Best Snow Tire

Best snow tire for what?

There are lots of tires that do well in snow, but you have a lot of different varieties.

Mud-terrains actually do pretty well off-road when it comes to driving around on mountain trails in deep snow. They tend to do poorly on pavement or smooth surfaces, though, since the smooth lugs give them all the traction of a racing slick. Some brands (Pro Comp) put sipes on the treads to make them a little more bearable to drive in the wet or snow.

Quite a few All-Terrains (BFG AT, Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo, etc.) do VERY well in the snow in on and off-road conditions, the BFG AT is even snow-rated, (although reports have it it's snow-going abilities fade with increased tread wear).

There are even All-Season on/off road tires that lean more towards highway driving (Michelin LTX M/S), that give the mileage and all season abilities of a highway tire with quite a bit of the traction of a snow tire.

For pavement driving, though, it's hard to beat a typical dedicated snow tire from one of the major manufacturers, since the softer tread compound is made to give outstanding traction in the low temps and slippery conditions typical of winter driving. Goodyear, Michelin, etc. all make snow tires in SUV sizes.



Personally I just use the Michelin LTX M/S, and when the conditions exceed the abilities of the tire, switch it to 4WD. If conditions were such that even 4WD wasn't doing it, it's time for tire chains.

I'd say the BFG AT might be the choice for when you do more off-roading than on, or just want an AT tire on your ride.

Anime said:

Best snow tire for what?

Mud-terrains actually do pretty well off-road when it comes to driving around on mountain trails in deep snow. They tend to do poorly on pavement or smooth surfaces, though, since the smooth lugs give them all the traction of a racing slick. Some brands (Pro Comp) put sipes on the treads to make them a little more bearable to drive in the wet or snow.

Quite a few All-Terrains (BFG AT, Bridgestone Dueler A/T Revo, etc.) do VERY well in the snow in on and off-road conditions, the BFG AT is even snow-rated, (although reports have it it's snow-going abilities fade with increased tread wear).

There are even All-Season on/off road tires that lean more towards highway driving (Michelin LTX M/S), that give the mileage and all season abilities of a highway tire with quite a bit of the traction of a snow tire.

For pavement driving, though, it's hard to beat a typical dedicated snow tire from one of the major manufacturers, since the softer tread compound is made to give outstanding traction in the low temps and slippery conditions typical of winter driving. Goodyear, Michelin, etc. all make snow tires in SUV sizes.



Personally I just use the Michelin LTX M/S, and when the conditions exceed the abilities of the tire, switch it to 4WD. If conditions were such that even 4WD wasn't doing it, it's time for tire chains.

I'd say the BFG AT might be the choice for when you do more off-roading than on, or just want an AT tire on your ride.

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Sorry, I should have been more specific. I occassionally go off road, but mostly on. I drive on a windy two lane road up to the mountains when I go snowboarding and want to get the best tire to grip occasional ice and light to moderate snow. I have though about the BFG AT for awhile because of the snow rating, off road traction, and looks.

Another question: I have the cable chains but I want to get "real" chains (the ones that actually look like chains) next time I get tires. It seems to be that because they are more beefier, they should grip better. What do you think grip better, the cable chains or the old school chains?

The BFG A/T would be a good choice, and probably the most "off road" tire I'd suggest on a 2WD that sees a lot of pavement.

Otherwise I'd suggest the Michelin LTX M/S or the Bridgestone Dueler Revo A/T.


Tire cables are ok. Cables are meant for cars, since they fling out less from the tire when driving, give less shudder when driving on pavement or packed snow, and the smaller amount of tire-to-fender clearance makes chains on cars more of an issue. Some of the fancier tire cable systems allow higher driving speeds than you will get with chains, also.

Tire chains are ideal for deep snow and ice since they can "bite" (especially the tire chains that have the small welded lugs on the chains that cross the tires) Chains are also more ideal for a truck or SUV since they are more heavy-duty and are also easily repaired in the field with a spare link or extra chain. They tend to require tightening every so often, and are only intended for low speed driving. Drive too fast with chains and they WILL fly off and either mess up your fenders or get tangled up and take out parts of the body or drivetrain. Tire chains (on all 4 wheels, especially with a 4x4) tends to make an SUV all but unstoppable in the snow. With 2WD, you might be ok just getting chains for the rear or even sticking with the cables (or if you only have the cables for 2 tires, you can get 2 chains and use the 2 cables you already have). Cables can also sometimes be a better choice if they are easier to install and store. Chains are VERY heavy..but sometimes that's ok and stored chains can give some extra weight for traction in the rear when you're not using them.

Be aware that decending down a slippery snowy mountain with cables/chains on only one end can be tricky at best and dangerous at worst. Chains on the rear only makes the front able to slide around and make steering next to nonexistent. Chains on the front only makes the rear liable to swing around and either cause a sideways rollover or cause the vehicle to go downhill backwards.

Pick your tire of choice and get a setup with cables/chains for when you need it. If you definitely want chains over cables, the summer is probably a great time to buy them since they should be rather inexpensive at any place that still has them. If your current cables fit for the tire size you have, and are a good quality set, you might consider just using those over buying chains if your main concern is paved-road traction in snowy conditions.

just a suggestion but you might wanna check out the interco/super swamper trxus STS tire

http://www.intercotire.com/tires.php?id=12&g=1

it not only is supposedly a good tire if you spend alot of time on the road but also excels in sand and snow...

ill probably be getting some when i lift my explorer

Go with the Bridgestone Dueler AT Revo...

Hands down the best tire that I've ever driven on... I too venture into the mountains for boarding in the winter quite often. They are awesome tire in deep snow and packed snow. They aren't the best on ice but good enough to get the job done, you just need to know how to drive on ice and you will be fine.

Bfg

I'd vote for the BFG A/Ts, great all around tire. Then again, nothing will beat a dedicated snow tire in the winter. At least not on paved roads, there's a specialized off-road snow tire available, but I can't remember the name. Anyways, if I could afford it, I'd have a dedicated winter set, A, for the traction and B it'd make my other tires last longer. There's another member on here from IA and he says the Trxus (I think that's how it's spelled) tires he has on his Explorer are great in the winters we get here in IA. As far as chains or cables, Ford recommends cables because of the alloy wheels, if you've got steels then go for chains if you want, based on the info that's already been posted you know the speeds you'll be driving. If I had 2wd myself, I'd probably opt for dedicated snow tires as well, or maybe the best possible all terrain or mud terrain that would push me through the snow, but since you aren't up there all the time I don't know if I'd put mud terrains on because of the gas mileage and tread wear on pavement.

bump

For Snow, Michelin LTX A/T 2. I had a set on a heep for 70k which was awesome in the snow full time and even in 2wd open diffs it could move. Lock that center diff and it was unstoppable. I just put the LTX A/T on the Ford no chance for snow yet, its in the 90's.

if you want a dedicated snow tire, get blizzaks