Tire Recommendations for wide temperature ranges

[kroney]

I'm sorry to start a new thread about tires, but I haven't been able to find the answers I'm looking for.

I live in Denver, CO which sees large temperature swings and is considerably warmer than in the mountains towns that are 4500ft higher in elevation. It can be 60 degrees in Denver while it's snowing at Loveland Pass (11,991 ft). I've also seen the temperature drop in town from the 70's to snowing in a 24 hour period.

I have a dedicated set of winter tires, but I need new tires for the rest of the year. Spring time here is too warm on average to run my winter tires, but I will be driving into the mountains for some late season skiing. I don't go offroading for sport but I would like to do some exploring come summer.

I drive a 2007 Toyota 4runner Sport 4wd with the standard 265/65r17 size tires.

In summary I'm looking for a tire that's great in icy/packed snow conditions, can do some light off roading, that livable day to day.

Many tests I see say that All terrain tires are actually worse than highway tires for ice and snow. Am I better off with a highway tire that's ok offroad?

 

[REDONE]

The Michelin LTX (M+S) is by far the best all-year Colorado tire on the market. It's only downside is that it doesn't LOOK aggressive, despite the fact that it grips as well as any other AT in the muck and rocks and 1000% better on ice. Seriously, I've never worn a set out, they get 10+ years old and dry rot in the inside where I don't soak them in Armorall every few months, that's why I've replaced them.

Both my driver Jeeps needed tires simultaneously this last year and I convinced myself that Firestone Destination A/Ts were just as good. They are NOT. I don't hate my Firestone's but they don't hold onto icy roads anywhere near as well as the LTXs do, they just look slightly more aggressive.

EDIT>> If you're from here you already knew, but if you're a transplant you'll soon learn, having sets of summer and winter tires is futile. Changing to summer tires is a guaranteed way to get a 3ft blizzard in May a'la 2003, switch to the snow tires and you'll have a solid month above 70 in October. :smilies27

Second edit for Qualification>>> I've run Dean Wildcat XTs and Canyon Claws, BFG M/T (herringbone style) and pre KO A/Ts, Apache Mesa A/Ts, Toyo M55s, Goodyear Wrangler Armortracs and Duratracs, Dunlop Mud Rovers (studded), Michelin LTX and LTZ, Firestone Destination A/Ts and Cordovan Mud Claws, all on 1/2ton or lighter 4x4s in Colorado over the years.

 

[lowrider_rt2000]

I run Treadwright Guard Dogs on my Wj. I have never had a better tire! They have 64,000 miles on them and still counting. They have done great in everything from big rocks, deep sticky mud, river crossings, 3ft of snow, rainy roads, dry roads and even OK on icey spots. Now they do hum somewhat on the roads.

Sent from my WJ

 

[ultragoat]

Check out the Sailun Terramax AT4s. It’s ice and snow rated and an excellent tire for the money. Canadian company. I run them in 285/70/17 on my 11’ 4Runner and they are amazing. Silent, sticky, grippy, and confidence inspiring in the snow and slick.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[downhill]

I lived on the PNW for over 30 years and dealt with all kinds of conditions. There are many good tires. Pick one with a winter rating. I stay away from Goodyear, Firestone, and Toyo for winter use. Toyo is a great tire, but the rubber is a bit too hard for winter use IMO.

The two best bits of advice I can offer is to stay narrow, and get your tires siped. Wide tires are death in icey conditions. Factory siping is not the same as machine siping, so don't be fooled by tires that come with it. It helps a little, but the machine siping is another animal. Lucky for you, you live in Les Schwab country! One of the things I miss most about the PNW is Les Schwab!

 

[krick3tt]

downhill,

You don't say where you are but there is a LS in Denver now. They are probably expanding their territory a bit at a time. I also used them in Seattle and they were great for the service.

I have Treadwright tires on my Jeep Liberty and used them on my Pinzgauer for years. Good tires. I use 265/65/18 Goodyear Wranglers on the LR3. They are wide and OK for the heavy LR winter and summer.

 

[downhill]

downhill,

You don't say where you are but there is a LS in Denver now. They are probably expanding their territory a bit at a time. I also used them in Seattle and they were great for the service.

I have Treadwright tires on my Jeep Liberty and used them on my Pinzgauer for years. Good tires. I use 265/65/18 Goodyear Wranglers on the LR3. They are wide and OK for the heavy LR winter and summer.

Thanks, but I'm in AZ now. I keep hoping they will get here eventually. I lived in Oregon from 1980 to 2012. For 12 years I lived in Prineville, where LS was founded, and I met Les. Yea, I'm a huge fan of LS. I even like the popcorn. In 32 years I never bought a tire or wheel anywhere else, and I never had an issue that wasn't handled. One of my first experiences with them was when I cut a tire out rock crawling. I dropped off the tire/wheel to get a replacement and told them what happened. When I came back, I pulled out my wallet to pay for the new tire, and they said it was covered under their "road hazards' warranty! I said, "yea, but I trashed this tire rock crawling". The guy just said, "well, some roads have rocks on them". It had like a 3" gash in it. Free replacement. To be honest I still feel bad about not paying for that tire, but I stayed a loyal customer. I've probably bought 2 dozen sets of tires from them, at least, for various vehicles. I guess their good will was a good investment. I also bought chains, siping services, alignments, and other things. They have helped me out in other instances too.

