Tires - post pics if you have them

I’d love a second set with dedicated winter tires but wife would kill me. I’m on my 10th set in like 8 years. I have a tire addiction haha

 

I’m such a poser. I suck and you’re awesome. FML

 

That was on a US military proving grounds just outside of Yuma, AZ.

 

I've got about 6k miles on the Cooper Discoverer AT3s. They've been great in the Buffalo snow and rain. Road noise isn't terrible (loud music listener. I don't even notice the basket anymore). Probably not gonna crush the Rubicon but tread is aggressive enough to get out to the camping sites, mountain fire roads and other moderate off road sites.

 

Goodyear DuraTrac 265/70R17 (Made in Canada)

I have had good luck with these tires in deep snow on both of my FJ Cruisers, here in the Blue Ridge Mountains at 3,800' elevation. They are also fairly quiet for the aggressive tread pattern.

There's a big difference on what works well for Snow vs. Mud, Rock, Gravel and All Terrain. These are Severe Snow Rated with the Mountain Snow Flake Symbol.



Lamin-x Custom Fit Yellow Fog Light Covers

 

Those Yokohamas look great!

No MT (that I'm aware of) is actually good in the winter. They tend to be good in deep snow, but suck on ice or packed snow. I would never run an MT in winter.

I have a set of Toyo AT3's on a second set of wheels. They'll be on from about November through March or April. Aside from the extra set of wheels, they don't cost any extra money.

 

I loved how the Yokohama’s looked and how they did on logging roads. Snow wasn’t the issue. It was the slush that made me start to slide. MTs are badass in powder.

 

Wildpeaks 275 70 17, stock suspension and they rub a bit

 

Bit late to the party on this one. They do indeed come in 275/70r17. That was the size I ordered mine in originally, but, I received the stock 265s instead.

 

The Cooper Evolution MT was just fine last winter. I also ran the Patagonia MT a couple of winters before that and it was also very good. The trick is to get them siped. That doesn't exist in the Midwest, but nearly every tire shop up here does it. Basically adds thousands of little cuts across the tire tread and increases grip on ice and packed snow.

My Coopers after about 8000 miles and some nasty rocky trails in Arizona...



In the snow and brand new...



My Patagonia MTs did well...




But yes, MT tires generally do much worse on packed snow and ice than AT tires. Dedicated snow tires are amazing.

 

Decided to go with pizza cutters…Here are the factors in selecting these Cooper AT3s in 255/75/17s:

• More stability when driving on miles of gravel/dirt roads
• Not too loud (for me) at street and hwy speeds, coming from Michelin LTX M/S
• Taller tires for aesthetic reasons, that won’t require a lift, no noticeable loss in acceleration from stop and either S or C rated
• Reliable in snowy conditions

I’ve only driven these home from DT but I already like the road manners so far. Hopefully they don’t rub when in full lock or when the suspension flexes. I do have 30 days to change my mind but I don’t want to deal with more research anymore so hopefully I just end up liking these tires.

 

I wonder why nobody (I know of at least) sipes tires around here. Lack of siping is one of the reasons MT's aren't good on packed snow, so getting them siped is a good option if you're running them year-round.

Those tires have a lot of fans. They seem to be a very good choice for mostly highway and some off-road use as well.

 

Mostly hwy for me except for canoe camping trips to the Boundary Waters and Hinckley MN / Wisconsin area.

 

another vote for Goodyear Duratrac