Hey everyone,

FYI: I have searched.

So far I have read a million posts on the "winter tire issue." The question that I have is are they really that necessary?? I go to school in Toronto and my parents live in Cleveland, and both cities get a fair amount of snow (or at least should...winters are more wet, ugly, and cold anymore; no good snow ). I have the factory SE/SC tires, and noticed a bit of slipping on the wet roads, but when i slow down and put it in 4wd, it is fine. I haven't had my X through any snow yet, and am a bit concerned about snow driving after reading some past posts. Are winter tires really that necessary? For anybody who answers, I drive on all types of roads (city, highway, country, not plowed), but mostly city and highway. If I just slow down and use my 4wd, will I be ok?

Thanks

Just go a little easier on the speed.

Don't use 4wd on the street unless it's icy/snowy/slushy. In almost every situation, 4wd on a rainy paved road will do nothing for you but put stress on the driveline components when you make turns. And it won't help you stop either.

Keep it in '2', go easy, and you'll be fine.

I've got the same tires, and I recently bought some stock 15" rims for new BFG All-Terrains for general off-roading and winter.

Driving habits are really important, but you already know hoe to drive in that are. If you do any amount of off-rioading, then the BFG's (or similar) should help serve both purposes.

If you are going to be driving on a lot of compact snow and ice you should get dedicated winter tires. I highly recommend the Bridgestone Winter Dueler tires...they are hands down the best winter tire available for trucks. I've used Bridgestone winter tires and they are absolutely amazing.

Your tires are OK for mild amounts of snow and so is an AT. Unfortunately, none of the AT tires are designed for ice and they will slip and slide all over the place. They work well in deep snow, but that's not what you are likely to see on the highway.

The WInter Duelers have a special rubber formula that is designed to stay soft when frozen and they are siped for maximum traction.

IMO, your life is worth their cost if you will be spending a large portion of your winter driving on icy highways.

Remember that narrower tires work better in snow so get something in a 235 or so metric width or 9.5 inch width if you can.