So today I'm driving my Off-Roady X heading for rural parts of Western Mass in the midst of a blizzard.. presumably the finest limited traction vehicle in the history of humankind .. using the stock BFG Rugged Trail tires.. and it's all cool under acceleration.. feels stable.. but on braking, the anti-lock pulses and the tires lose traction just like any jerk in his Buick spinning off the roads on all sides of me. So actually these 'semi off road' tires are really not optimum for these blizzard, snowy road conditions at all. My question is, what tire IS optimum? Highway type tires? Now, in winter there are times when I am really OFF road with the X, heading for XC ski trails and the like, deeper snow or mud.. but 90% of the time, the challenge is like today, and it's this type of use that threatens my safety. Since it's only possible to have one set of tires on the truck, what to use? Advice?

There is no perfect tire. But any tire that is M+S rated is going to be one of the better ones. You may also need chains depending on where you're at.

You could have had a lot of icing too, but if you aren't in a ditch somewhere I'd say everything worked fairly well. The tires aren't going to glue you to the ground, you're going to have less traction. Just remember that the idea is to actually pack the treads with a little snow so it sticks to other snow.

An AT type tire with the blizzard rating on it will work well. The BFG AT is a good choice. If you want to go a little cheaper, go to 4 wheel parts and get their AT tire. It's got a 50K mile rating and is also winter driving rated.

Axle

If you don't want to spend the extra $$$ on the BFG's, you could go with the General A/T 2's, I've read some great reviews on these, and they're just like the BFG A/Ts, but at a fraction of the cost.

Like the previous post said...there is no perfect tire.

Blizzak.

BFG All Terrain all the way!

The best way to solve your problem is to SLOW DOWN! Otherwise you are just another jerk; doesn't matter what type of vehicle you are driving. If you are uncomfortable with how your Xterra feels when you are putting on the brakes then you are driving too fast for the conditions. No tire is going to help you with that.

x2 on that... no tire will make you stop on a dime in the snow. increase following distance so you don't rear end people or drive off the road that and common sense will help you stop safely but still wont guarantee it. 4x4 only helps with go not stop.

Thats good advice, listen to these guys--

--Good driving with the worst tires, will save you--

--bad driving with the best tires will make the insurance co, money--

--When you get tires (same size) you might consider these--

--

--These are Pro-Comp -LT265x75R-16 AT and they're a little taller than your stockers and have a slightly more aggressive tread--

--- --JIMBO

The BFG AT ko's are killer snow tires. The General AT2's are not bad, but are not the same thing, they are less aggreesive.

The Bridgestone REVO AT's are really good in snow, better than the AT ko's if the snow is harder packed/shallow, a bit worse if the snow gets a bit deeper, etc.

If its icy too, the Blizzacks are better than both of the above...a dedicated SNOW tire...but, again, if the snow gets deeper, the AT ko is a hot ticket.

If the snow gets really really deep, like over 18" or so, then some MT tires start to take over, as deep paddle wheel lugs can get grip in deep soft snow that packs shallower treads......the Interco TrXus MT for example is great in deep snow, etc.

Hope that helps!

Cooper STT's are a good Mud / Snow tire as well... but a little $$$

If you want Optimal traction in those kinds of conditions, you have to throw out any ideas that you might have about getting an all terrain or all-season tire to do the trick.

You've got to go with a dedicated WINTER tire. Don't be confused by the M+S rating either, as basically it's all marketing anyways.

If you want something that will deal with winter conditions, Ice, light snow, slush, deep snow etc, and you want the best possible traction, then you have to go with a Severe Snow conditions rated tire, not just the M+S. The severe snow tires are marked with a snowflake inside what lookes like a little mountain symbol, and are dedicated for WINTER conditions.

Now, all this is not to say that M+S and some "All seasons" (I like to call them NO seasons, but that's a whole other topic) do ok in wintery conditions, but a dedicated WINTER tire is what you should be looking for.

If you go HERE there is a description of the difference between a M+S tire, and a Severe Snow Conditions tire.

