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View Full Version : TRUE All-Season Tow Rig Tires



SuicideTireZJ
10-03-2014, 11:32 AM
I guess I might as well ask you guys what your opinion on load range E tires for my tow rig that DON'T suck in the snow. I've been getting by on the stock 265/70/17 street tires for the last couple years and spend far more time in 4WD than I would like to on the street when it's icy out. I can't afford to have two sets of tires, so I'm looking at snowflake/mountain rated AT and possibly MT tires. I'd also like to step my size up from the metric 31" to a 33 or 34.

It's tough to find ANY tires with the same section width but a taller aspect ratio, which means I'm going to have to jump up to (most likely) a 285/70/17, and that means that any additional snow/ice traction will have to come from the tread pattern/sipes/compound. If you have any experience with the following tires I'm considering, please post up your opinions.

Above are, roughly in order of likelihood of me buying them, the tires I'm considering. The only tire I have any experience with is the Kevlars, but how they perform on my 4th Gen Cummins (manual tranny) and how they did on my Jeep are likely very different indeed.

ajmorell
10-03-2014, 11:53 AM
Did I miss the list? I'm interested to see what you're looking at. My truck needs tires before winter too...

BigDaveZJ
10-03-2014, 11:56 AM
I just put Hankook Dynapro ATM's on my F250 this spring. Haven't run them in the snow yet, but otherwise like them so far. And any truck by the nature of it being a truck is going to spend more time in 4Hi than you might be used to, unless you load up the bed with a bunch of weight.

SuicideTireZJ
10-03-2014, 01:03 PM
AJ, it took me a few minutes to write out the poll. It's up now.

There very well could be a night-and-day difference between the stock highway tires and anything with better tread on them. But even with a bed full of sand (~500lb IIRC), the diesel torque, manual transmission, and lack of LSD/locker made driving the thing an absolute chore last year that I'd like to avoid at all costs. There should be no need to be in 4wd in the city when the roads are cold and wet.

Pearce
10-03-2014, 01:15 PM
I've been a huge fan of Toyo Open Country AT's for years on the Dodge. But they changed the tread pattern to more aggressive. Last month I was due for my 2 at a time new tires and I got Cooper AT3's. Made in the USA and have been gaining popularity. Not a ton of miles on them yet but I like them so far. Also the Nitto is the same as the Toyo with somewhat of a reverse tread pattern. Toyo makes the Nittos.

Oh yeah about the snow. While in Atlanta, I've towed in the snow in 4H several times to go wheeling, they were great. And 2 snow storms ago when Atlanta was shut down I got around just fine.

ajmorell
10-03-2014, 02:18 PM
AJ, it took me a few minutes to write out the poll. It's up now.

There very well could be a night-and-day difference between the stock highway tires and anything with better tread on them. But even with a bed full of sand (~500lb IIRC), the diesel torque, manual transmission, and lack of LSD/locker made driving the thing an absolute chore last year that I'd like to avoid at all costs. There should be no need to be in 4wd in the city when the roads are cold and wet.

Must be because I'm on my phone I can't see the poll. I'm looking at the toyo at2, cooper st Maxx and duratrac but I don't want to kill my mileage either. I'm leaning towards the toyo right now

Ken L
10-03-2014, 04:46 PM
I voted for the Goodyear Duratracs even though my pickup isn't a tow rig. I travel a lot from Denver to Grand Junction, up to Vernal, over to Craig, and then a lot in Wyoming; to Rock Springs, Casper and Gillette. I'm interested in seeing what aftermarket tires guys are running on their trucks, especially the 3/4 and 1-ton rigs as I figure those are "working trucks" and guys driving them for the most part will have tires on that work. I see more Duratracs than any other non-stock tire on trucks in these areas. So that's why I voted the way I did, based on the tires you have listed. When I have to change mine out, that's what I'm going to. Same deal, I need to be secure in the snow and not fight it.

reward_1000
10-05-2014, 09:46 PM
Another vote for the DynaPro ATM's I run them on my SuperDuty and on the Grands that I build and sell. I have gotten around just fine in the snow with them.

BigClay
10-06-2014, 03:35 PM
I have the treadwright wardens (they are nitto shells with a BFG a/t tread pattern) on my tow rig. They ride just fine on the highway and around town. I used them in the snow this winter, and they were decent, but would not clean without some wheel speed. I have used them in wet mud and even wet greass, and they break loose and gum up really bad. I am actually thinking about switching to more aggressive E range tire, just so I don't have to put it in 4wd to get out of a wet field haha.