1st in several studies was deeper snow and deeper slush where the WS60 was then the 2nd. My thinking is that since the Blizzak DMZ3 and the Blizzak DMV1 are more light truck tires with more aggressive tread patterns, that one favor for the X-ICE would make less matter. Anyways, I third the vote for studless even though the thread specifically asked about studded. Just in the hope this helps.
Technological or Traditional Traction For Ice and Packed Snow?
Do You Want Your All-wheel Drive Light Truck to be an Ice and Snow Mobile?
Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60 Introductory Drive
Michelin X-Ice Xi2 Introductory Drive
The unfortunate thing with tires from an individual user standpoint is that nobody would spend $700 just to see if a different tire (studless) will work out for them. We got over 14 feet of snow here in town the last two winters and I'd never switch back. It's one of those things that has to be experienced to be believed, that a special rubber compound, tread design and carefully engineered contact patch ground pressure can achieve so much versus little carbon steel pins. The steel looks believable, the other must be experienced.
DougM
DougM
Just want to go on record as saying that I think the studless work great, if not better than studded. My personal experience was that the studless tires were very very soft compound. I got very little life out of them. With the studded tires, the compound seems a little harder (especially the E rated on the 80) They seem to last longer. I have about 10k miles on the Es and they look hardly worn. but I have not tried studless in 8-9 years, they have improved I am sure.
On a lighter car, I probably would go with studless.
On a lighter car, I probably would go with studless.
If 9 year ago studless is what you've used then it's near 100% irrelevant to today's state of the art studless. The new silica based rubber gives excellent life. I'll strike a blow at Bridgestone's 50% depth ice rubber as something I don't understand. At half life they become way less effective. Michelin's winter rubber goes full depth. Check my thread last March about getting caught in 6 hours of the worst winter blizzard I've ever experienced. We were more mobile than any other vehicle out on those Montana highways and those Michelins were on their last legs.
DougM
DougM
Absolutely 100% agree with both thoughts there. As far as the 55% (55% is actually where the ice compound turns to winter compound) tread thing I've given that thought too and after awhile realized that if the tires that I'm running (with wife's "rig" again) start with 14/32nds of tread and get to 6/32nds when the ice compound turns into the winter compound, it doesn't matter much cause no matter what compound or tread option you run, less than 6/32nds in the thick stuff doesn't get you far at all. So I settled for running them +6/32nds for several winters straight then finally finishing the tread throughout spring summer and fall. Its one of those "six of one, half dozen of the other" things I think, but, your point is very valid indeed. It just sort of forces me not to skimp treadwise.
Grench
SILVER Star
Our 4" of snow today didn't stick to the roads, so I don't have a direct snowy road test on them yet.
GY Wrangler Duratrac tires are snowflake-mountain rated AND have provisions for studs if you choose to put them in. They're a bit expensive though.
Throwing them in as an option - so far in the 10s of miles I've put on mine and my wife's truck since we had them mounted last weekend, we like them.
Her's are 265/75R16 Load C. Mine are 315/75R16 Load E. Buying 10 at a shot was a wallet opening experience though.
GY Wrangler Duratrac tires are snowflake-mountain rated AND have provisions for studs if you choose to put them in. They're a bit expensive though.
Throwing them in as an option - so far in the 10s of miles I've put on mine and my wife's truck since we had them mounted last weekend, we like them.
Her's are 265/75R16 Load C. Mine are 315/75R16 Load E. Buying 10 at a shot was a wallet opening experience though.
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I'm with Robbie, without a size its hard to give you any recommendations. If your taking about Bayfield, CO as snow country then I'm pretty familiar with your snow conditions.
I've heard from some friends that those GY's are good on their own; I don't happen to know of anyone with them studded though. Another thing to think through is that studs work best with a pretty surprisingly small range of temperatures. From ice at 32 degrees F down to about 20 degrees they work really well because they penetrate the ice enough to help the frictional coefficient. However with hard ice (aka anything below about 18 degrees) the studs start to help less and less and can actually start slipping more than regular tires at around 0 degrees F. It all depends on what your weather is like but where I'm at its a really wide range of temps and they're often well below 20 degrees so I've really just ruled out studs.
Here's an interesting read if you're interested.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/551.1.pdf
Hope that helps.
Here's an interesting read if you're interested.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/551.1.pdf
Hope that helps.
