rob Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 I know, this has been discussed before. But too often it amounts to, "I bought such-and-such tires and they are the greatest". I'm looking for a more detailed discussion from guys that have experience with some of the winter specialty tires available now. Are they worth the trouble of switching tires every spring and fall? Do they really wear out too fast if you are lazy and leave them on all summer? I'm just trying to determine if they are worth it. I drive a 2004 chev ext cab half ton 4x4. It has about 28k on the OEM tires, and they aren't bald by any means, but for winter driving they are a little marginal in my opinion. Tires are one area I don't like to scrimp on, because I tend to drive fast on bad roads. I'm less interested in deep snow performance but I want a tire that has good ice capability. I've been looking around and two tires have caught my eye, the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3, and the Michelin Latitude X-Ice. Here is a good article: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=24 Does anyone here have any experience with either of those two tires? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doobraap Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 I don't have a ton of experience with winter truck tires but they do make an incredible difference on cars. My wifes Passat is actually better in the snow than my F150 4X4. I am lazy... so my wife has had her blizzaks on now for 2 years straight.(35K) and they are pretty worn. They are soft so rotation is probably important. Changing them out in the summer is good idea since they tend to grab the ridges in the road and tug on the wheel. They are noisier too. What about a second set of low cost wheels? Then you can change them yourself in the driveway.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S pump Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 For your exploring I'd have Blizzaks all around. I get by with truck tires on my 2500 but it's a long bed Xtra cab so it stays pretty straight most the time plus its a Chevy with an 8.1 so it is pretty heavy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyturbo Posted August 31, 2007 Report Share Posted August 31, 2007 Rob, check out these tires. I have used them while Ice racing, and I have a few customers that use them on their VWs as winter tires and they love them. they are not a big company so not many people know about them. Here is the link http://www.greendiamondtire.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polxc5 Posted September 2, 2007 Report Share Posted September 2, 2007 The blizzaks are a very good tire if you encounter alot of icy conditions where you live in Vt. I have a 2003 1500 and the best tire I ever had on any of my trucks was the BFG AT's. They had the best traction in the snow and they lasted me 40,000 miles and probably could have gone another 10. Forgot to mention the blizzak should be removed for summer time. My wife has a Chevy Equinox that I put Mastercraft Courser MSR's on and they have real good winter traction and mileage seems to be pretty good so far. I can't say how they do in the deep but on snow/ice covered roads they do real well also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Posted September 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2007 I had BFG AT's a while back and although they are good in deep snow, they seemed very bad on ice. Other people have told me about the Blizzaks not having good handling on dry roads. I looked at the Green Diamond site, and although they sound like a great idea, they are kind of expensive for basically a recapped tire. I sent them an email looking for more info. Another tire I'm now looking at is the Goodyear Fortera TripleTred. That is an all-season tire meets the industry’s severe snow service requirements and is branded with the mountain/snowflake symbol. I was surprised to see that on an all season tire. Does anyone have any experience with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted September 3, 2007 Report Share Posted September 3, 2007 I know, this has been discussed before. But too often it amounts to, "I bought such-and-such tires and they are the greatest". I'm looking for a more detailed discussion from guys that have experience with some of the winter specialty tires available now. Are they worth the trouble of switching tires every spring and fall? Do they really wear out too fast if you are lazy and leave them on all summer? I'm just trying to determine if they are worth it. I drive a 2004 chev ext cab half ton 4x4. It has about 28k on the OEM tires, and they aren't bald by any means, but for winter driving they are a little marginal in my opinion. Tires are one area I don't like to scrimp on, because I tend to drive fast on bad roads. I'm less interested in deep snow performance but I want a tire that has good ice capability.I've been looking around and two tires have caught my eye, the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3, and the Michelin Latitude X-Ice. Here is a good article: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tests/testDisplay.jsp?ttid=24 Does anyone here have any experience with either of those two tires? Thanks. Rob Ive used the Blizzak's for the last 4 years since my local tire dealer turned me on to them when we were discussing winter tire options. In over 40 years of driving in winter weather I have never experienced a tire that gives me the performance in winter conditions that the Blizzak's do. They are especially comforting on the ice; seem to stick like glue to black ice. On snow