Chains or Snow tires?

[in4aride]

If this is the case, this is a VERY different story than the answers that have been provided in this thread.

really? cuz im pretty sure i suggested a good snow specific tire (duratrac) which is super siped and does exceptionally well in the snow/ice/slush.


but i will also stand by this idea:
good parts are great and should assist you in your endeavors,

BUT

tires should not compensate for ignorance/driver.

 

[WaXJ_Skier]

I have a tendancy to butt into things that are none of my business, so I will keep up with the tradition.

First off, Are you guys both Californians who have moved to the NW (Tonasket area)?

If this is the case, this is a VERY different story than the answers that have been provided in this thread.

Give us the REAL questions with REAL situation and we can give you much better REAL world experience.

On road, off road?
What part of the state?
What specs your Jeep has?
ETC, ETC, ETC!!

If you honestly have NO experience in driving in the snow and are looking for a new set of tires for driving on the road in the winter in the Tonasket area you probably should consider a decent set of SNOW tires (not 4 season, not MT's, not AT's, not studded, or chains) but real SNOW tires with excellent siping.

The alternative is getting a great tire and haveing them well siped.

Again, give us a better question and we can provide a better answer!

Michael

Good luck finding a "real snow tire" in a 35. I can't think of any(realistic) situation where you would need tire better than a bfg AT on road. That tire grips in the snow (fully aired up) very well. If you need something better, you are driving too fast for conditions.

 

[jeeptorino68]

ill second the BFG AT for snow. it did excellent on my jeep a couple years ago when we had a bunch o snow in oregon. i went all over without chains. plenty of people were using chains or studs, and the hill to my house is very steep.

they have great grip on the wet snow i think.
combine that with the NP 242... and its excellent

 

[homebrew]

I am in bremerton My jeep is an auto with about 6 inches of lift, 33 in tires, aussie in the front and LSD in the rear. Mainly city driver but will be on the trails when the oppertunity arises.

 

[Muddy Beast]

I am in bremerton My jeep is an auto with about 6 inches of lift, 33 in tires, aussie in the front and LSD in the rear. Mainly city driver but will be on the trails when the oppertunity arises.

If you only want one set of tires, and plan to be wheeling in the PNW, get some mud tires with good tread (BFGs and Goodyears are popular around here). If don't plan to do any wheeling that will use your lockers, then get some BFG ATs.

 

[WaXJ_Skier]

If you only want one set of tires, and plan to be wheeling in the PNW, get some mud tires with good tread (BFGs and Goodyears are popular around here). If don't plan to do any wheeling that will use your lockers, then get some BFG ATs.

You wou;d be surprised at what you can run with AT's Scott.

 

[ChicksDigWagons]

So I say "BOTH" to answer your question.

What's good in the "Snow" (eg, wheeling in deep snow) is NOT going to be good in Snow and Ice on the Road. Period.

'Mud' tires for Daily Driving in wintery states is asking for trouble. Especially being SoCal'ers. I had Super Swamper Radials on my XJ last winter and while they did well in deeper snow aired down by virtue of their 'paddles', they were absolutely junk on the road. Something like a Wrangler M/T or BFG M/T are better than the swamper but still not good. The large voids and lack of siping really hurt. And I was born and raised in snow country so I know how to drive. I'm not sure how it is in the PNW, but here in Michigan you can go months without seeing blacktop on the surface streets.

There is nothing better than a dedicated snow tire in these situations but finding them in larger sizes is hard/impossible. A ~33 is probably about the limit (in a metric size and probably D or E load rating.) The BFG A/Ts are as close as you're going to get to a snow in bigger sizes IMO. Get them sipped and they will rock on the ice. Another option is to look into the BFG-A/T knock off retreads with 'Green Diamond' or whatever they call it. I've heard a lot of good things about this first hand from other people. I may try it this year, haven't decided.

For the mountain passes you'll want a set of chains too, just in case. These can be a life-saver even if you don't need them 99% of the time.

My 2 cents.

 

[Muddy Beast]

You wou;d be surprised at what you can run with AT's Scott.

No, I've seen them do well. It's not that I doubt their ability, it's that ultimately if you want to wheel year round in the PNW and you plan to go on trails that require a locker, you will want mud tires in most cases...meaning it's the preferred choice.

As I said, if he doesn't plan to wheel in those scenarios (though I was slightly more vague in my previous post) then look into AT's, specifically BFG AT's for good snow traction.