In general, studless are better than studded on ice, but require a tread pattern that is not as good in deep or sloppy snow. I run the studded Coopers because they are a good all-around compromise winter tire. It comes down to priorities and driving conditions. If most of your time is spent on dry road, wet road, ice and packed snow you are probably better off with studless. If you want to be able to get through anything, go with a studded tire.
I have no experience with the current Nokians, but in general it is an ice tire compound with an in-between tread pattern and studs. They are better, but you pay for it. Personally I think you are better getting the cheaper Coopers and replacing them more often.
I have no experience with the current Nokians, but in general it is an ice tire compound with an in-between tread pattern and studs. They are better, but you pay for it. Personally I think you are better getting the cheaper Coopers and replacing them more often.
Turbo,
Agree that thinner tread starts to compromise effectiveness, however I've been truly impressed with how well a set of worn out winter Michelins still performs. On hardpack, and glare ice I have not noticed a degradation from the driver's seat though I'm sure instruments would as tread squirm from taller tread blocks would likely help keep things from breaking loose. On deeper snow, the literature shows that snow in the treads sticks better to snow than the rubber does and this seems to keep them effective despite the tread depth loss. In other words, they seem to get their traction not from digging into the media (in this case snow) like mud tires do (displacing the media and gripping the next layer) but from actually gripping the snow. Quite remarkable.
One uniform area that only very old fashioned open snow treads or a mud type tire seem to do well in is the thick slush we often get here when the plows can't keep up and the day warms up. Every winter tire I've used gives a low speed hydroplaning effect except those open tires. One year I was on studded, siped Cooper Discoverer S/Ts and we had that condition so I purposely switched trucks a couple times with my wife's 80 on Michelin studless. The Coopers were better. But ask me which I'd rather drive if I had to leave that day to travel across the state and I'd take the Michelins. They're simply better in more winter conditions, and FAR better on wet winter pavement or bare winter pavement.
Agree that thinner tread starts to compromise effectiveness, however I've been truly impressed with how well a set of worn out winter Michelins still performs. On hardpack, and glare ice I have not noticed a degradation from the driver's seat though I'm sure instruments would as tread squirm from taller tread blocks would likely help keep things from breaking loose. On deeper snow, the literature shows that snow in the treads sticks better to snow than the rubber does and this seems to keep them effective despite the tread depth loss. In other words, they seem to get their traction not from digging into the media (in this case snow) like mud tires do (displacing the media and gripping the next layer) but from actually gripping the snow. Quite remarkable.
One uniform area that only very old fashioned open snow treads or a mud type tire seem to do well in is the thick slush we often get here when the plows can't keep up and the day warms up. Every winter tire I've used gives a low speed hydroplaning effect except those open tires. One year I was on studded, siped Cooper Discoverer S/Ts and we had that condition so I purposely switched trucks a couple times with my wife's 80 on Michelin studless. The Coopers were better. But ask me which I'd rather drive if I had to leave that day to travel across the state and I'd take the Michelins. They're simply better in more winter conditions, and FAR better on wet winter pavement or bare winter pavement.
Doug, agree again on many of those thoughts and I totally take your word for the michelins and how admirably well they work. One "devil in detail" thing that I'd like to point out though is that the traction that you refer to with snow-on-snow-situations is really most applicable above packed snow, as opposed to loose snow or slush. So while its true that it doesn't take much tread depth to run through hardpack it does take modestly more to really run through "loosepack" and we do get lots and lots of slushy snow here (as well as situations that cause thick hardpack.) That's where I wouldn't really run with less than about 6/32nds anyway and also why I was able to convince myself that 55% of this type tire is 100% of what I would want it for. Anyway, I totally see all your points.
Agree. It's pretty tough to argue AGAINST more tread depth, so I won't take that any further.
On a related note, we do national training for Hyundai USA and I'm noticing more and more that they and other mfrs are including cautionary information for their owners when the model they've purchased has summer performance tires. The wording makes it very clear that if the owner lives in a cold climate that they would be expected to take these stock tires off in favor of winter tires. Interesting that tire compounds are getting so specific both on the winter and summer ends of the spectrum, eh?
DougM
On a related note, we do national training for Hyundai USA and I'm noticing more and more that they and other mfrs are including cautionary information for their owners when the model they've purchased has summer performance tires. The wording makes it very clear that if the owner lives in a cold climate that they would be expected to take these stock tires off in favor of winter tires. Interesting that tire compounds are getting so specific both on the winter and summer ends of the spectrum, eh?
DougM