And anyone living in the Norther 3rd of the USA, or up in Canada like me, that has driven on both No-Seasons and WINTER tires, will tell you that the difference is night and day between the two...

i have the bfg a/ts and they do awsome in the snow.. and when i had my legacy wagon with snow tires, i could go 60+ cranking the wheel and it wouldn't do anything lol

As mentioned - the best tire depends upon the depth and hardness/softness of the snow.

The BFG AT ko for example, is an AT, AND it has the Severe Snow designation typically reserved for dedicated snow tires.

As a rule of thumb...the icier/more hard packed the snow is, the less aggressive tread blocks with heavy siping and microporous rubber coumpounds designed to be flexible at low temperatures will be best.

As the snow gets deeper/softer packed, a cleat type tread block can penetrate, and gain a foot hold/traction.

In very deep snow, large paddle wheel tread blocks that can really dig in and grab a good ridge of snow to push off against do great.

Conversely, an MT type tread with cleat like blocks on hard pack or ice is like trying to play on a basketball court on soccer cleats....no traction, and you're sliding all over the place.



Microporous rubber with multisipes does great on icy/hard packed material, but, in deep, loose snow, it just can't gain purchase, and you spin the tires...like using basketball sneakers to run up a muddy hill...instead of cleats, etc.

Well all I can say is that this year I dressed up my 15 inch steelies with the Dunlop SJ6 winter studless snow tire..and how can I put it...
Skates on the rims is what it feels like.

We got bombarded with snow these last few weeks and the tires are proving themsevles as true champions.
I have my 17 inch rims dressed with BFG AT KO`s as well...but even though they are snow flaked and all..I am sure they are great in deep snow...but not for ice...

I went with true winter rubber and the crazy SJ6`s are just OUTSTANDING...
I was driving in deep snow last night on the highway at about 80km an hour-not trying to impress myself or anything...the truck was actually taking it very easy and climbed to that speed in deep snow and it wasn`t an issue..

Of course you have to be careful and all..
but just to say...parking in snow baked spots and just getting in and ouit of snowed in areas...is not even an issue..
These tires have impressed me beyond what i thought would be a great snow tire..

to add, I had the Bridgestone Revos last year on the 17`s and I kept them on for a few days of snow fall before I put on the winter Toyo Observe (it would be their last winter)...big mistake.
I was sliding all over the place..sure the Revo`s may have a nice tread and be good in powder snow but that is just theory because with snow and bad weather come sicey roasds, slushy and a big mess of weasther changes that (it my experience) rendered the Revo a terrible tire for winter weather.

A Severe Snow Conditions Rated Tire will not work that well in deep snow. I have NEVER seen a tire with this type of rating that actually has the cleat type tread block (as TJ mentioned) that you would need for deep snow.

SO basically if you go up into the woods looking for some snow (where the deep uncharted snow is) a MT tire, like the BFG MT tire will do better (just what TJ said).

BUT if you only drive on ice and packed snow, a A Severe Snow Conditions Rated Tire will the best bet. I know for a fact a MT does not do that well on ice. I have a set of 32" BFG MT that are SIPPED and they still spun my X around.

TJ correct me if I'm wrong on this info.

"The first major excursion where we used the Firestone Destination M/T tire was an overland trip for 4WD & Sport Utility Magazine, which included 10 very unique vehicles. The ride covered a varied terrain from very hot desert conditions to heavy snow in the Sierra Mountains," D'Andrade explained. "We ran the Firestone Destination M/T on our FlyFisher 110 and Hannibal SUVs, and of all the vehicles participating, the Destination tires performed perfectly - they were one of the very few tire brands that gave us no trouble whatsoever."

He added that in the mountains, the Firestone Destination M/Ts easily overcame more than a foot of snow, ice and slush, and came to be dubbed "The Black Snow Tire," because even in the deepest snow, the Destination M/Ts completely dispersed the snow, hence making the treads appear black.

Since that event, D'Andrade said he has subjected the tires to extensive road driving around Los Angeles, and has been impressed with their smooth, quiet highway ride.