packed roads they excell, especially when towing. I have guys who ride with me on my trips up to Quebec when things get really scary and they cannot believe the traction and control. They are great on deep snow, as well, which is a tad puzzling as they do not have a real aggressive lug. It is all in the tread design. Oh yeah, they are great on dry roads, as well. Caveats. They are kinda soft and for what you pay for them, i take mine off after my last trip north each winter. Put them on prior to my first trip to the Mts. Valins (cuz we never get much snow here in PA till December). If you let them on a light truck (Yukon XL for me) you will wear them out in 25,000 miles. Also, the same wear factors mean you need to keep your wheels in balance. oh yeah. they ride great as well. I put about 10,000 miles per winter on them and will be on my third set this winter. timbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil 1 Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 Rob: I agree Blizzak's are A-1. Not on truck but my wife's Acura 3.2 CL Type -S they grab on ice and snow like glue. They are 3 years old and I am very careful to get them off early berfore they begin to wear. Heat is their enemy. They are rotated and will be good for many more years. I use a Cooper full snow on my truck. They grab very well but I don't think they will last like the "Stones", but they were 1/2 the cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTSE800 Posted September 4, 2007 Report Share Posted September 4, 2007 I don't think they will last like the "Stones", That's a neat way to put it. So there not good for 40 years, I mean 40K... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermonster Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 Rob- I run Cooper M & S on my F150 and they have been great. Wear has been very good but I only run them from November to April. I paid $104 and tire mounted, balanced and with tax in Bristol, VT last fall. I would never run them all summer as they are very soft. Good luck with whatever you decide to go with. THINK SNOW!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RLH Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 I have great success with the Michelan LTX/AT. I run them all year on a Suberban 1500 4x4. I have 110,000 on this set. rotated and balanced every 5000. The berb weagh,s 5600 lbs. and that has a lot to do with the traction. The new ltx/at2 is out and is also awsom in the snow as well as wet traction. This is the third set and all have had over 90,000 on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTSE800 Posted October 11, 2007 Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 Rob, did you decide on what tires you want? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob Posted October 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 Rob, did you decide on what tires you want? not yet.. I had a couple of other unexpected expenses come up this month so I'm holding off for now, (at least until it feels more like winter). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NH Vector Posted October 11, 2007 Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 Go with the michelin ltx m/s. Excellent all around tire with exceptional wear on 4x4's. NH Vector Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTSE800 Posted October 11, 2007 Report Share Posted October 11, 2007 Go with the michelin ltx m/s. Excellent all around tire with exceptional wear on 4x4's.NH Vector That is what I had on my F150, 65k on them, could have got another 5 but I wanted to get new ones before the snow starts to fly. The M/S 17" are special order now, so I went with the LTX X It looks like the same tire less the M/S in white letters. Sams club had a good deal on them, plus with the Road hazzard option it was the best deal I found. I was looking at the special tires for the ice and snow from the link posted above, but I figured I drive a lot of miles just getting too the snow that I would wear them out quite quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kgallis Posted October 16, 2007 Report Share Posted October 16, 2007 Rob, I was reading in another forum about tires, specifically the Goodyear's with the silent armor technology. The vehicle was a full size Dodge Ram and the person experienced a little bit of a squirly ride, especially when the truck was loaded down. The people on the board attributed this to the use of Kevlar in the tire, resulting in a sidewall with a lot more flex. The person actually returned the tires for another brand. I also have the Goodyear triple treads on my wife's car. The car does not seem to handle as crisply as with the Michelin's that were on it previously. I'm going to be returning to Michelins when it is time to replace them. Treadwear and wet traction, however, have been very good. For what it's worth... Karl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GTSE800 Posted October 16, 2007 Report Share Posted October 16, 2007 Has anyone ever tried the Nitrogen fill in your tires? I was thinking of having my trailer tires done, and I have been thinking about having my truck done also. They say it's safer, Tire failures reduced by 50% thread life increased 25% Improved steering and handling. And whatever presure you put in them it stays at that, no matter how hot or cold the tire gets. I thought it would be good on trailer tires since the trailer sits a lot of the time. A dealer near me wants 30 bucks to doo the truck. Also they say you can save 100.00 a year in tire and fuel cost??????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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