SUV Tire suggestions

[SpencerA]

I'm running P275/55R20 Bridgestone Dueler tires on my 07 tahoe. I read a lot of threads on tires but most of them were for trucks and not my size I needed. Any suggestions for a good winter dedicated tire for my rig? The tires I run now do amazing in the snow but I've never towed with them in bad conditions so I'm a little worried they might not grip as well.

Also on another topic do most of you guys turn your trailer brakes off going down the mountain? Looking for suggestions if I should stud my tires on trailer and turn down controller so I don't lock up the tires???? I'm a rookie so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[milehighassassin]

Why would you turn the brakes off? Use a brake controller and adjust the gain properly.


Also interested in some tire recommendations. 1999 suburban. 3rd vehicle used for winter driving when it snows, camping and hauling a sled from time to time.

Don't want a loud expensive mud tire that is probably bad in a snow. Also don't want a super soft snow tire that is great in winter but will melt when using it in summer heat.




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[Goinboardin]

I've had great luck with BFG AT KOs on my 1/2 ton truck. My buddy runs them (though in a much larger size, 285/75/R16 I think) on his Toyota 4Runner. We tow the two place with his yota from time to time and it has awesome traction. Good year round tire, though heat and speed will take their toll.

I would think on that trailer if you studded the tires then you would have more effective use of the trailer brakes. Seems that if you ran the controller too high the trailer brakes would lock on you and you may lose control of the rig, but studded those trailer tires wouldn't lock as easily. I've seen a few big contractor trailers in Crested Butte with studded tires. I must disclose this as my opinion not rooted in experience, so I suppose its not that useful of info.

On another note, I had Bridgestone Dueler ATs on my truck when I bought it, and those tires were rock hard. Not my favorite tire..

 

[bdoe22]

GOODYEAR DURATRAC

Not sure about your exact size, but i got the goodyear duratracs for my 2500hd last fall and have been absolutely thrilled with the performance and traction. they are studdable and wear like iron.

 

[94fordguy]

I ran Yokohama Geolander AT/S rubber on my 99 Expedition and it did amazing in the snow with a trailer. I was extremely pleased with them. I heard reviews that the sidewalls were a little light for loaded 1-ton trucks so I have BFGs for winter tires on my F-350.

 

[SpencerA]

Duratracs were my first choice but they don't make them for my size. I want a winter only tire as I put on different wheels and tires for summer so I'm not to worried about all season tires. Might be interested in studding them as well.

 

[MORSNO]

Duratracs were my first choice but they don't make them for my size. I want a winter only tire as I put on different wheels and tires for summer so I'm not to worried about all season tires. Might be interested in studding them as well.

Then go with a top quality dedicated snow tire. I've had Blizzak's on three of my vehicles, including my old 1500 Chevy, they are by far the best winter tire you can get (watch what every other winter tire compares themselves against). They no longer make large Blizzak's for HD trucks, so I'm going with Goodyear Ultra Grip WRT LT tires on my new 2500 (closest thing to a Blizzak with tons of siping and specialized compound). If studs are legal in your state, the Ultra Grips are also stud-able.

 

[mtnclimber19]

Another vote for blizzacks! I had them on my 08 Yukon last year and towed a 4 place down to Laramie on roads that were solid ice and snow for the last 100 miles and they never missed a beat. I wish they made them for my 2500

 

[milehighassassin]

Found blizzacks are good for snow but suck on the dry. Much better luck with the Toyo studless snow tires.


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[LoudHandle]

I use Cooper Discoverers on all my trucks including the wife's, run them year round in Alaska with good performance year round. In the past I've run Blizzacks with good success also, although they wear fast on dry pavement. I'm not a fan of studs for our weather conditions but to each his own.

With a good brake controller and set properly the trailer brakes will work as intended and not lock up before they should. You will want them to help you slow down, unless your trailer is a really light two place open trailer.

 

[SpencerA]

So I'm leaning torwards the Blizzaks right now. My question is I'll have these on From November to April only. I live in town and being in the NW we get a lot of rain in the winter months so will these tires be ok on wet roads? I don't want to get a tire thats going to wear really fast if thats the case with the Blizzaks.... Also are they studable or is that a little over kill?

 

[MORSNO]

So I'm leaning torwards the Blizzaks right now. My question is I'll have these on From November to April only. I live in town and being in the NW we get a lot of rain in the winter months so will these tires be ok on wet roads? I don't want to get a tire thats going to wear really fast if thats the case with the Blizzaks.... Also are they studable or is that a little over kill?

I ran them Oct-Apr as a dedicated winter tire for 5 seasons on my car before I replaced them. They still had room to go before getting to the first wear bar showing where the specialized compound ended and the regular winter compound began (they have 2 sets of wear bars). I sold my 1/2 ton truck and the tires after 2 seasons, they still looked like new. The soft compound only wears fast when used in the summer months when the road surface is hot, they wear normally in the cold season. Blizzaks are awesome in the rain and are not studable with all the siping and the pores in the specialized rubber compound.

 

[LoudHandle]

I live in Valdez, AK ( a wet coastal town) and agree with MORSNO that they only wear fast when left on in the summer and you do lots of highway driving. If you just use them around town ( small town, no freeways) you could run them year round with normal wear. The two sets I've used up on my small Toyota pickup worked very well in rain, slush, heavy wet snow, dry interior snow, and glare / black ice. You will like them, only reason I'm not still running them is got a bigger truck for towing my four place enclosed, boat, and other toys around.

 

[milehighassassin]

Anyone use General Tire Altimax arctic?

They won tire rack's winter tire challenge. Available in truck and SUV sizes. 2400 lbs per tire.
Studable and a cost of $112 a tire for 245/75r16

Only available in up to a 17" wheel but looks like a solid tire especially for the price.

Tire rack's test:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=123



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[MORSNO]

Anyone use General Tire Altimax arctic?

They won tire rack's winter tire challenge. Available in truck and SUV sizes. 2400 lbs per tire.
Studable and a cost of $112 a tire for 245/75r16

Only available in up to a 17" wheel but looks like a solid tire especially for the price.

Tire rack's test:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=123

They look to also be a good dedicated winter tire, Tire Racks tests seem to be very accurate and not biased to any brands. There is an advantage to dedicated winter tires over all season AT or MT's. Almost everyone up here has two sets of wheels and tires to handle our long winters and remoteness of our roads.

The problem for me is that the new HD trucks all come with 18" or 20" wheels due to the larger brakes, and that changes what tires are available (and the crazy prices that accompany them).

 

[milehighassassin]

I was looking for an all season tire but at that price it's affordable to buy a winter set.


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[Jaynelson]

For a TRUE dedicated winter.....

Blizzaks are good. Toyo G02's or GSI5's rock the house. Not *quite* as soft as the blizzaks so they seem to last a bit longer. Top quality ride and handling. Not sure if they make that size, but Hankook I-pikes work great as well. The Toyo's would be my top choice, but would also be the most expensive. I have the most winter miles on Hankooks and would buy them again no questions asked.

Any of those TRUE winters will spank any M/T, A/T, Duratrac, whatever so hard it's not even funny. I run BFG A/T's in the winter because they are winter legal and because they're "good enough" for me. A true winter is still a LOT better. If you are looking for a real winter tire, please please do yourself a big favour and ignore all the people on here who say that XYZ mud tire is the best winter tire they've ever had.

 

[volcano buster]

Anyone use General Tire Altimax arctic?

They won tire rack's winter tire challenge. Available in truck and SUV sizes. 2400 lbs per tire.
Studable and a cost of $112 a tire for 245/75r16

Only available in up to a 17" wheel but looks like a solid tire especially for the price.

Tire rack's test:
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=123



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That is what I have on my F150. The truck came with 18's but I run 17's on it with a set of 10 ply summer tires, and these General 10 ply's in the winter. So far they have performed very well.

 

[milehighassassin]

Thanks volcano. I was hoping someone had actually ran them. From what I read I don't think you can beat them especially for that price point.



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[soft hat]

i run pirelli winter carving's on my bmw x5. excellent tire. had run the pirelli scorpion winters prior to them, they however suck.

not sure how large the winter carvings go.