I've driven on many different types of tires in many different scenarios (including snow/ice with about all main types of tires), maybe not very frequently but enough to notice some real world differences. It just seems to me the best choice for the OP is mud tires, but that is assuming I understand how he wants to drive his rig correctly.

FWIW, I'm also kind of assuming that if this guy has been wheeling a couple times, he his likely more skilled in bad weather cases than your average driver in his vehicle.

EDIT: ChicksDigWagons brings up a good point that I should clarify, when I'm referring to "mud tires" for a fellow XJ'er, I'm talking about the moderate mud tires such at BFG MT's and Goodyear MTR's. We all know there are a lot of mud tires out there that just flat out suck in any condition other than mud, so I'm hoping the OP isn't looking at those tires as an option anyways as he DD's his rig.

 

[XJCasper]

I like this part:

having them well siped.

Michael

 

[souske]

I have a tendancy to butt into things that are none of my business, so I will keep up with the tradition.

First off, Are you guys both Californians who have moved to the NW (Tonasket area)?

If this is the case, this is a VERY different story than the answers that have been provided in this thread.

Give us the REAL questions with REAL situation and we can give you much better REAL world experience.

On road, off road?
What part of the state?
What specs your Jeep has?
ETC, ETC, ETC!!

If you honestly have NO experience in driving in the snow and are looking for a new set of tires for driving on the road in the winter in the Tonasket area you probably should consider a decent set of SNOW tires (not 4 season, not MT's, not AT's, not studded, or chains) but real SNOW tires with excellent siping.

The alternative is getting a great tire and haveing them well siped.

Again, give us a better question and we can provide a better answer!

Michael

California native, Just move up to North central washington (tonakset)

Have driven in snow a few times back home, mostly on weekend ski trips
(driving an 01 Trans Am manual trans, and drag radials is no fun when you still have[ your snowboard boots on)

My question is mostly directed at on-road driving. If its not possible to have my cake and eat it too, then i would consider getting a seperate set of dedicated snow tires.

Rig specs:

96/87 XJ hybrid
4.5" up front with Aussie locker
5.5" in the rear with an 8.8 LS
33" BFG A/t
231 t-case
WJ steering
Cage, winch, ragtop etc.....


I would like to only have to purchase one set of tires if possible.

I dont plan on doing much road driving this winter, but will need to get supplies and such.

Soo, Get a good set of A/T's or M/T's, carry chains, and slow down. Sound right?


And thanks to everyone that didnt give me the "Search NOOB!" !!!1


Also is there any real wheeling in this part of the state? Went on one run, very scenic, but a stocker could have made it no problem.

Most everyone I meet seems to think driving through the same mud pit 100 times is "wheeling" So i guess we all have our own definitions of what "real wheeling" is.

Thanks,

--Sean

 

[jonathanlo]

I still prefer studs. They're much better than snow tires. I dont know how studded tires work on larger tires though. I've only run them on stock. I keep mine on a separate set of rims so I can just swap them when I think it's starting to get cold enough. And the studs don't wear out in one winter generally.

 

[WaXJ_Skier]

I still prefer studs. They're much better than snow tires. I dont know how studded tires work on larger tires though. I've only run them on stock. I keep mine on a separate set of rims so I can just swap them when I think it's starting to get cold enough. And the studs don't wear out in one winter generally.

Around here studs are unnecessary and just damage the roads.

 

[2xtreme]

MUCH better worded question.

Personally I believe that tires make ALL the difference in the world with regard to traction on a particular surface.

If you still have 30% left on your current AT's I would sipe them now and see how they perform for you.

Tonasket can get a LOT of snow and depending on the season it can be snow or ice or a combination and this year is supposed to have more snow than normal.

It sounds like you probably won't be driving that much on the road (at least not daily?) and you would like to stick with 1 set of tires.

Given this, the BFG AT I would agree is an excellent all around choice. I would probably have them siped also (even though the stock pattern is a good start).

IF you are driving daily and are more concerned I would consider a better winter only tire that likely would have to be in a smaller size or putting studs in them for the winter. I agree that they damage the roads but if the roads are bad and you have concerns with traction on a routine basis it is much safer than having an accident without them (I don't want to be the person on the road in front of you when you can't stop).

Speed and experience are obviously your most important factors but tire selection is a close second particularly with LS's and lockers on a lifted light weight Jeep.

Michael

 

[jonathanlo]

Around here studs are unnecessary and just damage the roads.

Makes sense. I'm probably going to keep mine off until it actually snows.