 

[ExplorerTom]

The Michelin LTX (M+S) is by far the best all-year Colorado tire on the market.

Yep.

Once you own these, you'll probably give up doing to winter tire thing.

I used to run winter tires. They are great- but on those warm winter days here in CO you can feel them be very squirmy and even smell them after some hard braking. And then in early April you switch them out for the "other" tires because of 2 weeks of 70 degree weather. But then in late April it snows more in one storm than it did all winter and you either scramble to fit the other tires back on or slip and slide your way home from work (I ran actual summer tires). And then May follows it up with another storm.

Now that I have these (on my wife's Escape) I sold her winter wheels/tires and run these year round.

Now the Escape doesn't see any of the rocky trails we have around here. I don't think they quite have the sidewalls for that- maybe I'm wrong. But for dirt roads and easy trails, they would be fine.

Great tires. Smooth. Quiet. Great wet traction. Great snow/ice traction (for non-winter tires). Fantastic wear. Sure, a little expensive, but great tires.

 

[IdaSHO]

IMO, just as important as your tire selection, PSI should be a concern.

Dropping PSI on the slick stuff is always beneficial.

I generally run about 15 lbs less air in the winter than I do the summer, regardless of tire selection.

 

[sargeek]

If you live in the front range of Colorado, and you use a vehicle as a daily driver - the you can spend the year with A/T - Tire. IMO it is not worth the investment in a dedicated set of snow tires for the 12 days of the year that the front range actually has snow on the pavement. Even December snows with negative degree weather hardly ever stick around. A little common sense and driving skill and you can make it trough the snow.

I am an advocate for snow tires, but I do not think you need them living in the front range of Colorado with a 4x4 truck. Unless you are running a M/T or some other tire with no ice traction. BFG A/T, Michelin LTX, Hankook A/T, Cooper ATP, and the previous version of the Tradwrights have gotten me through winters with multiple trips per month over Loveland, Vail, and Berthoud Pasess. Currently I am running BFG A/T on a GMC 1500 and a TJ - Why I like them and they have decent snow/ice capabilities. Are the as good as dedicated snow tires - no but the $1000+ investment is not worth the 12 days that snow tires might provide some improved traction.


I find it really funny that people who live in front range of Colorado will destroy the wet weather and dry road stopping capabilities of their vehicle by installing studded tires. Owners are willing to do this for improved traction on a few days, the trade-off is not worth it.

 

[Martinjmpr]

After getting them on my 2007 4runner in 2012, I have become a big fan of Cooper Discoverer M+S tires for all around, mostly-road use. They're excellent in snow and very reasonably priced. When I had my Pathfinder I put the Coopers on because it wasn't really an "off road" vehicle (though the Coopers do fine on mile dirt roads or forest service roads.)
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If I knew I wasn't going to do any dedicated off-roading I'd be running them on my Suburban.

 

[comptiger5000]

I find it really funny that people who live in front range of Colorado will destroy the wet weather and dry road stopping capabilities of their vehicle by installing studded tires. Owners are willing to do this for improved traction on a few days, the trade-off is not worth it.

In that situation, I'd run a studless snow in the cold. As long as it's not too hot out, they grip just fine on pavement. Heck, my snows grab better on wet or dry pavement than any A/Ts I've ever run on the Jeep.

 

[Stumpalump]

I'll second the Michelin LTX. I run them on the 4x4 van. If they say M/S 2 on them then they had separation problems and you can get them replaced for free or under Road Hazard warrenty. Discount tire replace all 4 of mine and they were 4 years old. The fixed the issue and are a great tire. For pressure why don't you use nitrogen? A bottle is cheap from the welding supply and a fill rig is easy to whip up with an oxy-acetylene regulator and guage. It does not change pressure with temp and does not leak out over time like compressed air.

 

[Martinjmpr]

I find it really funny that people who live in front range of Colorado will destroy the wet weather and dry road stopping capabilities of their vehicle by installing studded tires. Owners are willing to do this for improved traction on a few days, the trade-off is not worth it.

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I don't know anybody that runs studs on the front range. Hell, in the last two years we've gotten a grand total of maybe 10 inches of snow, total, in the Denver area. Yesterday it was 55 degrees at my house, the Sunday before that it was 72.
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People in the Front Range communities are going to wear out their air conditioners long before they wear out their snow tires.

 

[REDONE]

I run studs on my Mud Claws (on the J-10), but 1) it's not my Daily Driver and 2) my HOME is on the front range, but I LIVE in the high country! Black ice exists year round if you get high enough. That's why studs are legal 365 in Colorado.