Tires for Pacific Northwest snow?

[Stocker]

Also posted this on the 67-72 message board...

I've lived most of my life in the great Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, northern California) and much of our snow is wet, heavy, sloppy, and very slick. Add hills and corners, and it can be quite treacherous, and IMO much worse than the dry powdery stuff found in the midwest (lived there 5 years), and the Rockies (yup, been there too).

Anyway, there are lots of new tires out there and I wonder what people like and don't like for wet snow. I'll be putting new tires on my K20 (for year-round use, not many miles driven) and on my wife's Grand Cherokee (might buy extra wheels for winter only) this year. I'm considering BFG All-Terrain T/A KOs for both rigs, but just had two tire guys tell me they aren't great in snow (sure look great, though). Recommended tires are Bridgestone Winter Dueler and Michelin LTX M/S, which looks just like a highway tire!?!

I appreciate all thoughts and opinions - the more the better! Thanks, guys.

[chevy71super]

I agree the wet heavy snow is much more difficult to negotiate on the west side of the state. Don't buy the BFG's All Terrain's - I did not have good experience in the snow. too wide. Narrower tires with many biting edges work the best IMO. That is why the tires they are recommending look more like all season tires.

[Stocker]

I agree, narrower tires work better. I was thinking of 235/75-15 for the Jeep, and possibly 285/75-16 for the K20 (better than the 33/12.50-16.5 steamrollers on there now). What size tires did you have problems with?

[Richard]

Might want to give the Goodyear Wrangler MTR's a try, my brother says they are the best all around tire he has used period, raved about the performance last winter and I dont hear a lot of good comments about anything from that character. I believe the size he has now is 35 12 15's. I agree about the BFG AT's very average tire in most situations and they are horrible in the mud.

[justplainjoe]

I live up in the Pac NW for 11 years. On my 91 K1500 I used BFG Long Trail tires, they seemed to work pretty good. Got alot of miles out of them also.

[junkyardjohn]

NOW THATS A LOADED QUESTION. I HAD THE GOODYEAR WRANGLERS ON A NEW TRUCK I BOUGHT (AN 89 SHORT STEP Z71) & I HONESTLY THOUGHT THEY WERE THE WORST TIRES FOR TRACTION THAT I'VE EVER OWNED, OR EVEN HEARD ABOUT....... BAR NONE.(WHEN I POPPED ONE OFF ROAD, I THRU AWAY THE OTHER THREE WITH OVER 1/2 OF THE TREAD LEFT) ON THE OTHER HAND......... I BOUGHT MY FIRST SET OF BFG RADIAL TAs (I RUN 11.5X32s) IN 1978 & HAVE BEEN USING THEM EVERY SENSE. NOW FOR ALL OUT MUD & SNOW, GO ANYWHERE TIRES WITH WEAR, NOISE, & COST NOT BEING A FACTOR....... I'LL TAKE THE TSL SUPER SWAMPERS EVERY TIME.

[truk59]

Guys, out here in the Northeast we have some of the worst roads. Very narrow and steep in my state of Ct. I have always
bought Cooper tires for my trucks, and even had a few with studs on all four corners. Best of all, they are made in the USA !! All the other tires you have mentioned are all made over seas, mainly japan. Cooper is probably the last tire company that hasnt sold out. It really is sad to think that even your tires arent manufactured here!! Kurt in Ct.

[Richard]

Junkyardjohn, were those tires Wrangler MTR's or just the Wranglers? I am curious as there is a very big difference. Kind of like comparing the BFG AT and the Baha, of which the latter is also a good tire. Part of the reason the MTR's perform well on icy roads is the siping in the lugs.

[junkyardjohn]

BOY ... YA GOT ME BY THE AZZ............ THIS WAS IN 1989, & THEY CAME ON A NEW Z-71 CHEVY TRUCK. I HONESTLY COULDN'T SAY, BUT IT SURE SOURED ME ON WRANGLERS.

[cheyenne10]

I don't believe MTR's have been around that long, there are many models of wranglers.

[Stocker]

Thanks for all the input, I have a few more choices worth considering now. Anyone else with opinions/experiences, good or bad, please add your .02!

[71Seth]

I have heard from a couple of poeple that BFG stand's behind thier A/T KO's so well that if you get stuck while running them they will foot the tow bill?!?!?!!? Anyone else heard of this? Sound like alot of yall that ran them were not that impressed. I just put a new set of Regul A/T Trailblazers on my 97 4x4 and have been very pleased with them. No snow here though yet

[Stocker]

Originally posted by 71Seth
I have heard from a couple of poeple that BFG stand's behind thier A/T KO's so well that if you get stuck while running them they will foot the tow bill?!?!?

Yes, according to the BFG website, in the first 3 years of ownership, also with the M/T KM. They will also install your aired-up spare if you get a flat.

[71Seth]

now thats some real customer satifation
I would have got them on mine but the shop wanted $875 for 285/75/16

[chevy71super]

I was running the 11:50 X 32's All Terrains, now have 12:50 X 35's Mud Terrains. One thing I can say about the All Terrains is they do last and given the limited amount of snow we see on the west side of the state they are a good all around choice. Be warned they don't perform that well in the heavy wet stuff.

I was impressed with the performance of the Mud Terrains and not in the sense you would think. I hit a metal object on I-90 a couple of weeks ago and it punctured a 2" hole in all 5 cords. (When we dismounted the tire the steel cords were visible on the inside.) It most certainly went flat immediately but you wouldn't have known it the way the truck drove. We heard the bang going about 70 MPH and I told my wife that was going to hurt the truck. We kept going, passing two semi's pulling a motorcycle trailer with two bikes and about 500 pounds of junk in the back. Kept going about 70, the truck felt a little squirrely but not much different than a mild side wind. After about five miles I told my wife something didn't sound right, the hum of the tires was noticably different. We pulled over and sure enough the tire was flat. The good thing is BFG has rubber that extends beyond the rim which protected it from any damage plus the tire kept its bead. The rims are older American wheels no longer in production.

What ever I hit flew out of the tire so hard it left a hole in the left rear wheel well and dented the box in a couple of places. I bought a new tire this weekend, I will get the damage fixed this winter.

[CEDJUNIOR]

Back when I lived in Buffalo NY I didn't have a truck, got by fine with regular all season car tires. Last year we had a really bad ice storm that left about 2 inches of ice on the roads for about 3 days. I just drove around in with my truck in 4HI and had a little bit too much fun. Tires I have are the BFG AT's. The performed as well as any other tire would have on the ice.