hey guys
i have a question in regards to the best tire for deep snow ....maybe you guys that do some mountain trips in the winter would know...i am curious if you get better traction with an all terain tire or a more agressive mud terrain tire in deep snow ...i do alot of ice fishing in the winter , and i am blazeing the trail across frozen lakes alot in 8 to 15 inch snow ....also what size ....tall n skinny or is wider better in snow ...

thanks for any input
Ben

 

Tall skinny tires are better in the snow

 

debatable. some prefer wider tires aired down and float on top of the snow. 4 wheel magazine had a article on a few toyotas doing a snow run, most of them had wider tires, just aired down to single digit - low teens pressures (deeper snow though). for the depth your talking, narrow will be fine.

 

For deep snow, your best bet is to stay on top, with big aired down tires.

 

the narrow tires help more on ice where as wider tires help more on deep snow.

 

ya, but he's only looking at 8-15 inches. Its not like he's going thru snow banks or fields of 2-3 feet of snow. normal a/t tires should be fine, whether you have narrow or wide, you'll be fine.

 

My experience here in Colorado is that a narrowish AT gives you the best snow packed road performance, but that the MT does much better in unpacked snow on trails. That said, the MT can be a bit sketchy on packed snow driving on the highway.

My $0.02 is to stick with the most agressive tire you feel comfortable with on the road and buy chains for the backcountry travel. Chained up ATs will do at least as good most any tire by itself, probably better (ski area parking lot plows have chained up implement tires afterall). I found that even siped, MTs are just not secure enough to justify everyday in the winter. While chains are sort of a pain to carry and install, traction will not be a problem anymore. An upside is that you can get 4 chains about about the price of one new MT.

 

Certainly not to contradict and fellow Colorado Yota....but I have had tons of sucess with BFG AT. Anything mud tires seem to pack the snow in the tread until the wheel surface is just smooth. I vote for AT tires all the way! (pretty common to get a couple of feet of snow a week at my house in the winter!)-8000 feet.

 

My 33x10.50 BFG ATs work very well in deep snow at around 7 psi:

This photo was taken just after pushing through a drift that was as deep as the snow line on the grill:


Got sucked down off the banked road into the ditch, snow clear up to the window on the door:


Have also run 33x15.50 Swampers and they worked quite well, too. At about 2 psi, they did a good job getting up on top of the snow, to the point that folks behind me could not follow since I was really not "breaking trail". The only problem with the wide Swampers was if you did break through the snow, they were a bear to get back on top, while the ATs seem to pop back up a lot easier.

 

just watched a program on a HD cable channel ('ski to the max', IIRC) where a 'souped" audi station wagon was plowing through this deep snow road. i mean deep. then this one shot, showed it to have cable chains...

lol...

so, if you wanna play for cheap in the snow? chains or cable chains...

 

I live in Montreal, Canada...and we get a fair bit of snow (of every variety)....cold snaps...iced roads etc...

the 1 tire I swear by is the Nokia Hakkapeliitta 10's (winter tire- skinny tread). I've tried alot of tires and nothing comes even close. They are not as good on ice....but in snow...they work like a charm. (plus you can stud them, if you like)

-B

 

Based on my experience in upstate NY - I agree.

 

My Revos did GREAT this past winter in 10 to 12" snow.. I really didnt have to use 4wd as much as I did the previous year with my Destination MTs just my .02

 

I agree with the Nokian tire suggestion. I hear nothing but good things about these tires and their snow performance. Tires like these..... http://www.nokiantires.com/newsite/t...fm?cid=2&sid=1

 

It's the Hakka 10's you want!

...remember MT's and AT's are NOT winter tires. Out your way you probably get some nasty cold days...where MT's and AT's would freeze up. The rubber compound is not made for -20 weather.

out here its 4 winters in the winter and 4 MT or AT's in the summer. thats the way to go.

-B

 

whats the difference between a cable chain and regular chains ? and arnt chains hard on your tires if you run them at normal psi?

 

I'll second that. But in 2-3 feet.

 

the BFG AT 12.50s did me pretty good this winter. not so good on ice, but awesome in the snow. better than when i had the dunliop mud rovers. however those took me across a frozen lake with about 18" of snow on it. maybe 2 feet.

for deep snow and only 31s id say try to get something wideish... but 10.50s would be fine. heard good things about hakkas for winter. a tall narrow tire will hopefully get you down to some traction while the wider tire will float you over...

what i did... get some ATs that will take you on the snow... woods, mud(not the best but they have suprised me. just take some RPM to clear)... good tread wear and quiet.

 

I picked up some SCC Z-chains, they worked great the one time I used them:



I was able to put these on buried to the axles in deep snow and did not even have to move the truck to get them hooked up. The Z's are nice because they greatly reduce the gaps that normal cross link chains have. The cable sections zig-zag back and forth across the tire. Chains are fine as long as you keep the speed down to 25 or so.

 

Never tried Z chains, I use regular twisted link chains. I also use a tensioner, which is basically just a big, heavy duty rubber o-ring with a few hooks on it. I carry a couple of short sections of treated 4x4 to quicken chain-up. Lay your chains out on the ground, put the 4x4 in the middle of the ladder and backup onto the 4x4s. Then bring the chains around the tire. Takes some fumbling at first, but with practice it makes getting on chains a few minute affair. With 4 chains on my 30" ATs, I had no problem keeping up with double locked 35" MT equiped trucks. Now that I have lockers and 33" tires, I bet it will be even better. I like chains for use in mud, too. This is why I get the heavier duty chains, mud can eat them up in a hurry. I carry 2 pairs in the winter and typically just one pair in the summer.

My chains are these:

Look much like this with tensioners: