Snow tire favorites

[mjflatbed]

I'm wanting to here from guy's who drive their toyotas in deep snow. Those are some of the regularly tough conditions I have to deal with and my experience with larger vehicles, has been a tall, narrow, and agresive tire (buckshots or narrow Swampers) gets the vehicle farther, than the same height tire that is wide. I guess it seems you cut through the snow rather than climb on top or push. This snow would be fresh not some packed stuff. Also the other vehicles have had more power,therfore more momentum when needed, and heavier.
I'm getting ready to re-gear and lock my 85 ext cab and want to go in with as much education as I can.
I have seen some great snow pic's from Colorado and Utah! Let me know your opinion!! :grin:

[wyatt]

There are two trains of thought for snow tires: Skinny tall tires to cut through the snow and wide aired down tires to stay on top. I prefer the first since you will probably be driving on the highway as well and that is NOT a place you want your tires to float on the snow. I would get the 34x10.5 LTB swampers. Really aggressive tread, and one of the skinniest tall tires you can find.

[bbagwell]

I have heard a lot of good things about BFG all terrains. A buddy of mine is probably going to sell his swampers after he tried them, which really suprised me. I have seen swampers work well in deep slushy snow. The best thing you can do though is air down your tires.

[Dark Dragon]

I have the BFG All terrains in a 31X10.5 on my 91 V6 and have yet to get stuck in snow. Granted I don't get stupid and try to go through 3 ft of snow. I have pushed powder with my bumper before and didn't get stuck. I did get stuck once, but that's because the snow drift I had to go through was hiding a massive sage brush that picked the front tires off the ground just enough I was back in 2wd lol. They are a reasonably priced tire. I got all four for $510, and just got another set for $450 for my little brothers 96 taco from costco

[mjflatbed]

It sounds as though we all are on the same page. I just have seen wide tires 12.5" and wider pushing and fighting to get through. I'm also trying to gauge how tall is to tall with a 4 cyl. even with gears. My hope was 33" or 34" and find gering that would let me run alittle more rpm than I am at stock. Snow like mud just sucks the ponies down! I just built the engine and had it balanced and it came out totaly smooth, so I feel I can handle the RPM increase. I do have to keep in mind that I have to drive it to the mtns!

Thanks !!! :grin:

[wyatt]

Sounds like you need some 33x10.50s BFG A/Ts or M/Ts with 5.29 gears. That would put you lower than stock on the gearing, but you'd have some good skinny snow tires. Even if you went with the 34x10.50 I think 5.29s would still be slightly lower than stock. Those wear pretty fast and are bias ply though.

[mjflatbed]

Have you run the bias ply 34 x 10.5's? I wondered how they would handle on the hiway. I have rum BFG M/T's and was very please with them. I would have to see what sizes they come in. I have also run the A/T's and I need more of an aggresive tread they they have. I must sat they were good on Ice!

[bbagwell]

Bias Ply Swampers are really heavy, and don't stay balanced very well. They are not very smooth on the highway, and not good for high speed. IMHO for a daily driver I would stick with a radial tire.

[redneck]

I just installed the BFG 33x10.5 MT and 5.29s with a detroit in the rear and went and plaid in the snow, loved it worked great even better with 10 pounds of air front and back. I had to put about 100 miles on to break in the locker before it stoped acting crazy on the road. you're RPMs will be 3500 in 4th and about 3100 in 5th, a little high on the freeway but much better driveability in the hills and mountins.

[xds&gsps]

I do have to keep in mind that I have to drive it to the mtns!

What Mtns? You live in Jerome, Idaho. :grin: jk I am running 31" ATs on my 85 4runner & have been impressed with them, but also haven't gotten into anything too bad as this winter has been pretty mild. Do you know any Andersen's (Andrew, Joe, or Tom) in Jerome (my cousins)? I am from Nampa originally, and have family all over ID. I love it & would move there if I didn't have my family here in UT.

[mjflatbed]

Hey XDS&GSPS that's a good one about the mtns in Jerome! That is part of my concern as I need to drive 40 to 70 miles to get to the mtns before I have to play. I also go all over the state to hunt. So I need to get down the highway and have the traction, power, and speed. I must say there is not the natural beauty here in Jerome, and I don't know any of the Andersons you were talking of, Sorry.

Redneck, I'm sure I'm going with nothing wider than 10.5" as everyone seems to have the same snow experiences I have had. That's good to hear about your 5.29's as the gear charts show more RPM's than that and I have been leaning towards 4.88's. I wnt make a final decsision untill I get my engine broke in and see how it runs.

Thansk for all you guy's input!!

[redneck]

mjflatbed: Check out the calculater at randys ring & pinion its pritty much on. With the amount of power that you get out of a 22r with out spending a lot of money, the two gear choices put you on one side or the other, power or highway speed. I chose the power side for the driveability in the hills and around town with the air on in the summer, you just wont want to run 75 or 80 down the freeway just keep it at 65. I think I actualy get 1 better on gass mlg than I did before, my first week of daily driving was 16.5 I was getting avrage of 14 to 15, but without the speedo reading corectly who knows for sure.

[wsuweston]

I have the LTB's and they are great in snow

[keyice]

bais ply tires are the worst riding tires I have ever had, 34 10.50 on my fullsize ford, I hated those tires and unless you have changed the rear springs a toyota already kind of rides like a buggy, those things will ride like you are on low profiles on a toyota, and you can't anything in the cab
my 31 inch all terrains I had on my truck when I bought it would push half way up the grill, finally had to chain the front axle on that trip, almost 2 ft deep, they were wilderness 31x10.50 ats hooked up pretty decent in the snow

[nicko]

I have a 86 landcruiser and I use to have 38" montser mudder on 14" wide wheels but now I run on 44" trxus on 17" wide wheels. The mudder is the best if you are thinking about daly driver. But that is just my oppinion. And keep your 4x4 as low as you can go :grin: