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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Snow tires vs All Terrain tires for the Wasatch

    Yes I did search first, but didn't find the answer to my question. I need to replace the worn out tires on my Jeep Cherokee, but am not sure whether to go with dedicated snow tires or regular "All Terrain" tires. I've got Bridgestone Dueller A/T Revo's on there now and they have done pretty well in the snow when in 4 wheel drive. Having never owned snow tires before, is there enough benefit to justify the cost of snow tires, considering I'll have to replace my tires again come spring if I go the snow route.

    Background: I live in SLC and ski at Snowbasin, which is about an hour commute on the freeway to get to the resort. My concern is that the freeway will rapidly wear a snow tire enough to make it not worth it, but at the same time, getting to the resort on the super deep days might require snow tires (or at least greatly benefit by it).

    So given the conditions, should I replace my tires with a dedicated snow tire or will an all terrain truck/suv tire be fine?

    I know snow tires is a tired subject, but truly I searched and did not find what I was looking for. Thanks in advance for any info.
    All I know is that I don't know nothin'... and that's fine.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    the Low Sierra
    Posts
    17,818
    you should try The Tire Loft

    they make custom tires that are only $1000 / tire
    I didn't believe in reincarnation when I was your age either.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Montrose, CO
    Posts
    4,618
    For a trip like that, maybe consider a beefy a/t like the goodyear duratrac or bf goodrich all terrain. Not quite as good as a snow tire, but real close, and without the rapid wear.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Boyze
    Posts
    43
    Quote Originally Posted by snowaddict91 View Post
    For a trip like that, maybe consider a beefy a/t like the goodyear duratrac or bf goodrich all terrain. Not quite as good as a snow tire, but real close, and without the rapid wear.
    Ill go ahead and second the BFG A/T, looks aggressive and will get the job done in most situations you would encounter.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Wasatch Back: 7000'
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    12,966
    I have SUV and RWD cars. I have duelers on the SUV from 4/1-11/25, and PZeros on my RWD. Come 11/15, Blizzaks go on all 4 wheels of all vehicles. I suggest that you do this, if you spend any time in LCC. There are too many vehicles that go off the road on snow days in LCC not to have snow tires.
    “How does it feel to be the greatest guitarist in the world? I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher”. — Jimi Hendrix

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Sparwood BC
    Posts
    255
    X3 on the BFG All Terrain TAs. My wife has them on her Wrangler and they are excellent.
    Two specific points - Although they look and are aggressive they are very quiet. Hard to believe how quiet they are compared to the competition.
    - In Canada at least they are also certified as a genuine snow tire with the mountain/snowflake logo.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Posts
    247
    Anybody run the Hanook ATM. I hear a cheaper alternative to the BFG?

    Sent from my DROID RAZR using TGR Forums

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Posts
    12,609
    I've had my BFG ATs for almost 5 years and thousands of miles. A lot of city driving, hwy driving, mountain driving. These are my fourth pair. Great tires, definitely worth the $. I usually pick them up at Costco for a little cheaper and free maintenance.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Montrose, CO
    Posts
    4,618
    Quote Originally Posted by Sparwood Dave View Post
    X3 on the BFG All Terrain TAs. Snip
    - In Canada at least they are also certified as a genuine snow tire with the mountain/snowflake logo.
    They are in most sizes in the US as well. Not quite as good as something like a blizzak, but pretty damn adequate on a 4wd.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    On another tangent.
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    3,855
    We've had Duelers on our Cherokee for several years and have been very happy with how they perform in a variety of conditions, including deep snow. The fact you have 4x4 makes a difference too versus a 2 wheel drive vehicle and dedicated seasonal tires.
    Best regards, Terry
    (Direct Contact is best vs PMs)

    SlideWright.com
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  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    driven way past the Stop and Shop
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    3,068
    For me snows on a separate set of rims for RWD (Michelin Alpin) and for AWD Outback (General Altimax). Make a huge difference when the snow is deep and aren't much worse than the all season tires for wear and performance when it isn't.

    Pick the rims up cheap on Craigslist or car-parts.com. The cost of mount and remount and balance will be paid off in no time.

    Had softer Blizzaks at one time. The wear wasn't bad but I found the performance to be a little squirrley on dry pavement. The alpins handle great in the dry, wet or ice, but aren't as effective in the deep snow. The Altimax is a very nice lower price alternative and they wear well.

    Best snows I ever had were Vredrestein Wintracs made by a small Dutch company that is more well known for bicycle tires here.
    Damn, we're in a tight spot!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Wasatch
    Posts
    1,997
    I've had dedicated snows (Nokian Hakkas, now Hankook iPikes) on my Subarus for the past 5y. People often remark how it's not needed etc and overkill. But i tellya, the confidence that snow tires inspire, particularly on the longer trips (SLC>powmow, SLC>Snowbasin, SLC>Tetons) is unbeatable. I'd go for some dedicated snows personally...

