Are good highway treads all one need's, or are winter tread's neccesary? We will be running a l/t sprinter.
Thank's
Thank's
Cargo Van winter tire's?
- Thread starter NorthernBill
- Start date
We've been running 4x4 and stud's for so long thought I'd ask. You probably buy a new set every year in the fall. Do you carry chains?
Murraycroexp
Veteran Expediter
Alaska will do that to ya, Bill!!
For me, good all season tires are more than good enough. You need to make sure you have a minimum of 6/32th of tread for snow, but All-Season tires will handle most expediting snow scenarios just fine. If conditions warrant chains, then the conditions warrant pulling over and waiting for the roads to be plowed.
Snow tires are awesome in the snow, but over the years I've found it rare to be driving in snow where snow tires would be effective. It's either on icy roads, which snow tires do nothing for, or on roads that have been plowed, which just wears snow tires out. If you spend all your time in the northernmost states, snow tires are probably a really good idea, but if you are a typical expediter, you'd get snow tires installed and then the next load takes you to Charlotte, Laredo, Nashville, anywhere there's no snow, and after that you spend all your time on plowed roads.
That's the thing with tire's when traveling into differing conditions. We figured good rubber and drive or not depending on the surrounding's. The goal is to be prepared as much as one can.
Thank's
Thank's
That's not true. As Fastman pointed out, snow tires, or at least most snow tires are made of a softer compound. While the lugs and deep grooves on snow tires aren't of much use on ice, the softer compound gives them a great advantage, traction wise, over all-season tires, even in extreme cold. Of course because of the softness, these tires will wear much faster than all-season tires.
I believe OVM runs snow tires. I'm sure he will chime in. If I could get two winters out of a set of snow tires for my van, I would seriously consider running them. I have a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I put 4 Hankook snow tires on it last December. What a huge difference it made over the all-season tires. Even on ice! This car has 200,000 miles on it but doesn't get much use now. I run the snow tires year-round and the tires will probably outlast the car.
As for studded tires, I miss them. I don't think they are legal anywhere in the lower 48. I know Minnesota banned them in the early 70's. The Hankooks on my Jeep have holes that look like they are made to accept studs. If I had studded snow tires I would run them and take my chances with Johnny Law. Safety First!
Please keep us updated. Are the snow tires new? I'm curious as to the mileage we as expediters could expect from a set.
No not new but have 4 winters on then according to previous owner and still have at least one year left on them.
Interestingly enough, they're permitted, at least during the winter months, and some require the studs to be rubber instead of metal, everywhere except Washington, D.C., Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi and Wisconsin, and in the non-mountain counties of Maryland.
guido4475
Not a Member
I run Firestone Transforce A/T's and love them. Awesome in all kinds of weather, and never got stuck in the deepest of snow as of yet.
The Goodyear Wranglers that OVM runs are just knobby off-road tires, not really snow tires, per say, as they do resemble them, if my memory serves me right.
The Goodyear Wranglers that OVM runs are just knobby off-road tires, not really snow tires, per say, as they do resemble them, if my memory serves me right.
Had the Trans Force on the van last winter and they had about 80,000 miles on them, and never a problem, now I'm trying Yokohamas this winter plus some kinda snow that still had 80% tread left.