From HERE

For icy conditions or hard-packed snow (think well-traveled unplowed road) a dedicated winter tire is the answer. For the sort of conditions most of us will encounter on the roads, the "Severe Snow" rated tires will be your best choice, and that designation is not just marketing where a simple M+S can be. For off-road, an AT is good up to several inches, something more aggressive for the really deep stuff.
That said, my BFG ATs have served me well in ALL winter conditions, from a foot and a half of snow to a nice sheen of freezing rain on pavement that had every other vehicle stuck at the bottom of a hill or bouncing off the curbs and into the ditches. The right tires can make a lot of difference, but knowing how to use them properly is the key.

Unless you live in Alaska, your best bet would probably be a set of BFG ATs, or the Goodyear Wrangler Silent Armors. These both have the mountain with a snowflake symbol that is mentioned in other posts, but they also have 50,000 mile + treadlifes, unlike the dedicated snowtires which have shorter treadlifes. These will get you just about anywhere on a public road, but might not be the absolute best while offroading in the snow.

Personally, I have the Goodyear Wrangler Silent armors, and they rock. No problems in the snow. I've gotten stuck while offroading in the snow twice, but I doubt that MT tires would have done much better in the situations I was in. As far as ON the road, these things are spectacular. Slushy lane changes at 70mph.....not a problem (if you're in 4wd...and you know how to drive).

I looked for a list of tires with the mountain and snowflake symbol, but every list I found only listed the dedicated winter tires, and made no mention of the BFGs and goodyear wrangler silent armors, both of which I know for a fact have the mountain and snowflake symbol.

Two comments...

David S. - Please tell us you don't do 70mph while in 4WD! Or is that OK with the '07's? Hmmm...

Second, I have to put my vote in on the BFG AT/KO's. These things are awesome! I got new ones about two weeks ago. They came with a 60,000 mile full replacement warranty. If they fart, they'll be replaced for free for the full 60,000 miles. No, it's not pro-rated!

We are currently getting more snow. We had about 4-6 inches last night and are supposed to get another 3-6 this morning. When I came to work this AM, they had not plowed yet. So all I had was some minor tracks already on the road (Woohoo!). With my old stock tires, there is no way I could have gotten to work with out 4WD. This morning I didn't even feel I needed it (and didn't use it either). I had NO problems at all in the snow, even in 2WD! These things ROCK! Really glad I got them now.

Funny story, as soon as I left this morning, I got behind a Durango, V-8, 4WD going about 15mph (35mph limit) down the middle of the road. Looked like they had Wranglers on for tires when I checked them out at a stop light (not positive). Rather irritated me that they were going so slow. What bothered me the most is when on-coming traffic approached, they wouldn't get over and ran the on-coming traffic off the road! Dumbass. Obviously the person driving had NO idea how to drive that truck!

Anyway, the BFG's are super! Can't wait to see what they do in mud this spring!

-G

He's from Aspen. He can afford to wreck his drivetrain. Probably in preperation for a SAS.

Gonzo - "Please tell us you don't do 70mph while in 4WD! Or is that OK with the '07's? Hmmm..."

Anybody in Canada will go this speed on snow pack or slushy road as long as vision & traffic permits with any truck on 4wd HI. I'm from a small town where every body drives trucks and nobody has U-joint or transfer case problems.

All trucks can go 70mph on these kind of roads no problem. Vehicles like it can handle this.

Nothing like digging up a snow tire discussion a weee bit early....

Personally, I drive as fast as I possibly can on almost bald BFG AT's. Someone told me once as long as the snowflake hasn't worn off the side of the tire, they are the best AT in snow.

Never too early to talk about snow tires. Actually, I've already been thinking and looking on which ones to get.

I sold on snow tires, I've had them on my Mx-3 and 626, and they kick ass on my parents AWD Escape. The ones in my dad's TL are pretty good but not really that amazing.

I've been looking for basically some off-road snow tires. Basically snow tires with good soft winter compound for excellent snow and ice driving, but with good deep tread for playing in deep snow, but in reality, I do alot of city driving, but I like to go out when they're calling for snow storms, where they recommend to keep off the roads, and even drive through some snowbanks (had fun with my parents Escape last year, I just got the X a few weeks ago) I keep on hearing good things about these BFG AT's, but not quite sure if that's what I want, fortunately there's plenty of time to research.

