Large Winter Tires

Co-opski

Expedition Leader
I'm looking for advice on larger winter tires for my Toyota Tundra. I want a tire that is as close to a 35” as possible. The narrower the better. I'm currently running Toyo AT2 in a 285/75/18. It's been a great tire, but I need a serious winter tire. I'd like a dedicated winter tire, but I'm considering the Nitto AWT and the Goodyear Duratrac. Both are able to be studded. I had Duratracs on my Jeep years ago that I wasn't impressed with on ice, but they weren't studded. I have no experience with a studded all terrain. The other choices I'm looking at are the Nokian LT2 studded and the Cooper M+S studded. The largest they come in is a 33.2/10.8, a really nice size actually, I'm just worried about it looking dumb on my lifted truck. Silly, I know.

I'm leaning towards the Nokian, just seeing if anyone had real world experience with studded all terrain or maybe someone knows of a true winter tire that I don't know about.
I went with 255/75r18 Cooper Discoverer M+S, it is not 35 but works well for me. 275/75r18 is close to 35x11 if you can find them.
http://us.coopertire.com/tires/discoverer-m-s_lt.aspx
 
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herm

Adventurer
Cant beat dedicated winter tires. We run them with dedicated wheels on all our cars. our Volt will plow the snow with its low front air dam from our street! We travel up to Vail often in the winter as my wifes parents have a place in edwards.
 

greg.potter

Adventurer
I am not sure if they still make them or not but Yokohama used to make a 315/70 R16 truck/SUV winter tire under the model name "Ice Terrain" that has a diameter of approx 35 inches. I have a set on my 2012 JKRU. They are hands down the best non-studded winter tire I have ever had on a vehicle. I have not used Nokian tires, but when I was looking I could not find them in larger diameter sizes - I was trying to match my 37 inch diameter summer tires.
 
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fisher205

Explorer
I was a ski coach in the inter mountain area for 6 years and had to have safe tires. I have run Nokian's and studded Cooper mud and snow's and really liked both. You need to realize that they are dedicated winter tires. You can burn up a set of Nokian's fast if you run them year around. I was running two sets of wheels and tires.

The surprising winter tire I had was the Treadwright Warden with the ground up shells in them. I put them on a pickup that I couldn't decide whether to keep or not. I just wanted an inexpensive tire to get me through the winter. I was totally impressed with their winter manners. I sold the truck that spring so don't know how the tires performed after that. Back when I bought them, Treaadwright was local to me. I have considered buying them again for winter driving.
 

eaneumann

Adventurer
Unfortunately I can’t really go down a wheel size. A lot of people have issues fitting 17” wheels that are not OEM and any smaller won’t fit. I tried finding OEM Rock Warrior wheels, but they’re pretty rare and I don’t want to deal with trying to find a replacement if something happens to one. Looking to keep my SR5 wheels as my winter wheels and buying new 18” wheels and 35” tires this spring. Great feedback, learning about a lot of tires that I didn’t know were out there. Should be helpful info for others also!


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IdaSHO

IDACAMPER
Best non-winter specific tire Ive ever run is the Toyo AT2

Since finding and running them, on on both trucks, and the jeep, I never bother with a winter specific tire.
 
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Dalko43

Explorer
I recently got a set of 4 General Grabber A/T's, and I got a hefty rebate with them as well. They have gotten decent reviews and come at a much cheaper price than what most other big brand A/T tires are going for.

Probably about 5k miles on them and so far I'm very happy with them. No noticeable early wear on them. They have worked very well on some moderately difficult roads I've been on. The main reason I got them was because they come with the M+S rating and the mountain/snowflake rating; they're two different ratings with slightly different meanings. Basically having both ratings indicates they offer the best snow/ice performance that you can expect out of a non-snow tire.

My last A/T tires were absolute garbage in the snow and ice, so I'm hoping that these ones will fare much better. They may not offer the same perks as a dedicated set of snow's, but I think they'll still be decent. For the truly deep and treacherous snow roads, you should either chain up or get out and get on a snowmobile. Winter wheeling isn't really the most efficient way to get around in the back country in my experience.
 
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Kyle Kelso

Adventurer
Unfortunately I can’t really go down a wheel size. A lot of people have issues fitting 17” wheels that are not OEM and any smaller won’t fit. I tried finding OEM Rock Warrior wheels, but they’re pretty rare and I don’t want to deal with trying to find a replacement if something happens to one. Looking to keep my SR5 wheels as my winter wheels and buying new 18” wheels and 35” tires this spring. Great feedback, learning about a lot of tires that I didn’t know were out there. Should be helpful info for others also!


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Can't help you for your 18" wheels but Nokian makes a special oversized winter tire for 17" wheels. Hakka LT2 in 315/70r17. Never seen one in person but it's supposed to be a bit different than the standard LT2 specific for the larger width.

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Lucky j

Explorer
Michelin X-Ice
Bridgstone blizzacks and similer tread by other company.

No stud, but soft coumpound with snowflake logo. Works great on snow and ice, but do not used them in late spring and summer, they will melt and ruin them for the following winter. But I do not know about available size.

I have never used studdes tire, and I work as a paramedic based from my house so need to get out every moment of day and night and I am also a ski patroler and we get an average of 25 ft of snow per winter that does not melt. And let me tell you that I will always open my yard after a powder day, not before. So I need to be able to drive often before thay have plowed the road. And never got stuck, not even behind a snow plow. ;)
 

eaneumann

Adventurer
Can't help you for your 18" wheels but Nokian makes a special oversized winter tire for 17" wheels. Hakka LT2 in 315/70r17. Never seen one in person but it's supposed to be a bit different than the standard LT2 specific for the larger width.

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I wonder what a set of these goes for?! That’s what I want, I’ll have to call some of the wheel companies about a 17” for the Tundra. This is 1.2” taller than their largest 18.


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greg.potter

Adventurer
Kyle,
Thanks for that. When I was last looking for "real" winter tires for my JK the winter of 2012/2013 the local tire shop told me I had no options in the 35-37 inch range. I found the Yokohama Geolander I/T with some Internet sleuthing in a 315/70R16 size, but at the time I couldn't find anything else on the market. If Nokian was making them at the time I did not find them. I will definitely keep these in mind for when I need to replace my Geolander I/T's - which hopefully won't be for a couple more years.


Can't help you for your 18" wheels but Nokian makes a special oversized winter tire for 17" wheels. Hakka LT2 in 315/70r17. Never seen one in person but it's supposed to be a bit different than the standard LT2 specific for the larger width.

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eaneumann

Adventurer
I ended up ordering the Nokian Hakkapeliitta LT2 in a 315/70/17 along with some 17” Icon Six Speeds. I’ll post some pictures when I get them mounted up. I’m stoked to have found a 35” true studded winter tire. Thanks Kyle.


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