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SLC
    Posts
    2,578
    I have a Cherokee and usually run an aggressive AT tire year round. My favorite so far have been General Grabber AT2's. They are cheaper than the BFG's and have a very similar tread pattern. Check tire rack for reviews. They also seem to wear pretty well as long as you stay on top of rotating them. If you can afford it, snows do inspire confidence. However, I've never had issues with AT's even on the worst days up LCC. Cherokees are pretty light, so a little extra weight in the back wouldn't hurt.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    On another tangent.
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    3,855
    4x4s simply perform differently than AWDs in snow, IME. We have had Subarus for years as well with all-seasons, but I would definitely feel better on occasions in the Outback with snows vs the all-seasons in situations where the Jeep feels fine.
    Best regards, Terry
    (Direct Contact is best vs PMs)

    SlideWright.com
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  15. #15
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Utah
    Posts
    1,016
    If you're driving that much on the highway I'd stick to an A/T unless you have cash to burn and don't mind dropping another grand on tires in the spring. Yes, dedicated snow will always outperform, but those highway miles will burn it up. I had the Revo's (coincidentally when I was driving to PowMow from SLC a lot), and they did pretty well. I've also owned BFG A/T's, and I'm currently running Goodyear Silent Armors. My favorite thus far are the Silent Armors. Good traction in snow (driving up BCC all last year and in the Uintas after this last storm), and they have relatively low rolling resistance/highway noise.

    FWIW: I used to work for a company out of St. George and part of what we did was drive hundreds of miles every day out past Enterprise and into the Dixie National Forest in all types of weather. We tried pretty much every AT/MT tire out there and settled on the Silent Armor as the best all-around option. You get great wear (which I did NOT experience with the BFG) but it still performs admirably in mud and snow.

    Also, Discount Tire will match TireRack prices. And, I haven't done this, but if you get an A/T and get it siped, it should perform VERY well in slush and ice, but still retain its longevity as long as you aren't putting in a lot of miles on gravel/dirt.
    "The world is a very puzzling place. If you're not willing to be puzzled you just become a replica of someone else's mind." Chomsky

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  16. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    northern BC
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    30,885
    Quote Originally Posted by Dickeymotto View Post
    . Having never owned snow tires before, is there enough benefit to justify the cost of snow tires, considering I'll have to replace my tires again come spring if I go the snow route. .
    Don't know what the wasatch is like but up here you are just as likely to see studs on clapped out 15 yr old sunfires as on new 4x4 pu's cuz its what works

    Forget about the cost or extra noise or not being able to drive as fast on bare pavement the real question is whats yer life worth ?

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Idaho Falls, ID
    Posts
    1,042
    Utahs roads are clear 90% of the time, no reason to have two sets of tires IMO... ! set of all terrains all year is fine.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Tejas
    Posts
    11,859
    Sure, snow tires are a bit of an investment up front, but there's a bit of a cost benefit in the end. First off, not using your all-seasons during the winter saves a few months of wear and tear on them, and vice-versa. You essentially will get double the length of time out of both sets of tires. Plus, using your all-seasons in really cold temps actually wears them down faster, since they're so stiff they don't conform to the road like a snow tire would.

    Like Swine, I'm a huge fan of my Silent Armors, and while they do well in snow, when the temps really plummet, there's no comparison to my snow tires. ESPECIALLY when dealing with ice. I don't how they do it, but my snow tires somehow seem to stick to the ice like glue. Traction's so solid, it's almost scary...like it's instilling a bit TOO much confidence in me.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
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    Somewhere around the west
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    2,587
    Quote Originally Posted by telemike View Post
    you should try The Tire Loft

    they make custom tires that are only $1000 / tire
    I laughed!
    Johnny's only sin was dispair

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Access to Granlibakken
    Posts
    11,184
    I recently had to replace my T100 4wd tires. Had BFG KO ATs on there for many years but wanted to try something else.

    There are a few AT tires out there that get the 'Severe Snow' symbol rating: Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac silent armor, BFG ATs, and General Grabber AT2 were 3 that tended to come up a lot. Eventually decided on the Grabber AT2s, since they seemed to be the best overall choice, but would have gone w/ the Wrangers if the price were closer to the Generals.

    one resource (in addition to tirerack reviews, and talking to shop guys) was this site: http://www.offroaders.com/reviewbox/showcat.php?cat=4

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    19,215
    Cooper Discoverer M&S.

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    SLC
    Posts
    1,193
    Quote Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark View Post
    Cooper Discoverer M&S.
    Tell me more about these, because they are on my short list for my Tundra. Did you run em studded? Were they a big step up from an A/T tire.

    I am leaning towards Blizzaks (have em on our Element, and they rule) but the Coopers are a bit cheaper, and the sales guy at Discount highly recommended them.

    Sorry to hijack.
    Keep it unclipped

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Posts
    19,215
    Great tire, ran non-studded, rotate often. Blows BFG's out of the water. BFG's are fine for the 1st season, but rapidly harden and go to shit after that. No one I know who drives in the snow everyday runs BFG's. I used to, but that didn't last long.

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    SLC
    Posts
    1,193
    Awesome, thank you for the info. Sounds like a set of Coopers are in my future.
    Keep it unclipped

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    the Low Sierra
    Posts
    17,818
    x2 for Cooper

    I have 2 sets - 1 studded 1 not

    my tire guy won't allow me to buy anything else
    I didn't believe in reincarnation when I was your age either.

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