There's so much debate I'll probably just get the same ones my parents have on their Escape, those were just awesome and I couldn't get the thing stuck, and I tried

There's a big difference between a FWD"AWD" Escape and RWD Xterra there big guy. Go with the BFG AT's you won't be disappointed

Honestly, that's exactly what I'm worried about. I don't like buying stuff blindly without knowing if it IS what I want or not. Tires have always been the worse thing for me, cause you can't just bring them back if your not happy, doesn't work that way, not for me anyway.

This coming winter will be my first winter with my Xterra, and it will be my first winter with a RWD vehicle, and I am a bit concerned. I've liternally driven FWD as all my daily drivers, with the exception of a few test drives and some track time with a Miata and Rx-8. So RWD is naturally different for me. By no means am I a bad or inexperienced driver cause I'd like to say that's quite the opposite. But with FWD and snow tires, the inherit benefits of that drivetrain layout had given me the utmost confidence in driving in bad weather where not only can't it pretty much not stop me, but I look forward to the worst that winter can dish out. I know off the bat that no matter what I'll have to change my driving style come winter with RWD, but although my X is a 4x4 model, but I don't want to have to rely on engaging 4HI everytime there's snow on the ground either.

In a sence, yes, but how I see it, and I may be wrong, but "tire+snow=traction" is the same no matter what vehicle the tires are on, no? The tires shouldn't care where the power is comming from.

I'm not trying to be difficult, I'm just trying to explain in a way that people can relate and correct me if need be.

Having driven almost nothing BUT RWD for my 30+ years of driving, I can tell you that your equation is a bit off. It should be "tire+snow=lack-of-traction". It is true that the tire doesn't care where it is on a vehicle. It will either get grip or it won't. However, as stated, there's a big difference between FWD and RWD. With FWD, your traction wheels are under where most of the weight of the vehicle sits. That helps your traction greatly and why you have the confidence you have driving in bad weather. But with RWD, that exact opposite is true, your traction wheels (while in 2WD) is under the lightest part of the vehicle. That works against you getting traction (and explains why people with pick ups put weight in the back during the winter months). On dry pavement it's not a big deal. However, when you throw in snow and ice, you start losing traction quickly with RWD.

That all being said though, I agree with what everyone has said, the BFG AT/KO's are top picks. You won't be disappointed with them. I put mine on (265/75R16's on my '03SE as well) late last winter (November/December I think) here in Michigan and was VERY pleased with them over the stock tires. I didn't realize how bad my stock tires really were. I've said in other threads that I used to gun my truck just a bit to get the back end to slip in the snow going around the block because it irritates my wife (just enough to get her to yell at me 'cause she doesn't like it ). With the new BFG AT/KO's, I couldn't GET it to slip under the same conditions! Really, these tires are great in snow. They also last a very long time from what I read and the fact that I got a 60K mile full replacement warranty. That's saying something with AT tires. Most AT's don't come with ANY warranty at all.

So, I hope this helps. You will notice a big difference between your FWD's and your X in the snow (while in 2WD). But, it's not like you will be in 4WD all the time either. It will take time, but you will learn what you can and can't do with it in 2WD. Remember to take it easy with the long-skinny pedal on the right! All in all, these are great trucks in the snow, even in 2WD! And while in 4WD, it can't be beat (my opinion).

-Gonzo

Whoa this is an old thread. Never too early to start thinking about snow though.

"All trucks can go 70mph on these kind of roads no problem. Vehicles like it can handle this."

Glad someone will back me up here. :-P

(P.S....I don't live in Aspen anymore)

Actually what I ended up doing is getting a set of 31x10.5r15 Yokohama Geolander I/T winter tires. They worked great in the winter, and not bad for off-roading, not good for mud tho. This year I picked up a set of Goodyear MT/R kevlars in 32x11.5r15 with a 2"BLand PML. Those performed great on the trails. Should be giving them a another run in a few weeks.